How important is the color and detail on the top of a surface plug? - Page 2 - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Fish_Eye · 08-22-2006, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Tried wading up on a pod of bait last night to get a better look .. I move ,, it moves,,I move ,,it moves..

Tagger you're observations show the schooling ability of bait when they sense (feel/hear) a threat.

Baitfish such as herring, alewives and anchovies are considered “hearing specialists” because their swimbladder, lateral line, and inner ear are all connected and they also have a pair of prootic auditory bullae which acts as pressure-to-motion transducers. This helps explain why when one moves they all move simultaneously. Recently they proved that American Shad can hear ultrasound of 180 kHz and Gulf Menhaden also have ultrasonic hearing. What does this all mean? Don’t drop the tackle box in your tin boat when you’re trying to snag bait, or don’t crank up the Aerosmith tunes or you’ll drive away the fish.

Stripers have medium hearing yet their lateral line can determine the direction of the current and the presence of nearby objects, as well as sense vibration. Their lateral line functions best within the zone nearest the sound source, the inner ear performs best in the far edges of the near field and outward. Their lateral line does not respond directly to the acoustic-pressure component of sound fields. In the case of vibrating sources, the lateral line is only directly stimulated at very short distances from the source where the generated acoustic field behaves like an incompressible flow. Unless your lure or live bait offering is close to the striper it is likely to depend on its inner ear to detect and direct it to the source of the sound. Therefore, in dirty water a popper, spook, or lure that creates a lot of surface splashing and vibration will be first heard, and then “felt” as the striper locks in on it and then strikes.

Bait such as herring, alewives and anchovies have a distinct hearing advantage over stripers however, at periods of low light, and changing lighting conditions like dusk and dawn, the striper’s excellent vision gives them an upper hand (fin).

And yes, stripers spend lot of their time looking up for prey.

John E · 08-23-2006, 10:56 AM

[QUOTE=NIB]How do Lime green bucktails work out there?
[QUOTE]

Very well

riverrat2 · 08-23-2006, 12:25 PM

I totally agree with NIB, keep it simple. We are talking about fish! Fish don't care if it is pearl with a strip of pink and a black fog around the eye. Black at night is all you have to know and if you are catching fish during the daytime 90% of the time color definetly does not matter.

DaveS · 08-23-2006, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NIB

How do Lime green bucktails work out there?
i NEVER Ever use mack patterns.we rarley get em.
There was this one time a small mac bottle was the ticket that was maybe 8 yrs ago.
They love that Mackeral stuff in the ditch.

Mackeral patterns are the one that I have absolutley zero of. There's a spot here in NJ that used to get filthy with tinker mackeral every summer. Bass and weakfish would go ape**** on these things and if ya snagged tinkers, ya caught fish. Well I got the notion to try a mackeral finish bomber, the small one, and could not for the life of me catch a fish on it. Goto the schoolbus or chicken scratch and catch fish. Go figure eh? Even up in New England waters, i tried mackeral and couldnt buy a fish.

And I agree with Habs, color matters and I also always start with white. Even with shad bodies, if you aint tossing the right color you will get squat. NIB, how many times do you see guys with the McKala shads up on the bridge and the guys using all pearl are outfishing the guys with blk/pearl 5-1? Granted technique plays alot in to it all, as does skill, but I'm a firm believer in the right color will catch more fish.

Crazy Alberto · 08-23-2006, 08:46 PM

Hello there,

Some friend told me about this and here I am. This is a great topic and if you don’t mind, I like to interject. I’ve culled many bass on just about every imaginable color and I have to concur will a few of you. White is the primary color and whenever in doubt, toss white and you will be okay. Now, as per Laptew’s questions… Top lure color, does it really matter? I like to think it does. My motto is to match the hatch (daylight action) and for the night bite, use the scale to adjust to the proper hues. For example, if we are fishing the mid moon, I like the “grey” and if we are closing into the new moon… I go darker. ;-) But the truth of the matter, does it really matter? I don’t know but if it adds to my “confidence” level and it makes me fish harder… than it does.

