How Speckled Trout See Lure Colors [Human VS Trout Vision]

This video might completely change how you feel about lure colors.
Specifically, color selection when targeting speckled seatrout.
The truth is, they see colors very differently compared to us humans.
Get FREE access to our app that literally shows you where the fish are: bit.ly/49GgzYM

[@bigk3381]

Awesome study and now I can set up a tackle tray that is for strict use with speckled trout.! Thanks for sharing and as always "Tight Lines and Full Limits To Ya"

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

Glad you liked it! I think it’s important to remember to keep using the stuff that worked for you but just know if you want to try a different color, now you know what direction to go.

[@mike1261]

Lures are designed to catch fishermen first and foremost. I make lures and really want them to catch fish, but I make them for people! As far as colors, fish seek food by sight last of all. They first sense vibration along their lateral lines by movements, rattles, splashes, etc. Then when they are close enough, they bite at what they see. High contrast colors make lures easier to see. Brighter colors for stained water, natural colors for clear waters. But whatever color the lure is, it must catch the fisherman first.

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

So true! I use a handful of different colors and typically don’t switch out much. Most anglers think that there’s a magic color that will all of a sudden catch fish but in reality, most anglers that have issues with catching fish are not fishing where the feeding fish are so it doesn’t matter what color you use. Find the feeding fish first and then everything Les becomes easier after that! Thanks for sharing!

[@jaybourg7558]

That makes a whole lot of sense to me I've always wondered why they liked pink and green colors and chartreuse but it makes sense now

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

It opened my eyes for sure!

[@trinifella1]

Yeah man correct, wow crazy stuff

[@southpaw8040]

I spear fish a lot and colors change drastically once they are a few feet below the water. Red blue and green turn a brownish grey color. The only colors that remained the same deep below the surface are white and yellow. Your best bet when selecting a lure color is to choose 1 light 1 dark and one shiny option.

[@macmyers8143]

Thanks, very interesting. I'll be plowing through the original article.

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

Would love to hear your thoughts on it!

[@sd0753]

For saltwater i generally stick with white for when baitfish are around, a dark green for when the fish feed on crabs, and black for night. For freshwater its chartreuse for panfish, and green pumpkin for bass.

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

Pretty close to what I do. I don’t use a ton of different colors

[@dsbNC]

Great video! Thank you! Eye opening!

[@MrStukid]

I had heard that the depth the lure is fished, and the intensity of light (bright sunny day vs overcast or time of day) also play a huge factor in how color is perceived by fish.

[@Gio-nl7eg]

I’m slightly red colorblind and all these pics look the same 😂

[@craigparker4108]

Good work. Maybe you could do a follow up video of how the light waves of colour are affected by depth. 🤔

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

Thanks! Interestingly enough, the Weakfish actually sees a little spectrum of UV light. They think it’s because those fish typically hang out in a little deeper water and it helps them to see in lower light conditions.

[@leecasteen]

This is def a case where anecdotal/experiential evidence is far better than the “study”. Color matters - A LOT. Just ask the guy fishing the same lure, the same way, in the same spot, but a slightly diff color scheme watching his buddy with “that” color giving a clinic.

[@danieln3999]

Also think of the color in terms of the background that the trout would see it. The green of seagrass for example would be brown and so would the green or chartreuse color baits. But then I would also think that the trout are used to/programmed to target baitfish and shrimp that are adapted to blending into that environment as well.

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

I agree. According to the study, trout can see detail better than redfish but redfish see more colors. Probably because trout are sight feeders whereas reds are more like scavengers. They’ve adapted to finding their food.

[@TheHighAngler]

What is the most common type of food do they mostly feed on? Just make lures look like those same colors.

[@Nigel_BC]

We don’t have speckled trout where I’m from but we have a related fish called a white seabass. I wonder if this carries over.

[@JohnnyX262]

Its definitely very interesting. I dont have a wide variety of colors, my variety is more in style of artificial lure. So if one isnt working, i switch to another type.

[@HaroldFischer-zr4hn]

Great information!!!!

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

Thanks Harold!!

[@FrankWalsh-k3r]

Well done Pat so much to digest here and a lot to be learned. Pink seemingly becoming silvery explains something I didn't understand. I often wondered ( I fish the ICW ) what pink mimic-ed, being silvery it better matched spearing. The green becoming brownish better matches the shrimp and mantis shrimp. I suspect the water clarity also has a shading effect on the color as well. So does the color dictate the speed and type of retrieve?

