The short answer is yes, your lure and fishing line color does matter. Although many an angler will disregard color when looking at prospective gear for their collection, the truth is that color has more of an impact on the fishing experience than people care to think about.
The longer answer to this question requires delving into a proper explanation of certain matters which include….
Can Fish See Colors?
Yes, yes they can. Unlike the old school of thought, we know that fish are not colorblind. How? The presence of cone (day time vision) and rod (night time vision) cells in their eyes allows fishes to distinguish between colors. Depending on the species of fish there might be a higher concentration of either of these two cells present.
Due to this variation some fish have better vision than others, and some species, like the tarpon are believed to possess vision far better than humans even. So yes, fish do see color. This brings us to our next point of concern.
The Relation between Light and Color in Water
Choosing the right color has a greater effect the clearer the water as less colors of light are absorbed in such conditions. Colors are absorbed as depth increases with longer wavelengths first and shorter ones later on.
This means that colors like red or orange will quickly become invisible but blue or purple will maintain their presence in greater depths.
Of course, this is also affected by the availability of light i.e. the weather. Cloudy days result in less light penetration as compared to sunny days, and evenings have the same result.
Choosing Gear – Lines
You can never be perfectly sure about fishing conditions, so it is best to have a variety of colors and types when it comes to fishing lines. Ideally, you would use fluorocarbon lines all the time, seeing as they are able to be invisible any kind of water condition.
However, they are expensive due to this property coupled with their level of resistance to wearing away. With monofilament lines though, you’ll want to use yellow for unclear water, red for clean water, and green as an all rounder.
Choosing Gear – Lures
Opposite to choosing lines, we need lures that are as visible as possible. So while for shallow fishing reds or oranges may work, they will lose their effectiveness with increased depth or dirty water. It is better to use blue or purple colored lures in such conditions.
While this information is probably nothing new to all the seasoned anglers, novices can make use of it to enhance their fishing experience. If you’re ever in Cabo San Lucas and in need of a professional fishing guide to take you fishing come check us out at our Tag Cabo Sportfishing Store, give us a call at +52 624 168 9544 or email us at tagsportfishing@gmail.com