Whats more important, paint or action ?

[smirkplug]

I made my first striper plug about 20 years ago because i tripped into a really strange old wood musky plug that didn't swim at all, then i fooled around with different hooks and removed unnecessary hooks that hung up when i cast on windy days, i found the action so good i kept it a secret for 10 years. i only made 3 plugs and swam for them when i snagged them. By the time i lost the last one there was no paint left and the origional paint job was only 4 colors of krylon and a marksalot. Now that i sell plugs the buyers are driving me crazy with describing what colors they want. As i use up all my patence for for catching fish i find myself being rude to the So. Cal. tweaker bass guys. My question to you guys is do you spend more time making your plugs swim right or do you consentrate more on the way it looks. I do admire all the stunning artwork in the gallery especially for your personal baits.

[BobP]

IMO, both are factors and action is more important to fish. Yes, color is also important to fish some/most of the time but action is important all the time. However, paint is obviously more important to fishermen. So, if you're selling to fishermen......

I think the only way you'll supercede the color-consciousness of fisherman is to develop such a high rep among fishermen that they'll buy anything you build.

[Jason]

Action

[hazmail]

What do WE look for in our ladies - """""Action""""" or Paint? Pete

[Vodkaman]

Paint peels, but the wobble just keeps getting better!

[Lure--Prof]

You said a mouthful Smirkplug! As a designer and builder, my true joy is creating unique action. Yeah, I like giving them everything I have when it comes to painting and durability--I know what I want them to look like in the water, and I want to enhance the lure's apppeal as best I can with paint, etc, but I love and live for taking them to the water to see what they'll do!

The majority of anglers look at a particular production lure and only see color as making it different from others of its ilk, although guys who live to throw hardbaits daylight to dark know better. The proliferation of soft plastics today is much to blame for all the attention given to color, where all Brand X and model Z lures look and perfom the same times-a-zillion and their colors are the only difference...then fishermen begin looking at hardbaits the same way.

At the end of the day, I want to be fishing the best (through its action) attracting and favorably stimulating lure whose color fullfills the requirements set forth by the fish, because of the water conditions, and the predominant forage that the fish are utilizing at that particular time. And another point to consider is that the lure's profile or silouhette, regardless of color can be a major factor in its effectiveness. Put another way, I want the best action...that looks the best to the fish, of which, color is one aspect. I don't consider it to be an either/or proposition where looks and action are concerned.

Dean

[Hoodaddy]

Smirk,

Personally I believe that paint schemes have been emphasized entirely too much in most cases.....but I'm sure in clearer water they certainly make a difference. Around here we don't have that problem too often. Most of our baits that wind up as blemished usually goes into my box and occasionally a freinds. Paint plus action usually determines the selling factor but I would believe action would lead to productivity and thats what would be the main point of producing a bait. .........but it sure helps if their PURTY:drool:

[Terrydabassman]

Action for the fish to bite, paint to make the fisherman bite.

[mark berrisford]

the actions for the fish the colours for the angler

[benton B]

Action over color in most of the time.

[Muskiefool]

As a wise man told me shape dictates action so shape is the most important thing about a bait, he also theorized Contrast is the second most valuable feature then overall color.

[rofish]

Once I hooked a fish (also lost it) when it was very late in the evening, it was dark already, I could barely see the profiles of the trees above me over the black sky. Could that fish see anything of the crankbait in the water, since I could barely see above it?

Action is the most important of all.

[RiverMan]

Action

[LaPala]

I am surprised a tackle making forum can have so many that go for action and just discounts color as the inferior factor.

I'd say both, else why do i bother to paint the lures i make?

Put it another way; I'm making my own lure to improve my catching ability, so why would i not put in all the catching criteria that would help me? Even catching the fisherman has a psychological effect that will give him more confidence to fish that lure harder, lure in water longer = more probability of it catching a fish.

So I say both and would add a 3rd -- carved details too

[rofish]

lure in water longer = more probability of it catching a fish.

LaPala, why don't you speak out what you think, as a lure maker who sells them?

Lure in the water longer = more probability of loosing it, driving the angler crazy about buying same lure again?

[LaPala]

rofish, I haven't been selling my lures yet but when I do I'll keep that in mind

[rofish]

LP,

Then what is your science used for? I think that if I had 25% of your knowledge in making lures, I would become rich

[rofish]

LP,

I hope that you do not misunderstand me. I would never be able to build up a business out of such activity. So I am happy if I can catch a fish with one of my lures. But I do envy you for your science.

Back to the thread itself, it seems that the majority has decided: focus on the action, if you want to catch fish.

