Bank Fishing: Clothing Color

[SFL BassHunter]

Last night I went on a prominent fishing website I found an article that said 5 tips for bank fishing. One of them was to wear dark colors so the bass have a harder time seeing you. Now I've heard the argument for casting from a distance off the bank before stepping up to the bank in order to not spook any bass (I've spooked quite a few by not doing this). I've also read about making sure your shadow isn't cast in the water in order to not spook bass.
But this is the first time I have read, or heard the mention of wearing dark colors to keep bass from seeing you.

Look I ain't a small dude and no amount of dark clothes is going to camouflage me from the eyes of a bass. So dark green or dark blue are the colors suggested. Funny thing is I've been using bright colored shirts to fish all this time. Sky Blue, Lime Green, White...

So my question to you guys: Have you ever correlated lack of catching fish to the color of clothes you're wearing?

Personally I think that article is full of it.

[Capt. BassinLou]

I do my best not to wear bright colors when bank fishing. I have read several articles over the years  and passages in books about clothing color. 

Another thing I try not to do is sudden movements when fishing, and keeping the rod tip down and away from the waters edge if I see fish. I'm firm believer that if the fish sees you first its game over.

[Pacific NW Ron]

I've also heard this many times.  My question is, Why wouldn't this also apply to fishing out of a boat?
Ron

[SFL BassHunter]

That's a good question Ron. In fact I have watched some of these pros like Bobby Lane and Skeet Reese in the MLF tournaments wearing yellow shirts. They all wear shirts with a bunch of branding with different colors. So how do these pros not scare all the fish away with all that brightness?

Take it a step further. Their boats are wrapped with colorful brands.

[cortman]

I never think about what I'm wearing. I do try and stalk quietly and stay back a bit before casting.

[Capt. BassinLou]

I've also heard this many times.  My question is, Why wouldn't this also apply to fishing out of a boat?
Ron

On a boat, these factors can play a good role. Distance of cast, depth of water, cover, and water clarity.

[flowerjohn]

I figure if you are casting fifty sixty feet from your position it shouldn't be a factor. Creeks and streams where you are on top of them, different story. Try to keep your shadow behind you. I know from trout fishing that even the bang of a tackle box and you might as well not even bother throwing a line for a half hour.


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[LgMouthGambler]

I just fish naked. 

[Lee Smith]

I just fish naked. 

that's why you only catch snake fish from the canal behind your work

[SFL BassHunter]

that's why you only catch snake fish from the canal behind your work

I hear he uses a ding dong to catch em.

[analfisherman]

Well growing up we did a lot of trout fishing.
Now this wasn't put and take trout, rather wild trout.

We actually would crawl to the banks and from spot to spot for fear of spooking the weariest of fish, wild trout in streams.

We would actually wear camo clothing even.

I also do what Rick does, cast from a distance to the shore line before getting close.
I don't wear bright colors either.

Does color actually spook fish?
When I see how many folks fish fire tiger lures........not sure.

If you think of it, wild game that feed off of fish are well camouflaged and yes they seem to catch fish, true, but they are also VERY VERY stealthy when approaching waters edge.

So in my eyes, MOVEMENT is more detrimental than color.......but anything that 'may' assist in your catching more fish or setting the odds in your favor.....really can't hurt.

You can get Fishouflage NTS Performance T-Shirts at Walmart for $7-$12 bucks.
They wick moisture, quick dry, and other benefits.
Not a bad shirt or price.
Can keep a couple in the boat, car, truck, tackle bag for those unexpected outings.

Do I use them..........no but my major concern is they have different fish on them.
So if I wear a Bass one or Pike one and than decide I want to do some quick Pan Fishing before I head home to eat for supper...........the Pans may get scared seeing a Bass on my shirt and move out. 

And yes, I've research the topic........BUT NO WAY AM I SETTING MYSELF UP THIS TIME!

[bigjim5589]

I firmly believe in stealth, and if that means wearing clothing to aid in being stealthy, I'll do it. I've often worn camo to go fishing. This question has come up on fly fishing sites I frequent on several occasions. In many cases, the water being fished is fairly shallow. Many fly fishers wade, so not only do they have to have some stealth getting to the water, but also as they wade along a stream bottom, or shallows of a lake. In places with little or no surface disturbance to help hide an anglers profile, and being shallow, it would be easy to spook fish by wearing bright clothing. However, that alone may not be the cause of spooking fish. A bright shirt again a darker back ground with a lot of fast movement may get noticed, but so may a dark shirt. But an angler wearing a bright shirt & moving slowly, and limiting as best can be done any sudden movement may not spook fish. Watch an Egret sometime, they're white, and can stand very still for long periods, and still catch fish & other critters to eat. They don't blend in well at all against green vegetation, certainly fish can see them, but they only make sudden movements when they're striking to catch a meal. Otherwise their movement is slow, patient & methodical.

Even with bright clothing, the back ground behind the angler is going to have some affect on how well a fish may see the angler & see his movements. Bright clothing against a bright sky, where the bank may be open & free of back ground vegetation, may not get noticed at all, unless the angler is making quick, or erratic movements.