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

Now this was only for trout. Redfish can see closer to how we see so they can see pink. In fact that is a go to color for me in certain water, like tannic brown water. I don’t think color does much if anything at all when it comes to retrieve styles. I believe the mood of the fish will have more to do with retrieve style.

[@beaurutherford3814]

Thanks Pat!

[@southpaw8040]

As someone who spearfishes often I can assure you that once you get below 324 feet the colors change by themselves anyways. Reds Blues and greens turn to a brownish Gray color underwater. Is the only colors that remain the same 60-80 feet below the surface are white and yellow. You are best bet when selecting a color for a lure is to have a light color a dark color and a shiny color.

[@southpaw8040]

It was supposed to say 3 to 4 feet, not 324

[@francisortwein9846]

What difference does it make as long as you’re matching with your fishing with two at the Fisher Keating home? They will see it as the color. They perceive it to be green looks like green to them whether it looks like green to us or not as irrelevant.

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

That’s the point, even though they see it differently, they still eat it. What was the real discovery was how they see light pink as silver so if you think you are doing a color change, to a trout, you’re not. You’ll have to go with something different if you really want to try a new color.

[@francisortwein9846]

@@shallowwaterguy4755 Well I’m saying is if you match the color of the bait fish they were going to see it the same color as they see the bait fish so that’s all you really have to worry about

[@elioavila8456]

I need it for my favorite the reds.

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

They studied Redfish too, they have the same three color bands we do so their vision is close to ours

[@KominosFOMO]

im color blind and as intresting as this study is ive come to realize that i may also have trout vision

[@JoeG2013]

very interesting. Thanks!

[@drumsgood1952]

You only need 3 colors: light, dark, chartreuse. That's it.

[@mattinayak]

Great info!

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

Thanks!

[@markliberato2072]

I have a GREAT IDEA!! I buy ALL my lures from S. Strong, how about labeling the packages with both the color of the lure AND the color of the lure that way a trout see's it?

[@aircomp]

So I've got trout-vision. All those look the same. Haha. (Red Green colorblind)

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

When I was doing the research for this video, I learned as much as 9% of males (human) are red green color blind. I had no idea. Honestly, you have an advantage when choosing colors for trout, you can actually see the change that they do. Thanks for watching!

[@aircomp]

@@shallowwaterguy4755 Yep. Many of us. Two of my 4 brothers and me are colorblind. Is it just the speckled trout that are red green colorblind or other species like brown, brook, and rainbow?

[@edmercado1899]

As a human, I love colors. Lures are man jewelry. As a fisherman, I understand it's either white or black; light or dark. Everything in between is marketing.

[@moseskongi4746]

I don't think I've ever even seen a blacky colored lure for sale, not that I wood buy it. It's probably useless because it's lazy and doesn't do anything in the water to catch fish.

[@yoink_fishing]

How do humans really know what fish think or see though??

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

They used electronic devices specially designed to measure how the eyes respond to different light waves, much the same as they do with humans.

[@jackgilmoreiii]

Ok so this guy has trout eyes ...come on man

[@RRFISHING1]

Interesting👍

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

Thanks!

[@larrysnow5876]

Do snook see the same way??

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

The study I read did not include snook but it did have reds and they see colors more like us

[@josephsmyth7334]

So why is chartusse is such a productive plot for trout in Texas?

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

My guess would be because people believe in it so much that it’s a very common color to use so it gets a lot of water time. I have used white and silver all over the country from south Texas to Virginia and caught fish with it. Same with lures with chartreuse tails. They both work but if a person has confidence in something then that’s the one that gets used the most.

[@softballbryan]

Even though the fish see a different color than chartreuse…. It’s still and attractive color to them…. Even if it’s now golden brownish to them.

[@shallowwaterguy4755]

@@softballbryanI don’t this really changes the what colors we use that work for us. I just think if I want to make a change in color, now I know what direction I need to go.

[@petedowns8135]

So, you're telling me that PINK can have THREE different colors ...smh ???

[@sapreaper]

I don't really feel it makes any difference whatsoever. No matter what color you use. If the trout does not feel like going after it, it doesn't go after it.

[@saltwateriv5735]

Y’all are a bad joke

[@EdwardKelly-vi9sg]

BLAH BLAH BLAH

[@elioavila8456]

Someone hating cause they don’t catch fish