All in all, this is all good. It keeps you thinking and most importantly, thinking out of the box. Regarding this topic, I have some basic rules and I am sure some of you agree. Here it is… if I am fishing the darker nights, I go dark, if it is a bright night, I switch to brighter colors. In the event the water is dirty, I got with chartreuse and in the other hand, if the water is gin clear – I switch to the natural colors (pending if you are aware of the current foray).

Given this, I strongly believe that noise is equally as important as color. Do I dare highjack this thread and ask about the lateral line and its noise factor? LOLOLOL…

Anyhow, got to catch a tide, tight lines and be well.

“Crazy” Alberto
NonStopFisher@Optonline.net

Mike P · 08-24-2006, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy Alberto

Given this, I strongly believe that noise is equally as important as color. Do I dare highjack this thread and ask about the lateral line and its noise factor? LOLOLOL…

Anyhow, got to catch a tide, tight lines and be well.

“Crazy” Alberto

NonStopFisher@Optonline.net

Hijack alert

Ah, yes. Why does a bucktail jig have to be working on the bottom to catch fish most of the time? Is it because the fish are holding tight to the bottom, or in a hole that breaks the current slightly? Or is it because they have to hear it bouncing off the bottom structure with their lateral line before they can zero in on it?

How many times have you had a jig hit the instant it falls off a mussel bed, a ledge, or a bar into deeper water, before it can even reach the bottom of the new hole?

NIB · 08-24-2006, 08:09 AM

Some of the bestfish I have caught on a jig where not near the bottom at all.A slow retrive up current kinda like trolling.Instantainious Rod Bending Monster like hits.I like em on the bottom don't get me wrong.Gives ME a sense of what is going on.Most jigg hits come on the drop After I pop the rod.In a 5 Knot current that can be 10' easily who knows if the bass heard the last tick or not.I think they feel the disturbance an it gets their attention.It looks like food they have a millisecond to decide to eat it. (like a batter at the plate with a 95 MPH fastball comin on, or is it the changeup?)which mechanism does a bass use to zero in on a jig at close range inner ear or lateral line.Which noises effect these motion detectors best.It is important to pay attention to what happens when a fish strikes.That I do know.

Fish_Eye · 08-24-2006, 04:43 PM

As always a lot of great input from a lot of talented anglers out there.

I would have to agree with most of what’s been posted and I’m inclined to go along with everything Crazy Alberto suggests.

On those bright sunny days a plug from directly below is just a silhouette to the fish as shown in the picture below. But remember the reflection will give them a perfect mirror image of the top of that lure when they come in from an angle.

NIB · 08-24-2006, 05:54 PM

Good stuff Mike.U now how to get a bunch of fisherman o think.That last pic tells me I have to lighten my line, remove the clip, an the tail hook.

Flaptail · 08-24-2006, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish_Eye

As always a lot of great input from a lot of talented anglers out there.

I would have to agree with most of what’s been posted and I’m inclined to go along with everything Crazy Alberto suggests.

On those bright sunny days a plug from directly below is just a silhouette to the fish as shown in the picture below. But remember the reflection will give them a perfect mirror image of the top of that lure when they come in from an angle.

That one pic says it all! Thanks!

Fish_Eye · 08-25-2006, 05:33 AM

Sandman,

We've talked about this before and I agree with your line up of key factors in drawing a strike. However, I would include one other consideration and that's "size". In your order of importance I would stick size in right after profile -- I think general shape is more important than size, but size does matter. Many knowledgeable anglers feel that stripers are among the most size selective feeders in the world!

Fish_Eye · 08-25-2006, 05:37 AM

Dare I bring up the subject of fluorescent, phosphorescent, ultra violet, and bioluminescent considerations?

EricM · 01-22-2007, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Dare I bring up the subject of fluorescent, phosphorescent, ultra violet, and bioluminescent considerations?

Bring it on- I looked at the kageyama book and, from what I can understand so far, he is saying that "true" fluorescent paints reflect more than one color of the spectrum underwater- much more so than ordinary paints, which would give your lure a much better chance of being seen and tracked visually... although he is primarily a steelheader, and I hear that steelhead are wild about fluorescent colors. Anyhoo...

Also, I read somewhere else that polarized light is critical, specifically how an object in the water reflects polarized light...as for bioluminescent and phosphorescent, well, haven't gotten that far into it yet...but willing to go down that road. Why not, its still January...lots of time left in the winter...

