Plug color importance?

[ChiefLinesider]

I am a fan of bright colors & patterns that reflect light. Alot of my plugs are white & black. But then I have a bunch of neons green/bright yellows etc. which I will throw majority of the time. I dont know what it is but I do well with neon green in just about any condition. Of course I have my thoughts on why it works, but they are just thoughts on a endless quest to find a definitive answer to an impossible question. Why does a color work well? Or is it because that person has confidence in that color and uses it most often?

After you have landed a fish on your favorite white needlefish, you might say, wow I love white needles. But what would have happened if you had thrown a black needle in the same spot & worked it the same way. Was it because that fish was there and was hungry, or because you threw the correct color at the correct time?

Of course you cant prove that because you cant put all those variables back together. Of course this is all too technical, but I enjoy thinking about it.

One of my favorite sayings-
If it aint chartreuse, It aint no use.

[tattoobob]

Originally Posted by ChiefLinesider

I am a fan of bright colors & patterns that reflect light. Alot of my plugs are white & black. But then I have a bunch of neons green/bright yellows etc. which I will throw majority of the time. I dont know what it is but I do well with neon green in just about any condition. Of course I have my thoughts on why it works, but they are just thoughts on a endless quest to find a definitive answer to an impossible question. Why does a color work well? Or is it because that person has confidence in that color and uses it most often?

After you have landed a fish on your favorite white needlefish, you might say, wow I love white needles. But what would have happened if you had thrown a black needle in the same spot & worked it the same way. Was it because that fish was there and was hungry, or because you threw the correct color at the correct time?

Of course you cant prove that because you cant put all those variables back together. Of course this is all too technical, but I enjoy thinking about it.

One of my favorite sayings-
If it aint chartreuse, It aint no use.

What happens when you are standing on a rock and try 4 differnt colors and the fish finally takes the last color, do you say it was waiting for a certain color or is it just sick off that plug passing over it on hits just to chase it away

[ChiefLinesider]

Originally Posted by tattoobob

What happens when you are standing on a rock and try 4 differnt colors and the fish finally takes the last color, do you say it was waiting for a certain color or is it just sick off that plug passing over it on hits just to chase it away

One of my favorite parts of the game.
Questioning

[Joe]

Black/Purple
All Black
All White
All Yellow
Yellow/White
Olive/White or Olive/Light Gold
Herring
Pogie
White w/Pink Stripe
Squid (seasonal)
Mullet (seasonal)

This is more geared to what sells - there are regional patterns that I don't sell that do well some places. I've tried a bunch of others - but these patterns far outsell most stuff. In wood, chartreuse does not do that well but in plastic (Super Strike) it does real well as does parrot.

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by Joe

Black/Purple
All Black
All White
All Yellow
Yellow/White
Olive/White or Olive/Light Gold
Herring
Pogie
White w/Pink Stripe
Squid (seasonal)
Mullet (seasonal)

This is more geared to what sells - there are regional patterns that I don't sell that do well some places. I've tried a bunch of others - but these patterns far outsell most stuff. In wood, chartreuse does not do that well but in plastic (Super Strike) it does real well as does parrot.

Regional ,,, Reading these boards and talking to different people it seems alot of loyalty to certain plugs/colors is regional . It makes sense different bait in different areas would make this true . Montauk (3 ounce yellow darter),,, Jersey smaller lefty types ,, I don't know why . Most bait shops up north get there pogies from jersey .?? LI NY large wood (7400 surfster size)parrot ? Cape is a hog-pog Maybe a giant 12" jointed CCB type or a bomber.. Canal large yellow or white pencil popper.. North of the canal small stuff seems to be the ticket . 2 ounce max.. Not saying there isn't overlap and you can't catch a fish on another plug.. Maybe its just local loyalty pre-internett before we knew what every one eles was doing .

[vineyardblues]

A must have is bright ORANGE,,,,,
Simple but catches
VB

[Karl F]

You are correct Tagger.. regional.. Hodge Podge for sure.

If you don't have a black/gold a lot of nights on beaches near me, you might as well go home.. pink too..

Commercial builders, I would think would realize that the K.I.S.S. method would be the way to go, paint wise, and shape wise, would be the way to go in the long run.

