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Monday, March 24, 2008
This week’s question: Bass see red, but will they bite?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I read an interesting article in this month’s In-Fisherman magazine on the surge of red in the bass-fishing world — as in red lines, red hooks and red lures.
The article, “An Inside Look at the Red Tackle Revolution” by Steve Quinn, took a bass-eye’s look at the color, and what affects the color might have on attracting bites.
Red could simulate blood of an injured baitfish or be identified as the color of a crawfish, a favorite source of food for bass. Red lines are said to become less visible in clear water because the wavelength of light that makes red absorbs in water before other colors.
I found the article interesting because of an recent outing I made with Lake Allatoona guide Fred Duncan, who filled a spool on a reel of mine with Cajun Red Lightnin’ line. I’m not saying Duncan is a believer in red line — he might have just wanted to get rid of his — but I still decided to give it a month or so to see if it results in more bites.
More on that after I get a few more chances on the water.
I came away intrigued with Quinn’s article, even though it doesn’t really answer the question on whether the color red makes a positive impact on bass fishing.
Bass can distinguish between colors in reds and greens much better than blues and violets, but that may not mean they’re attracted to it. They could be patterned to bite at red lures, however, if their diet consists of red-colored food, such as crawfish. But you also might then wonder about why chartreuse is a popular color in bass fishing if there’s nothing chartreuse in nature that a bass might eat. Perhaps it’s just a matter of contrast, and perhaps a red lure is simply seen better and will draw a strike for that reason alone.
Red is in fact absorbed in water quicker than other colors, but expert Dr. Keith Jones, who is quoted extensively in Quinn’s report, says that doesn’t mean it disappears. He says red may become even more visible the deeper the water gets. But there’s also lab evidence to suggest that red lines may be least visible in tannic or red stained water.
I’m not a believer yet, but I’m open to the idea of “reddening” my bass tackle selections.
What do you think? Is the red the color for you, or is this just another marketing effort to get more bucks out of your pocket?
