Fish see color, but how they see color is a complicated conversation that involves terminology like wavelength and attenuation. We won’t go there because even scientists don’t really know precisely what translates from a fish’s eyes to its brain.
Note that color is essential in fishing for luring and disguising what you don’t want them to see. Color is crucial for me, as I use high-visibility braided lines paired with fluorocarbon leaders for all my fishing, from bluegills to bluewater.
The main reason I use a bright braid, or hi-visibility braided line, is I like to see where my line is, which tells me where my jig is. I also want to see where other people’s lines are, especially when casting in a side current while anchored or on the trolling motor. These conditions exist in a river or when the tide is pumping through an inlet. Locating everyone’s gear helps avoid foul-ups, and watching that high-visibility line also tells you when you get a bite.
High-vis. braid is easy for people to see above the surface. Unfortunately, it’s also visible to the fish you’re trying to catch. The way I “hide” high-vis. braid from the fish is by coloring it with a Sharpie marker.
Since no one really knows what fish see, especially when adding different conditions and water clarity to the equation, trial and error was my best option for finding the hue that best hid my line. I’ve tried various colors over the years, and I’ll tell you, black is NOT the best choice.
In my experience, a red Sharpie does the best job of making a yellow braided line disappear in clear water. I’ve tried brown, green, and black in clear water, and the red goes away much better than the darker colors. I especially like the red when bottom fishing. I don’t dive, but from what I’ve heard from divers, red turns green in deeper water and blends into the surroundings. A blue Sharpie works great on a high-visibility braided line when offshore trolling in blue water with a wind-on leader of the new BLUEWATER fluoro from Hi-Seas.
It’s best to apply several coats of Sharpie marker when the line is dry because multiple coats of the permanent marker embed into the fibers of the braided line. In addition, the color will fade and let the original color shine through after some time, so red or blue must be re-applied on an “as-needed” basis.
When jigging, I typically color 4 or 5 feet of the braided line above my fluorocarbon leader. It has the added benefit of letting you know how deep your jig is. When you see the red-colored line at the surface, you know your jig is only a few feet deep.
For smaller freshwater fish, try:
Size #6: Target fish include Panfish, like Bluegill (Bream), Sunfish, and Crappie. Also great for Trout, Carp, White Perch, and more.
For larger freshwater fish, try:
Size 1/0: Target fish include Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Larger Trout, Carp, Walleye, and more.
Barefoot Jig: Target fish include Trout (speckled and gray), Drum (red and black), Flounder, Striped and Hybrid Bass, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, and more!
For larger catfish fish, try:
7/0 Catfish Circle Hook: Target fish include Blue, Bullhead, Channel, Flathead, and White Catfish.
All of these tackles can be purchased at barefootcatsandtackle.com.
