muskies and the color red???

[MuskyDan]

Dave just posted he likes red bucktails and I am seeing or maybe just noticing more red lures being made and used. What are your experiences with red? I heard along time ago that red was hard for fish to see unless it was at or near the surface. I am sure this is a myth but what are your thoughts??? If you haven't seen the Badfish 2 video it is worth watching and notice the red bait that Greg Thomas is using, it really sticks out in that water.

[Will Schultz]

This must be one of those things that comes up every year in the winter...

Nope, that's not a myth at all, it's science. As light is filtered by water the first wavelengths of light to be filtered are red. It doens't become invisible it just becomes a dull green or brown. The makers of red fishing line would have you believe it becomes invisible under water...

The lens on the eye of a muskie is yellow which will filter short wavelengths of light. If they can see Red at all it would be in VERY clear and VERY shallow water. Muskies also lack the ability to see the blue end of the color spectrum.

Use this information to form your own opinion about lure color.

[MuskyDan]

This must be one of those things that comes up every year in the winter...

Nope, that's not a myth at all, it's science. As light is filtered by water the first wavelengths of light to be filtered are red. It doens't become invisible it just becomes a dull green or brown. The makers of red fishing line would have you believe it becomes invisible under water...

The lens on the eye of a muskie is yellow which will filter short wavelengths of light (red). If they can see Red at all it would be in VERY clear and VERY shallow water. Muskies also lack the ability to see the blue end of the color spectrum.

Use this information to form your own opinion about lure color.

I want your opinion not the scientific one. I see a ton of weagles with red heads, and alot of these jailbird baits have red heads lately. I haven't thrown red baits because of that mental stigma I have on it because of that ancient comment. But I found a bait that I want to buy but I am not going to unless I get rid of that idea. How many fish did you catch on red baits last year ???

[LeMay]

I you look at last May's National Geographic. Its has a good story on what fish see under water.

Thanks LeMay OUT

[Will Schultz]

My opinions are all based on science... and the fact that I can't see red the same way someone with "normal" color vision sees red. To me, red in low light or under water looks brown/gray/green.

I don't own any red lures. I haven't caught a fish on a red lure. I don't think, based on science, that muskies can see red - period.

If I go fish Mille Lacs am I going to have some red lures? Yep. Not because I think they can see red but because red appears as an appealing shade of brown/gray/green to a muskie.

[Mike Stinson]

Dan, Red Bucktails have worked very well for me in the past

[Bryan Saenz]

I wont get into the physics of light and refraction and reflection and wavelengths and the color spectrum, all that stuff. What colors are seen with what parts of the fishes eye and what depths they are most visible at and all that..( yawn )...sorry, i have had a lot of science and tech classes, just want to fish..lol
I have a Llungen tail 8" bucktail (rubber skirt) red blade, and skirt.... It got the crap tore out of it last year... I don't know why, in fact it was hotter in clearer water, like elk lake and long Lake I did vary well. It was the best thing I threw on cedar lake last year. And yes it was just one bait, but as far as a color conversation, it worked well for me. On the flip side, I am not big on red head lures that whole white body red head, never had luck with them.

Bryan

[Kingfisher]

I have two red head Pike lures that are very effective in clear waters down about 11 feet during low light periods and cloudy days. One has a bunch of black spots on it both have produced well for real big pike but neither have worked for Musky. One is a Magnum Rapala the better one is a cheap Stamina 7" deep minnow. Catch reports from Leesvile Lake in Ohio claim that the red and black barred Bagley monster Shad knocks the snot out of a lot of Muskies over there. Ill be testing that report in April. To me it doesnt matter what they see or dont see but wether or not it works. Why does a fish hit an all black bait or an all white bait as there are zero fish that are those colors? If red looks like brown than brown must look a little darker Brown eh? Its all fish on the inside :) Kingfisher

[NSTAGATOR]

have a red head/white suick...9".....never got a sniff....looks great in the water.....anybody want it??????????????

DU

[MuskyTom]

My motto is "If it's free, it's for me". How much you asking for it?
MuskyTom

[kbkrause]

As light is filtered by water the first wavelengths of light to be filtered are red. It doens't become invisible it just becomes a dull green or brown.

So the fish may be attracted to the dull green or brown color at depths where the red gets filtered out...

[Will Schultz]

As light is filtered by water the first wavelengths of light to be filtered are red. It doens't become invisible it just becomes a dull green or brown.

So the fish may be attracted to the dull green or brown color at depths where the red gets filtered out...

I think that would be a safe assumption since red could/would produce a different shade or density of green/brown. IMO that is why red, purple and blue can be good colors in certain situations. Under water and to a muskie they don't look the same as they do above water to you and me, that doesn't mean they are not good colors.

Isn't it interesting though that the colors a muskie sees well, green and yellow, are the same colors as their primary forage in many places? Hmmm.....

[MuskyDan]

Isn't it interesting though that the colors a muskie sees well, green and yellow, are the same colors as their primary forage in many places? Hmmm.....


and your favorite color for most conditions is ?????

[Will Schultz]

and your favorite color for most conditions is ?????

Perca flavescens

[MuskyDan]

I hope that means black!!!!! I saw in another post that if you only have one color bait it would be black!!!!

Perca schmerca