Coloured shads - for us or the fish?

[kayos]

Lynn and I are like a lot of anglers, we have shads of all colours in our tackle box, Lynn is especially keen on the bright shiny ones! However it is a fact that colours dissipate in the depths, some faster than others, so does colour actually matter to the fish, or are the bright colours just produced to be attractive to the buyers?

I know some anglers swear by certain colours and have stories about how one colour hammered the fish, while other colours failed. Never being one to often hammer the fish I cannot say I have experienced this! I did however find that while I had a supply of hollow bellies, they seemed to work better than other shads and they had a pretty good swim action. Unfortunately they seem to have been discontinued now!

Is it perhaps the action of the shad, the tail twist, or the way they are fished by the angler that matters more?

Your opinions welcome.

[KeithB]

I know where you're coming from Mark, I've been powder coating pirks, lots of bonny colours, hoping they'll catch more punters than cod

[kayos]

I know where you're coming from Mark, I've been powder coating pirks, lots of bonny colours, hoping they'll catch more punters than cod

Yeah Lynn saw them and likes them!

[northeast1]

Orange or white n blue are the only colours i use, thou i hardly ever use shads TBH.

Most fishing tackle is for to catch the angler rather than the fish IMO

[Davem]

What do you use mostly Rich?

[Wasabi]

Lynn and I are like a lot of anglers, we have shads of all colours in our tackle box, Lynn is especially keen on the bright shiny ones! However it is a fact that colours dissipate in the depths, some faster than others, so does colour actually matter to the fish, or are the bright colours just produced to be attractive to the buyers?

I know some anglers swear by certain colours and have stories about how one colour hammered the fish, while other colours failed. Never being one to often hammer the fish I cannot say I have experienced this! I did however find that while I had a supply of hollow bellies, they seemed to work better than other shads and they had a pretty good swim action. Unfortunately they seem to have been discontinued now!

Is it perhaps the action of the shad, the tail twist, or the way they are fished by the angler that matters more?

Your opinions welcome.

counterquestion: if colour does not matter, why are there so many different coloured creatures in the sea? Why does an octopus change colour to camouflage, why is a Great White half black and half white?

my observation is that colours on shads do matter. I think some shads are good alrounder though, therfore I use 90% either white or ruby/custard

i wished ther was a reflective silver one, but so far have not seen one on the market....which is kind of strange, because most small bait fish are silver

[northeast1]

8oz pirks or twintains or baited traces...use shads sometimes but not my fav type of fishing.

[big_sean]

Have to agree 100% with Richie. Anything works and best of all my pirks are plain lead and they still work. I must admit to using darker colours in winter. I even paint pirks black for winter and they do work better. but in the summer i think its more to do with the action.

Sean

[Davem]

Just like old times eh , I am knocking up Norweign and quick drop pirks ( luminous and flouro Orange ) along with leadheads with orange / tiger tails .Must admit do prefer orange ( and bait of course ) . Good question Kayos btw .

[Norman]

Colour makes no difference at all Mark
But like Ritchie I'm sticking with orange blue or white

(Just in case )


Norm

[paulgalon]

I find different areas,tides,speed of drift and action of the shad makes a big difference av got every colour of shads under the rainbow but I do best on green n yellow shads but if the fish wants it it will take it

[The Great Wallsendo]

Slinky carries a plastic armoury of all shapes and colours...self styled and commercial

All have caught on their day...but likewise some days not a sniff and it's back to bait and pirks

No one day is the same as we all know

[stray]

Early season, red head clear body shads outfished everything else. But by mid summer I couldn't buy a bite on them, orange was doing the damage.