Lost in Colors...

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: COLOR SELECTION

     With such a wide variety of colors available for both hardbaits and softbaits these days... How do you choose? Well, for me personally-colors are the last thing I care about in a bait...."but, but, but, tequila sunrise and california 420 are the best" you say. Don't get me wrong, color is an essential part of the equation...but one of the less important factors. Really in most cases, the finish on a bait is made to sell the bait to the angler. I always laugh when I see an "ultra-realistic" finish on a crankbait. When a bass hits a crank, it makes a split-second decision to react. It does not study a bait and then "decide" it is real. A bass lacks the brain power to make those observations into a thought process. Instead, the bass relies on instinct. So a productive bait is getting an instinctive response from a combination of the bass's senses working at once. As far as visual cues go, I believe bass react more to shape and action than color in a moving bait. Now, what about plastics? Once again, I believe the most productive plastics are ones with realistic movements and scents. Many plastics only slightly resemble the creature they are mimicking. It is the movement of the baits that I believe produces the predatory response. Of course, matching your bait to what the bass are keyed in on also helps with a quick decision to strike the bait. All this said, here are some things to consider when picking colors.

BASS VISION

Bass eyesight has been studied many times and biologists have found that bass can indeed see colors but their color eyesight is limited. Bass see shades of green and red the best. Interestingly, purple and blue colors simply fade to indistinct an dark or light shade to the bass. That's right, bass can't see blue! So what makes a particular color appealing to bass? Well, probably not a  specific trigger in a color but simply how visible or non-visible the color makes the bait. So how visible is the bait to the bass? You must consider water clarity, depth and light penetration to pick your colors. Yep, the old dark day-dark bait, bright day-bright bait rule is a good one to follow. There are, however, exceptions.


CONTRAST

My No.1 favorite color is....Black! My No.2 favorite color...White! As visual feeders, contrast plays a huge role in color selection. It's no secret that black is one of the most productive colors. I believe it is because it helps the bass see the bait better. In clear water, a "lighter black" would be your blues and purples...if that makes sense. A green pumpkin color plastic is also very popular because it is dark and has contrast against it's surroundings as well as a natural color that bass can depict. Natural colors for plastics like browns and greens might not look the same to bass as it does to us but if you are matching local forage then bass are seeing a color they are used to seeing. When it comes to crankbaits, spinners, etc. I especially go for contrast. Not only do I like strong contrast against the water or sky, I like my paint scheme to have contrast as well. Simple two tone baits have a natural appearance. I'm more interested in stark contrasts on the paint job than actual colors.


SHINE AND GLOW 

Bass like shiny things. It is only natural as sunlight reflects off of baitfish creating a shine or glow. In murky water, light refraction shows up more in a glow while in clear water it is a bright shine. This also depends on the amount of sunlight hitting the water. So, in dingy water I like to throw chartreuse and bone as these colors give off a glow. In clear water, I like chrome with black or blue to give contrast but if it is really bright and clear out I will usually opt for simple natural contrast. I also will use gold in certain situations. Often it is less about a preferred color as it is a color that helps send instinctive cues to a bass by way of shine or glow.

SEEING RED 

There is a theory among some circles that bass respond to the color red because it represents blood which can trigger a predatory response. Most biologists seem to agree though that a bass relating the color red to wounded fish is likely beyond the mental capacity of a tiny bass brain. Bass don't make cognizant observations like that especially on a moving bait. That said, red can be both a natural and a very visible color to bass making it very productive at times. Nearly all colors at times can catch bass though and that in itself should tell you about how important color selection is. Bass are less likely to reject a bait due to color than other factors. Keep it simple and use common sense. Don't overestimate a bass's power of deduction, instead concentrate on what produces an instinctive response in the presentation of the bait. Remember, most of the time a detailed finish or highly realistic paint job is there to look good to the angler and sell baits. Start with the basics of bass vision and feeding cues and then let the fish write the rest of the story.

Muddy Waters: How to Start Kayak Fishing...

       MUDDY WATERS

          We've all seen it. The stoked new guy asking an innocent question about what kayak/ reel/pfd/sunscreen to buy. Then everybody's biased opinions start flying, arguments erupt and Mr. Newbie isn't so stoked anymore. The water is indeed muddy. As much as online group fishing pages and forums seem the right place for advice, they are not. Few people are willing to be honest and try to help. Someone is always going to try to sell you on what they use. They could be right, they could be wrong. How do you know? Well, here's some suggestions.

DEMO

The best answer to your questions about what gear to get is hands on experience. These days it's pretty easy to line up a kayak demo but kayaks aren't the only thing you should demo. Clothing, tackle, fishfinders and everything else are easier to assess by going to a retailer and putting them in your hands. Asking about something online and then putting in an order can often result in a hard lesson learned. The only way to figure out what is best for you is to try out the options. A kayak demo can be eye opening. Handling a reel in the store can make you change your mind. It doesn't matter what anyone else uses, it matters what works for you.

TRIM THE FAT

Okay, so you know you need to go check some stuff out but how do you narrow it all down? The choices are endless, so start at the top. Industry names that are trusted and time-proven are your best place to start. They say imitation is the best form of flattery but the originals usually do it best. Look at things like the warranties offered, top-seller lists and what anglers who win big tournaments are using. These type of things will say much about a product. If you are on a particular budget, make a list of the most important items and spend as much as possible on those. When it comes to things like the right kayak and being safe in it...don't skimp on dollars there. A good way to make your budget more efficient is by checking out the DIY videos on YouTube and seeing what things you might be able get cheaper. Narrow your selections down to a few quality products, go check 'em out, then weigh the personal pros/cons of each product for you.

THE RIGHT RESEARCH

Okay, so obviously online research isn't completely useless. Here are some ways to do it the right way. First, go to an online retailer and check for reviews on the product. Some of these can be eye opening and they are generally not from sponsored anglers. However, on the flip side...take a look at who the company sponsors. If a guy who has won the bassmaster classic is repping something, I'm a lot more likely to be interested. An angler who has experience with many products and has narrowed it down themselves should have good input especially a successful big tournament angler. Also, go to the company's web page and look at product specs, look at what materials they use. Lastly, there are videos out there showing every product you could think of in action. Once you see why and how something works, it's easier to make a decision on if it would work for you.

DON'T JOIN A PRO-STAFF (right away)

One big mistake I'm seeing these days is people who want to join a pro-staff as soon as they start kayak fishing. It's getting easier to do because some companies take advantage of the hunger by signing people up for a discount on a product that is sometimes below par and other times completely unproven. You need to figure out what is BEST for you as an angler if you want your game to excel. Repping a product just because you want to rep a product and then promoting it to other anglers is a detriment to yourself and others. In the end, will you be standing by the product you recommended to other anglers? Would you sell out for a better deal? These are questions you won't have to ask yourself if you develop yourself as an angler first. The only way to get the right direction for a pro-staff is by patience and experience on the water. Once you found the certain item that you truly believe in (and have had success with)so much you think you could sell it, then consider pro-staff options... whether it be a big company or your strange brother pouring custom jigs in his garage. If you are a new kayak angler eager to make a name in the sport then remember only you can make a name for yourself by honing your skills. Don't let a little ego-boosting attention limit you to a certain product until you are certain what products make you the best angler you can be. The water is muddy and there will always be different strokes for different folks but if your heart and passion lies in the sport of kayak fishing then shoot for the stars--not just bright lights.