Decades back, science has proved that fishes also see colors, and they are also compared to humans since fishes have eyes similar to humans. So the color of the boat will affect fishing? Bright vs. light color hulled boats will make any difference while fishing? Let’s see in a detailed way.
Boat color won’t affect fishing; the boat’s hull color has nothing to do with how many fishes you will catch. The fish pick up movement, noise, and above shadows that don’t blend with their surroundings well, over the object’s (boat) color. So, the boat’s color doesn’t matter much while fishing.
Usually, the colors begin to disappear the deeper the water. If that was a factor, the fishes under your boat wouldn’t see all the colors on the boat’s hull. If you are fishing in deep waters 10 ft or 15 ft or more, you probably need not worry about the whole color selection process at all.
In low light or at night, in heavy stained or muddy water, the color of your boat or clothes will not make much of a difference to their eyes. In clear water, the boat’s hull color would matter to a degree (only a little), but the movement and the noise around you matter more than just the hull color.
Generally, if the boat is above them, they are not going to see much more than a silhouette (shape of the boat). Unless some light comes from the lake’s bottom shining up towards the boat’s hull, the boat’s color doesn’t make any significant difference to fishes.
In fact, using stealthy (bright) colors will never hurt your chances. But in my twisted way of thinking, wearing bright colors made me more self-conscious about things like how I approached fish, where I positioned my body and boat when I cast, and the shadows and motions I created.
If I realized I was a shiny beacon, I was forced to concentrate on the things that really mattered, and I didn’t have a false sense of security because of the color of the boat or shirt, or hat I wore.
Charlie Meyers
If you are fishing in shallow water (really shallow, like under 5feet), then the boat color could make a slight difference, and if the water is really clear, say you can see 15 feet down and are fishing vertical, then its better to consider some light colors (like white, blue, etc.); otherwise, dark colors will do fine.
Finally, the more you think about shadows, motion, sound around you, and the better you plan your approach, the more your chances of catching more fishes. So, the boat’s hull color won’t affect fishing. That being said, we will now see what spooks the fishes away.
The most basic and most productive colors for targeting walleye are purple and green. These colors come in a variety of shades and can be used in a large range of depths. For sunny days, select bright or flashy purple or green, and for cloudy days try a solid, darker green or purple.
FishUSA
Related post – What are boats painted with? A newbie guide Check this article to know more about boat bottom paints and the types and their uses in a detailed way.
What spooks (scares) the fish away? (If the boat’s color won’t scare them)
Since the boat’s color won’t spook (scare) the fish away, so what actually spooks (scares) the fish away while boating in a lake? By making you catch fewer fishes. Let’s see in a detailed way.
Movement around them like the big waves from the boat or any sudden movement, the boat’s engine’s noise or any other noises, and the shadows overhead will spook (scare) the fish away more than the boat’s color. So, don’t spook them away by making any sudden movement or big noises while fishing.
The more you avoid making sounds and sudden movements while fishing, the more your chances of catching more fishes. Likewise, the more you make sounds and sudden movements while fishing, the more your chances of catching fewer fishes.
- Movement around them will spook (scare) the fish away – The fish knows if you are nearby because they feel your boat’s water displacing waves all the movements around them easily. If you aren’t careful enough and making sudden movements around them, it will spook (scare) the fish away easily.
- Louder noise will spook (scare) the fish away – With a big diesel or single or double or triple outboards on the back, they know you are up there. All the sound-related issues like engine noise, prop pitch, speed, gear ratio, music, etc., will affect your fishing if you aren’t careful enough.
Fishes won’t spook (scare) from the floating debris (like wood or trash, which soaks up water, and after it has been floating around for a while, it gets covered first with green slime, and the bait starts to accumulate) because, unlike boats, the floating debris won’t make any sounds or any sudden movements; they only go with the water flow.
And if they were not spooked by a 10-foot object floating over them, why would they care what color that 10-foot object has on the bottom unless it makes very sudden moments and noises which are enough to spook the fishes away.
Fun fact – In low light or at night, colors matter less because fish then rely more on the rod cells in their eyes, which detect contrast and movement but not color. White, offering the greatest contrast, might well be the color of choice in such situations.
Sportfishing
One lesson all these fishes consistently taught was that the panic factors triggered by motions, noises, shadows overhead… birds flying over a run… shadows anglers make… and so on. It doesn’t matter much that you were using a red boat or shirt; if the fish sensed something “wasn’t quite right,” the chances of hooking up will go down considerably.
Definitely, you will see so many debates about this point (Does boat color affect fishing) in the fishing or boating forums all over. Some will say I caught more fishes using a red-bottomed boat, and others will say I caught more fishes using a white… and black, etc.; the debate goes on. So, the boat’s color won’t spook the fishes away.
Check this Sportfishing website to know more about How and What Fish See: Unlocking the mysteries of vision in fishes and all the answers related to their vision.
What are the best colors for a fishing boat?
As a matter of fact, boat colors won’t affect fishing much, though, but under certain circumstances, the boat’s hull color matters. That being said, we will now see what the best colors for a fishing boat are.
The best colors for a fishing boat are camouflage, dark colors (like dark green, gray, brown, etc.), and light colors in clear water. Still, the boat’s color won’t affect the fishing much, so it’s good to go with your preference first and then the lake’s type (clear water or not) and others.
If you are fishing in shallow water (really shallow, like under 5 feet), then the boat color could make a slight difference, and if the water is really clear, say you can see 15 feet down and are fishing vertical, then its better to consider some light colors (like white, blue, etc.); otherwise, dark colors will do fine.
But, it won’t make much of the difference in most cases. Although some say white (light colors) looks like the clouds in the sky so that fish won’t spook as easily. Then some others say the black is better because anything will look like a black floating object from a fish perspective, like that there is no conclusion to this topic.
According to Doug Hannon, widely known to fishermen as the “Bass Professor.” He said camouflage color is good for (bass) fishing, and he mostly used camouflage for all his boats, including his clothes. Besides, he also stated that dark colors are also good for a fishing boat.
Likewise, there is no particular color for a boat which helps you catch more fishes over your catching technique. So, it is good to go with your personal preference rather than the type of waters you are fishing and the external environments.
Bottom line
Boat color won’t affect the number of fishes you will catch while fishing. Fish pick up the movement, noise, and shadows that don’t blend with their surroundings over an odd color of the object (boat). So, the boat’s color won’t spook the fish away by making you catch fewer fishes.
Finally, the more you think about shadows, motion, sound around you, and the better you plan your approach, the more your chances of catching more fishes since the fish pick up movement and noise around that doesn’t blend with the surroundings over an odd color.
That being said, the beauty of fishing is that there are no exact right or wrong answers, only theories, and ideas. And each angler (fisher) is free to find his or her own style and plan that works best. So, enjoy fishing while boating rather than debating in a color selection dilemma for your boat.