Redhead yellow
Redhead white
Blurple
Blue/White
Black
Yellow
Mackeral (or Green/Silver, no pattern)
White
Black/Gold
Chrome/Blue

that list works for me, but could prolly be cut down..
leave the fancy stuff for the one of customs...
K.I.S.S. for the production runs.

[Striperhound]

I do the same mixing colors but there are a few points that can be made.

1st. Crazy color combo's catch fisherman more than they catch fish. Good for selling custom plugs. Although doing color combo's are more fun to paint.

2nd. Every time I pull a plug out of a bag it's white-yellow-black, pogie or herring. 5 simple patterns. I suscribe to the simple notion of K.I.S.S, Keep it simple stupid.

3rd. As your custom plug business grows you will need to keep things simple, more paint and time means more cost.

4th personal preference here but I would rather fish a white plug that catches than a real life replica of a pogie that doesnt.

You guys do have some unique stuff, think innovation and quality while keeping colors simple.

[vanstaal]

Originally Posted by ChiefLinesider

I am a fan of bright colors & patterns that reflect light. Alot of my plugs are white & black. But then I have a bunch of neons green/bright yellows etc. which I will throw majority of the time. I dont know what it is but I do well with neon green in just about any condition. Of course I have my thoughts on why it works, but they are just thoughts on a endless quest to find a definitive answer to an impossible question. Why does a color work well? Or is it because that person has confidence in that color and uses it most often?

After you have landed a fish on your favorite white needlefish, you might say, wow I love white needles. But what would have happened if you had thrown a black needle in the same spot & worked it the same way. Was it because that fish was there and was hungry, or because you threw the correct color at the correct time?

Of course you cant prove that because you cant put all those variables back together. Of course this is all too technical, but I enjoy thinking about it.

One of my favorite sayings-
If it aint chartreuse, It aint no use.

I often ponder the same thing i got this plastic plug it's yellow and orange paid 7.00 for it I killed them with it !! just a thought.

[stiff tip]

for yrs (earlyer)when i fished the canal . it was any color u wanted as long as its yellow... why ??? because of the schools of pogies in the canal... but if we had a rush of macks through the canal i would switch to that color patten 4 as long as that run lasted ..... multi colors on your plgs are mostly eye candy...to please the user.. gibbs made most plgs 2/3 colors w/ some hi lites.. ask me my fav, colors ...... bl/sil/w....y/sil/ w ....gr /sil w/ verm lines....but best plg 4 me in the canal isssss.... the loaded ...cotton cordell... jazzed up n coated n loaded.... w/ lots of shiney chrome......

[BigFish]

White, black, silver, yellow and green! Contrasts and shades of gray!

[bloocrab]

Mr. Canalman - If I built plugs for myself, I would make them very detailed and purrrty - mainly because I enjoy art, looking at it or creating it. However, if I'm in it for the profit...I would concentrate on a more hardier plug, I would use fewer colors but better hardware and spend that extra time on a better FINISH. What I find with ALOT of hand-crafted plugs are the durability of the finish. I do not like paying $20 for a plug that shows it's guts on the first outing. The extra time put into multiple colors should be spent on more finish coats. - Fancy color patterns are attractive to the eye, the human eye that is. The quality of a well painted plug will definately sell. Unfortunately, a very detailed plug takes more time which will drive the cost up, which will lower the amount of buyers, but a hardy plug...once proven, will be bought over and over.

Do I think a fish can see the scales that some builders paint on their plugs? .... ....do I think they're cool looking ? YES!
Can they see the variation in multiple color patterns?? I doubt it...
Most baitfish have a white-ish bottom-side regardless of what color their top-side is...most baitfish start to get chased or targeted from below...If you can add 2 + 2 and come up with 4, you'll understand that the ACTION along with the predator-fish being present are the KEY.

Why did yellow work when white didn't? Did you go back to white after catching with yellow? Did you fish it with as much confidence? Sure, I think there's a difference between very dark colors versus very light colors...but colors inbetween appeal more to my eyes than the fishs'...
Just my opinion


**OOPS, walked away without hitting the "reply" button, looks like some others feel like I do - and replied first, sorry for the repetiveness