Certainly an angler walking along the bank, no matter what he wears, if he's stomping & stumbling along is going to spook nearby fish because of vibration transmitted thru the ground & water.

On a boat may be different depending on the depth of the water, the depth the fish may be, and the distance from the fish. They only have a limit cone of vision & light refraction is going to affect that. An angler wearing a bright shirt in a boat may also be hidden by the silhouette of the boat too. All the fish really may see is the bottom of the boat silhouetted against the sky, and not see the angler at all, unless the fish is very near the boat & the at a shallow depth. Even if they can see the angler, again if there is limited movement, it can't be assumed that the anglers movement will spook the fish, since there may always be some movements that the fish see & not get spooked.

[Princeton_Man]

I've never heard that about wearing bright colors. On one occassion Last Summer, I had a really good day. Coincidentally, I was wear a white long sleeve Spro SPF jersey. I wondered if maybe the shirt made me look like a white cloud. LOL

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[cojab]

I've never heard that about wearing bright colors. On one occassion Last Summer, I had a really good day. Coincidentally, I was wear a white long sleeve Spro SPF jersey. I wondered if maybe the shirt made me look like a white cloud. LOL

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With my belly it would! 

[SFL BassHunter]

I look like a giant white cloud when I wear my white BPS long sleeve shirt lol.

Yeah blending in can't hurt. I used to wear camo pants and a beige shirt, but then I just went and bought new clothes. The camo pants don't fit anymore and Walmart didn't have camo last time I went.

I guess my point is I don't really over think what I'm going to wear in order to fool the fish. 

[Mossive]

i try to avoid wearing bright colors as well, i need all the advantages i can get!

also the clarity of the water probably has a lot to do with whether or not the fish can see anything bright more than a foot or two away.

[Princeton_Man]

Next time it looks like the fishing day is going to be bluebird skies, I'll wear my white cloud shirt again and see. 

[SFL BassHunter]

Next time it looks like the fishing day is going to be bluebird skies, I'll wear my white cloud shirt again and see. 

Now that's an idea! Create your own cloud cover lol.

[OkobojiEagle]

Since I'm getting a little older and have fallen in a couple times,  my clothing choices lean more toward colors that will aid in finding me should something happen.

oe

[FlatsNBay]

I think that in some situations, sure it would help. Also a factor could be vibration from  walking along the shoreline, water clarity, background cover or lack of. I remember a few years ago when Alton Jones on the Elite series changed out of his jersey for a camo shirt and hat when targeting bedding fish on the St. John's River. I do try to be super careful with my silhouette no matter what I'm wearing bank fishing. I think that is the best practice.

[big g]

Rick, our banks have so much matted vegetation, pads, and tall grasses growing up that it would not matter.  I have fished reservoir lakes with absolutely no vegetation in Georgia that it might make a difference up there.  Trout streams it might make a difference but not where we fish.  If your making long casts to open water, or long parallel casts, it won't matter either.

[Deadeye]

It's all about the background.

On a boat: it's the sky. Light Blues, Yellows, White, all of the pale and bright colors blend in well. You are elevated  off of the water and profiled against the sky.

On the bank: It's mostly vegetation. Greens, tans, browns all match and work well.

I can attest that sneaking up to the edge of the water and even staying on your knees has made a difference for me when fishing ponds.

One of the Opening Days of the Pennsylvania Trout Season I wore Woodland Camo and settled in on a bank at the base of a hemlock tree on a bank above a hole where several nice trout lived. I watched several fisherman come down the bank on the easy side and the fish would always ease back under the bank long before the fisherman ever got to the hole. They caught none of them and several never knew I was there. I caught One of those big wild trout. After that first one was released I never had another one hit.

[TheLastRodBender]

I think it does make a difference when bank fishing, because it triggers the instinct of predator.  A boat floating by is more likely to be related to as cover, instead of an object carrying a human, where a person on shore wearing a white shirt, could easily related to the belly of a large bird, or animal approaching from shore. 

I personally try to wear something that will relate to what's behind me.  Blue / Brown / Black / Green are the colors I TRY to stick to.  Blue - Sky, Brown / Black / Green - trees / foliage.   I dont think it's a MUST but I do think there are some fish that can be caught when these things are taken into account.

[basss]

I'm on the bs side of the color mattering.

If it were true, Bill Dance would never catch anything.

[analfisherman]

An interesting read about what a fish see's.......especially on the bank.
https://books.google.com/books?id=2gkQCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT63&lpg=PT63&dq=DO+fish+SEE+Color+on+the+BANK&source=bl&ots=UYB-XDh72D&sig=MpXyQnfsS3bQ3ZkaAgD6khI4OoQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjz4e6Rmb3RAhUk2IMKHchhD7QQ6AEIQTAG#v=onepage&q=DO%20fish%20SEE%20Color%20on%20the%20BANK&f=falseThe whole read is good BUT the sight part is near the end.
ENJOY