How To Choose Lure Color Based On Tides
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
Are there any methods to choose lure color based on tides?
What conditions and other factors should you base your choice on?
Find out more in the video below!!
How To Choose Lure Color Based On Tides [VIDEO]
Find NEW Saltwater Fishing Spots In Your Area In 60 Seconds or Less!!!
Recommended Lures:
Incoming Tide:
Outgoing Tide:
Most anglers don’t think of choosing lure colors this way.
Traditional thinking suggests going by the water clarity.
But you will notice that when the tides change or conditions shift, the water clarity is going to change as well.
The color lure you’re throwing at the time of a tide shift should also change.
I like to split the colors I use into incoming tide lure colors and outgoing tide lure colors.
Incoming Tide
You’re going to want to fish with natural, subtle colors on an incoming tide.
Lures like our Natural Power Prawn USA, Slam Shady Mulligan, and F.R.E.D. Paddletail are top choices.
The Slam Shady color is absolutely ideal when fishing in clear water situations.
It will also work well in other water conditions because it is a white color that matches most baitfish.
The F.R.E.D. lure color is pink but looks more like the Slam Shady when fished in clean water.
These lure colors excel when that clean water is brought in by the tide from the ocean during an incoming tide.
Outgoing Tide
During outgoing tide, all the water is flushed out of bays, rivers, and creeks that often stirs up the muddy bottom and carries that out with the tide.
Darker lure colors are the way to go during an outgoing tide.
That is not to say every outgoing tide will always carry out muddy water, be sure to keep an eye on the water clarity.
If the tide changes and the water stays clean, then stick with the lighter lure colors.
If you notice a change in water clarity, then that is when you should switch over to darker lure colors.
The Gold Digger 2.0 Paddletail, Gold Digger BOMBER, and Alabama Leprechaun Mulligan are ideal choices.
Our Gold Digger lure is one of my favorite colors to fish with during the day because gold requires less light to flash in the water.
I prefer to use the Alabama Leprechaun lure color when the water is sort of in between murky and clear.
This lure color also excels in grassy areas.
Finding The Fish Help
In order to help make sure that you are targeting the right areas based on the latest feeding trends and upcoming weather forecasts, make sure to use the following 3 resources because they will save you a ton of time.
1. Weekend Game Plans (updated weekly)
These regional game plans will show you exactly what types of spots to target in under 10 minutes… just click the video to start, and you’ll be informed on what to do on your next trip.
2. Smart Fishing Spots Platform (updated every 15 minutes)
This exclusive software literally shows you where the most fish are likely to be feeding based on exactly when you’ll be fishing. It factors in the tides, wind, and weather to help you quickly see which areas to target throughout the day.
3. Community Reports (live feed)
The Insider Community platform is what you can use to see what is biting near you, and you can get to know other members who fish in your area. Plus, you can use it to keep a log of your catches so you can use past trips to help predict future catches.
Related categories:
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- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
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Great info, I went into my local tackle store though and was overwhelmed with pinks, greens, reflecting and transparent options. Besides the two general color’s mentioned in the article (natural/ dark) how do you sort through the litany of options? Is there a “better” option? How much of the color selection is personal/ gimmick? Do these general color guidelines apply to hard and soft lures? Does the time of day affect color choice?
Sorry for all the questions, thanks for the tips
Thanks John! Thats why you may notice we don’t have a ton of lure colors in our shop. You can really keep it simple with a few light colors and a few dark colors. Be sure to check out this chart for lure color selection based on different variables:
https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/how-to-choose-the-best-lure/
Thank you.
You’re welcome Tim!
Ok, I’ve been following you guys and decided to give this theory a try. When I shared with my friends they just laughed
One rod rigged light and 1 chartreuse and another with a dark color. I took the dark color off. The only one getting the hits in the dark creek were the light colors. Caught 2 large trout, many undersized trout, 2 drum, 1 ray. My friend caught a 40″ red drum off a 4″ chartreuse paddle tail. I use to have darker lures I liked but switched last year. IDK…m
Light colors will work in various conditions since that’s a natural color for bait. If I had to choose one color for any scenario it would definitely be white.
Great information on what color to use .
Thank you Eduardo!
Great reminders as always, Tony!
Thanks James!
How about a glow in the dark prawns
Glow colors are best for night fishing.They can work great in murky or clear water at night.
Spearfishing in Crystal River the outgoing tide cleared the visibility. but I hadn’t thought of changing bait colors while fishing.
Lower water levels can definitely be a bit more clear than higher water levels at times depending on where you are.
Thanks for the information on tide and color. I never would have thought about it
You’re welcome Tom!
Great tip thank you
You’re welcome Poul!
Good reminders Tony. That’s a different way to think about lure colors!
For sure!