Lure Colours

[Angus Hulme]

Hi people, I am starting on another round of home made GT lures, both poppers and stickbaits, and really just wondering whether you reckon colour of lure makes much difference in the pursuit of GTs? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

From my limited experience, I'd say 'match the hatch' if possible, so if for example, there are blue fusiliers present in a certain location, then it would figure that blue and yellow lure profiles would get the GT bites. However, I have seen in various trip reports that some very crazy lure colour schemes seem to land fish in certain situations. Can anyone explain this?

Anyway, let us know what your favourite GT lure colours are, and perhaps provide images if possible.

Cheers
Angus

[Peter Morris]

Angus,
I reckon you could argue lure colour all day long with whatever style of fishing..!!
BUT....The fusilier colour does seem very popular all round.
In the clearer waters I like blues and greens.

Pete

[David Clumpner]

I know what a fusilier looks like, but can someone post a picture of a fusilier-colored popper?  I'm having trouble visioning that color scheme.

[Chris Tan]

The bottom 2 bigfoots are fusilier colours

[Travis Heaps]

three in this picture david - the Orion, the dogtooth i'd say is almost a fusilier colour and the Ebipop has a yellow stripe along the top making it a fusilier colour.


Often discussed Angus - and although on tough days i've heard of fish only hitting one certain colour I think in general it doesn't really matter.  This doesn't stop me buying and esnuring i've got at least two of every available colour with me on each trip though 

[Scott Maybury]

Yeah I tend to think with fish like GT's which are (generally) so aggressive, colour seems to make little different, its more the action/splash/size of the lure that matters

I haven't done a lot of GT fishing but going on other similar predatory species that would be my thinking anyway

I still have my favourite colours though 

[Warwick Joyce]

I think for poppers the colour is fairly insignificant unless you look at it like dark colours for low light, bright for bright. Its the pop and commotion that attracts the fish.

As for stickbaits after the initial splash down its really only the movement/action of the lure and the colour (or flash from reflective tape).
The dark/bright theory works here as well I think.

I have seen (and own) some pretty wild coloured poppers but all the stickbaits I own and have seen are close to fishy colours. With the exception of the pink bigfoot, well thats the only one I can think of, no doubt there are others

Any chance of one to test run Angus

[Luke Wyrsta]

Hi people, I am starting on another round of home made GT lures, both poppers and stickbaits, and really just wondering whether you reckon colour of lure makes much difference in the pursuit of GTs? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

From my limited experience, I'd say 'match the hatch' if possible, so if for example, there are blue fusiliers present in a certain location, then it would figure that blue and yellow lure profiles would get the GT bites. However, I have seen in various trip reports that some very crazy lure colour schemes seem to land fish in certain situations. Can anyone explain this?

Anyway, let us know what your favourite GT lure colours are, and perhaps provide images if possible.

Cheers
Angus

I don't think colour makes a marked difference, but I tend to prefer darker colour for all conditions - be they low or bright.

Having said that, there is something that always makes me use a Fusilier colour quite regularly despite my preference.

Silhouette, Silhouette, Silhouette! 9 times out of 10 a GT will see a lure from below.

GTs on the surface, usually "shot gunning" bait will already be in a feeding mode and hit a lure no matter what colour it is...

Just my opinion.

[Angus Hulme]

Great responses guys, thanks.

Pete, the sort of argument you mention is pretty much what I was aiming for when I posted the topic!   I love hearing everyones opinions on this sort of thing, because there clearly is a wealth of fishing knowledge here. 

Travis, I agree, one can never have too many colour options to choose from the lure box!

I am tending towards natural colours, however, I am in the process of sourcing some relatively cheap holographic adhesive, which will mostly be used on stickbaits to give them that extra bit of flash. However, going on the oft-publicized results of Orion lures (which are finished without reflective foil), holographic finishes are not the be all and end all?

Thanks guys,
Angus

Any chance of one to test run Angus

I will PM you Warwick. 

[craig breadsell]

I tend to stick to the old dark day dark lure, bright day bright lure. But I don't generally care I just grab my current favourite and use it till I lose it or retire it!! When I have dabbled in home made its generally black or white. Not very technical but it works for me. My 10 cents worth is as long as you have confidence use it..

[Jay Burgess]

I tend to stick to the old dark day dark lure, bright day bright lure. But I don't generally care I just grab my current favourite and use it till I lose it or retire it!! When I have dabbled in home made its generally black or white. Not very technical but it works for me. My 10 cents worth is as long as you have confidence use it..

Interesting philosophy Craig as I generally fish the oppposite with the theory that contrast will be easier to see for a predatorty fish.

[Travis Heaps]

I tend to stick to the old dark day dark lure, bright day bright lure. But I don't generally care I just grab my current favourite and use it till I lose it or retire it!! When I have dabbled in home made its generally black or white. Not very technical but it works for me. My 10 cents worth is as long as you have confidence use it..

Interesting philosophy Craig as I generally fish the oppposite with the theory that contrast will be easier to see for a predatorty fish.

The theory goes Jay that on a dark day a dark lure will create a stronger silhouette so it will be easier for the fish to see in the water.  My take on it though was dark lure dark day and realistic colours on bright/clear water days.

[Stan Konstantaras]

I dug this photo up a while ago when I was looking at how colours worked and why they worked.
Looks like the green fusilier pattern shows up the most, especially when you dead stick a popper or stick bait when you have a fish interested....so the LPB boys told me ( and it worked on a few occasions)
No expert, but my two cents after only 1 GT trip in my life!
Cheers
stan