Carnivore fishing: lure color, should you always stick to baitfish?

Choosing the right lure, particularly in the absence of a bite, is not always easy. The question of color as a decisive parameter often comes up. So, should you always stick to the color of the forage fish, or should you deviate from it?

A lure has a vibration, a swimming depth, a size and also a color. While fish are sometimes not very particular about the model offered, there are situations where each parameter is decisive. In such cases, the choice of color can be essential to the success of the fishing trip.

En eau claire et avec de la lumière les coloris imitatifs sont une bonne base de départ.
In clear water and with light, imitation colors are a good starting point.

The theory

When it comes to choosing lure colors, there's a theory that often works and provides an excellent basis for getting started. If the water is clear, you'll want to go for imitation colors, i.e. the same color as the prey in the water. On the other hand, when it's stung, flashy colors are a better starting point.

L'imitation parfaite des proies est souvent une excellente approche, mais pas toujours la solution.
Perfect prey imitation is often an excellent approach, but not always the solution.

Environment and time constraints

While the color of the water helps define its primary orientation in the choice of lure color, weather and light are also decisive factors. So, even in the presence of very clear water, if the external luminosity is very low or affected by weather conditions, flashy colors can prove far superior. Remember, for example, that waves reduce light refraction.

Parfois les touches de couleurs déclenchent plus de touches.
Sometimes coloured lures trigger more bites.

Predator activity

A final parameter that can influence the level of effectiveness of your lure colors is the state of predator activity. In the presence of hunting fish, flashy colors may once again prove more profitable. Similarly, if predators are lethargic and apathetic, the first option is to match the color of the prey present as closely as possible to try to seduce them and awaken a feeding or opportunistic reflex. But as a last resort, you can also try to provoke them and trigger an aggressive reflex by using very bright colors.

Certaines espèces réagissent particulièrement bien aux coloris incitatifs.
Some species respond particularly well to color incentives.

The same logic for size, noise and animation

The above solutions apply to all 4 parameters of lure choice. In fact, it's always possible to tempt fish by slowly animating smaller, silent and imitative lures or to aggress predators and awaken their sense of territoriality by using large, noisy and flashy lures. When it comes to fishing, when bites are scarce, you often have to play with extremes!

Pensez à posséder différents coloris dans votre boîte de leurres.
Think about having different colors in your lure box.

Don't mistake your prey

Sometimes, the prey isn't what you think it is, and to trigger the bites, you need to stick to the color of the fish you're after, but don't be mistaken in your identification. In fact, under a school of baitfish (roach, sprat, etc.) it may well be that perch or mackerel are the prey of much larger predators... So it's up to you to choose a lure that matches the size and color of your target!

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