ChiefLinesider · 01-22-2007, 08:31 PM

I think colors take a back seat when it comes to reflection & vibration(sound/ action) & smell. Striped bass (& other game fish & animals for that matter) have adapted to pick up on these things.

If you eat at night you better have a few tricks up your sleeve when it comes to finding food. I think evolution has taken care of this with most animals by giving them other means of finding prey rather than relying on only sight.

Or to be politically correct, "God" has given animals these abilities since the creation of earth.

Yet I still prefer to fish white plugs or other light colors, since they are the most visible.

GattaFish · 01-23-2007, 02:09 AM

I agree with the color being important... I am not so convinced on the eye part either. I have done pretty well with plugs that have no eye at all. I also have seen many sand eels come out of the belly of fish and their eyes are tiny.

I am totally convinced that the sound and vibration play the biggest part in getting the attention of the fish then motion, action and finally the color make the fish decide.

If the fish is hungry or in a frenzy they eat anything.......

Al in Westport · 01-23-2007, 08:44 AM

First a big thanks to Mike for starting one of the most interesting threads I have read in a long time. Also, thanks to all the other contributors. Lot’s of good info here.

As you can see by my avatar I have been around for awhile. After a long time away from Striper fishing I am back relearning our great sport.

Talking popping plugs, which I love to use, sometimes I think I use them too much. But I can’t help myself. I think color is somewhat important but that action and sound is more important. I own many wood plugs by some of the best makers and love ‘em but my “go to” plug is one of those plastic things with rattles. In the river, for schoolies, these seem to out-fish those nice wooden ones.

Interesting observation on the noise that treble hooks make too.

Now Mike, about that “size does matter”?

Think Spring, Al

thortum · 01-23-2007, 09:25 AM

I think that flashy colors and eyes are primarily to catch fisherman, but I also believe that they sometimes do make the difference. example: My son and I were fishing for largemouth bass - he was consistantly cathing fish on a red and yellow plug while I just watched. I started picking up fish as soon as I switched to the same color plug. They were evidently keying on yellow perch. It pays to have a variety of colors. I don't think you need eyes but I believe they will help with finiky fish.

thortum · 01-23-2007, 09:41 AM

HELP!! It took me three times to post my above reply. I log in but when I try to make the post I'm told that I'm NOT logged in. I am a slooow one finger typer so this is making an already crazy fisherman even crazier.

Fish_Eye · 01-23-2007, 07:51 PM

This is indeed a thought provoking thread with lots of great commentary. It seems a lot of folks favor the approach that it’s as simple as black and white…light or white during the day and black at night or overcast days – no doubt about it, it’s a tried and true formula and a great way to start any fishing trip.

IMHO, I favor pearl over white (the subtle hint of other colors seems to trump straight white…perhaps because so many bait fish have a pearlescent sheen when light reflects off their scales) and black with a little glitter or flash seems to outperform straight black. When it comes to dawn and dusk I personally choose lures with a yellow body and a red head, especially if they are surface plugs or shallow running swimmers; I’ve observed many species of bait fish at this time of peak predation and the low angle of sun reflects off their side and produces a golden glow. I like a red head because I simply feel most lures and flies benefit from a touch of red. What fish, no matter what its coloration, doesn’t show a flash of red when it flairs its gill plates? It has been proven that stripers see a range of colors from red to blue…with chartreuse being right smack in the middle of their range…so when the visibility is horrible and the water is the color of coffee or chocolate I turn to chartreuse, it is the easies to see color for both humans AND linesiders.

The one exception to my basic MO above occurs when my offering is suppose to mimic a squid, that’s when I turn to bright pink or hot orange. Stripers apparently don’t see ultra violet but weakfish do, therefore if I were targeting squeteague on a cloudy day or at night, I would definitely use lures or flies that had ultra violet highlights.

In fresh water I’ve found that a gold lure with a fluorescent orange stripe is the most effective color combo for every fish I’ve ever gone after…well, except for suckers, hornpout and carp.

I favor action over color any time of the day or night. But, when I need a solid excuse for why I’m not catching fish, it’s always easy to say, “I just didn’t have the right color lure with me.”