Hull color attract / scare fish?

[thunderfoot]

I was pondering this as a tournament bass fisherman gave me his thoughts on hull colors effects on largemouth bass. I have owned boats with light hulls as well as dark hulls. I have caught more on dark colored hulls, but I have fished more boats that have dark hulls below the waterline. What is your opinions?

[Ace1st]

Ive seen some pretty successful boats with holographic squid painted against dark hulls that seem to catch alot of fish.I have fished on a little of it all......IMO I dont think it really matters. I would think that if bait looks up and sees a dark shade to them it may represent a shadow that looks like a baitball maybe. Specially if a FRED ARCHER/RUCKUS RAISER or a G-TECH SPREADER BAR is in the mix to add to the illusion.

[BuffaloHunter]

Consider this...

From a fish's perspective (or any perpective below a boat), as a general rule wouldn't the sunshine above the boat cause the boat to appear shadowed or silohetted from underneath, in turn making all hull colors appear roughly dark?

Also, in order for a color to be truly vivid and clear, it must be exposed to a certain amount of light in order to reflect the color we see, be it, blue, red, green, black or white. Wouldn't it then make sense that because the bottom of a boat is not exposed to a great deal of direct light, there is not enough for the bottom paint or gel coat to reflect enough light to reveal a vivid White or Red that would make any gigantic difference at a distance from Black?

A subtle difference in shade probably, but certainly not enough glaring obvious differences to illicit a preference from the fish.

I truly believe it each time I say it in a thread like this, but a huge key to catching fish, is fishing where there are fish. After that, all the other variables we try to add are pretty insignificant if you ask me. Why make it any more complicated ?

[cblocal]

Consider this...

From a fish's perspective (or any perpective below a boat), as a general rule wouldn't the sunshine above the boat cause the boat to appear shadowed or silohetted from underneath, in turn making all hull colors appear roughly dark?

Also, in order for a color to be truly vivid and clear, it must be exposed to a certain amount of light in order to reflect the color we see, be it, blue, red, green, black or white. Wouldn't it then make sense that because the bottom of a boat is not exposed to a great deal of direct light, there is not enough for the bottom paint or gel coat to reflect enough light to reveal a vivid White or Red that would make any gigantic difference at a distance from Black?

A subtle difference in shade probably, but certainly not enough glaring obvious differences to illicit a preference from the fish.

I truly believe it each time I say it in a thread like this, but a huge key to catching fish, is fishing where there are fish. After that, all the other variables we try to add are pretty insignificant if you ask me. Why make it any more complicated ?

Very impressive response, I'm convinced.

[thunderfoot]

Any divers to chime in? I do agree to fish where there are fish and to never leave fish to find fish.

[Crush Em]

Isnt the kinda why you paint the bottom of your boat black?
Not only to protect it but maybe this reason as well..?

[Captain Fred Archer]

BuffaloHunter,

Spot on. I have dived and video taped boat light and dark boat bottoms from underwater and they look very dark, just like a big ball of bait does. That boat up above blocks almost all sunlight from above. And on top of that, to fish, the spinning, churning props look like a school of predator fish attacking and driving the big ball of bait that the dark hull shape looks like. Remember, we are capable of thought and thinking about and rationalizing about things that like this that we see...fish can't. This is why I've always written that "the boat is your biggest teaser" in my books.

I believe that this is why the short corners have been the hottest holes on many of the boats that I have driven and fished on for over fifty years now.

Website www.fredarchersworldoffishing.com

[seapower]

I'm with B Hunter here, I think we give fish Wayyyyyyy too much credit. The key is you gotta' get where they live. Not saying that I'm smarter than a fish (my wife can disprove that), get in among em', a dumb one has to swim by sooner or later. Frank

[BuffaloHunter]

Also, I cannot remember the last time I saw a school of all Black fish offshore. These bait fish are usually silver or white underneath. But as I suggested before, because the school is siloheted underneath from the sun from above, it appears dark, just like anything of any color would.

Frank, you're right, fish don't think, they eat. They process Sensation/Perception in much simpler terms than we do. I think it's funny to imagine a school of Tunas following a boat for a couple miles looking up at it trying to figure out whether the color of the large, loud moving object above them makes them hungry or not, then moving to the trailing swiming baits and then swiming up and examining each one for color, leader size, crimp color, and whether its positioned on the correct "wave" behind the boat.

Hahaha sorry, its early and the winds blowing so I can't go fishing, my imagination has no where productive to go this morning

[Bert Rodgers]

Hahaha sorry, its early and the winds blowing so I can't go fishing, my imagination has no where productive to go this morning

I hate it when that happens.

Bert