[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he answer is YES, colors do make a di fference in a big way! Even when fish are hungry and active, and hitting most of what you throw at them, choosing the right color can yield bigger and better fish.
Silver and gold are your basic GO TO colors and work in most all situations. Therefore, these should be a staple in every angler’s tackle box. As a general rule of thumb, use silver on bright sunny days and use gold on darker cloudy days. You also have to factor in the water clarity where you are fishing. When the water looks like tea from the tannin, or is dirty or cloudy, gold reflects very well and is your best choice. When the water is clear, use silver, as the reflective quality and flash is excellent, especially on bright sunny days.
Lure colors at depths also has to be considered. Fish will move to di fferent depths while you are fishing and your bite might slow down. As the fish move deeper, the lure color that has been working for you might not be as e ffective because the respective quality will change in deeper water. When this happens, switch lures with di fferent colors and patterns to experiment on what works best. Sometimes just matching the hatch will do the trick!
Remember, one of the basic rules for anglers that you’ve probably heard all your life is to use bright colored lures on bright days and darker colored lures on dark days. For the most part, this is true; however, black colors usually work regardless of the day.
Keeping these basic tips in mind should make for happier days on the water. So go take an inventory of your tackle box and be sure to put those NEW lures on your wish list for Santa. Merry Christmas and happy fishing!