[LaPala]

It's for the satisfaction of knowing the why your lure is doing something.

I'll still have to add, built a killer action then paint it so you'll attract the fish even more. I still insist all the factors go hand in hand for that holy grail we are all looking for. Cramp in every detail and advantage u can will always be my principle for building the next lure. This is exactly what DIY should be make it better that production stuff cause we do not have to think about the time & $$ involved, no bottom line to take care off. Ours is just to have fun and catch fish better.

[LaPala]

One more thing;

Ever been out fishing with friend and both of you are using the same type of lure just different color patterns. Can you explain why a particular color pattern will either catch more or the only color catching them?

This happen a lot to me. On a trip someone catches the first fish, the 1st question asked will be, "What color?" Changing never fails me. Even if i just change to the same color on a different type of lure.

[LaPala]

Okay, I can't really let this subject go LOL

Look at the sense a fish has to help it forage:

1. Lateral line

2. Sight

3. Smell

4. Hearing

The lateral line senses vibrations so that'd be the action of our lures. Vibration comes from the moving lure, they can be high or low frequency. Rattles create sound and sound is a vibration too, so fishes actually hear and feel sound.

Fishes see too, so what is the overwhelming reason to say color doesn't play a role at all to attract the fish. By color we would be implying anything that attracts the fishes eye-sight --color, flash, silhouette, and think deeper --- color is represented by different wavelengths of light. We human see a very limited portion of it. Now can fishes see into the infra zone or the ultra-violet zone. Have anyone experimented with these colors? Unless u're fishing blind fishes, then you can't omit the importance of color.

So I'd like to reemphasize my point earlier. If we make a lure, we want to take advantage of all the senses a fish has and not be disillusioned with just accomplishing a good action. A good lure will be encompassing all of the above.

(I didn't mention smell, well just slap some scent onto ur lures if you wanna cover that too)

[apb]

...Ever been out fishing with friend and both of you are using the same type of lure just different color patterns. Can you explain why a particular color pattern will either catch more or the only color catching them?...

Color can certainly come in to play. However, I think it is the basic colors that make a difference (i.e., yellow over white, black over silver) rather than having an extremely detailed paint scheme. The more I make my own stuff, the more I realize that action, size, and profile are so much more important than a detailed paint pattern. I have several proto-types that are just white primer. They worked so well that I still fish them as is (no paint). I've had a number of days that those primer plugs out fished anything else. I also have plugs with hardly any paint left, large scratches in the paint, and hook damage to the plug. The paint is not pretty any more. They still catch just fine.

Think of it this way, if given the choice between fishing a lure with a good action, but a basic paint job, or the same lure, but the action is not as good and the paint is better. Which do you chose? I'll take the action.

Andrew

[Lure--Prof]

LP, thank you for your well-thought out reply...why not give the fish the whole package. I've had days bass fishing when action could be in a general ballpark, as in a lure wiggling at a certain depth, but if you didn't hit the color, it was the difference between a great day and a nothing day, this borne out by 2 people in the boat...many times.

Andrew brings up a great point that a couple of us touched on before also, and that is profile! Predatory fish often lock in on a particular forage, and profile is the first and often key visual stimulus indicating the kind of forage. To a bass, long and thin is going to signal a softray baitfish, high in fat and protein, easy to swallow and quickly digestible, whereas short and bulky is going to more often signal a sunfish, spiney-rayed, and harder to swallow for a small bass, a threat during the spawn, and more suited to a spring metabolism and availability. You ever wonder why a jig catches a larger average size bass? It's a great sunfish profile, and often sunfish color also, and if you don't believe me ask Mark Davis, and a lot of other savvy pros.

Good ol' primer white, I do like to enhance mine though with some irridescence, eyes, a little red in the gill and throat area, and a contrasting stripe on the back in the color of the forage that the profile of my lure most resembles, sometimes.

And I've caught a lot of fish on black lures too. Sometimes it's all you need to get the job done. And sometimes not. Why should you ever limit your thinking to the importance of a single parameter, when you can consider everything that acts upon a fish's total perception, and up the odds in your favor?

Dean

[Swede]

color is represented by different wavelengths of light. We human see a very limited portion of it. Now can fishes see into the infra zone or the ultra-violet zone. Have anyone experimented with these colors? Unless u're fishing blind fishes, then you can't omit the importance of color.

In Sweden theres been somewhat of an hype over UV color on salmon stuff. I know something is working since i

[LaPala]

Swede, weren't that suppose to be our little secret? I hint at it and you let the cat out of the bag.