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What Color Lures to Use on Cloudy Days

Attracting fish on a cloudy day can be super tiring and boring, because half of the time you are chilly from the clouds, and the rest of the time the fish can’t even see your lure because there is no light reaching the water.

Sunny days are often best for catching plenty of fish because the fish have an easier time spotting the lures, but fishing on a sunny day can be hot and uncomfortable. Sometimes, a cooler, cloudy day is the perfect fishing day for you, but not so much for the fish.

However, do not be worried! There is a cure for this issue!

If you use lures with the right colors that stand out to the fish, they will be able to spot your lure despite the cloud cover and you can get great catches!

What Color Lures to Use on Sunny Days?

First, we should discuss what color lures work best on sunny days so that you have a full grasp of what the different types of lures are available to use on sunny and overcast days.
what color lure to use for bass

On a bright day, natural lures are often best, because the fish can see them and get attracted to them. This often works best when the water conditions are good, such as clear water, and the lure that you are using looks like a baitfish.

best bass jig colors

Using silver-colored lures in clear water on a bright day is your best bet.

The profile visibility of the water will allow the fish you are trying to catch to see the flash of the sun hitting the shiny lure through the water, which resembles a fish that they would eat, attracting them to your lure.

Do Fish Bite Better on Cloudy Days?

Depending on how you are fishing on a cloudy day, you could get more bites or fewer. Cloudy days do not let as much sun into the water, which means the fish you are trying to catch can’t see as well as they could, even if the water conditions are clear and your lure and bait are the best lure and bait for the fish you are targeting.

what color lure to use

Cloudy days allow boat fishing, like bass anglers, to avoid scaring off the fish they are trying to catch by startling them with the boat or their movement.

If you are fishing off of the shore and standing on land, cloudy days might not have many benefits for you, because you are not able to get closer to the fish or move your lure and bait around the attract the fish, so they might not even see your hook.

How Do I Know What Color Lure to Use?

The best way to know what color lure to use on either a sunny or cloudy day is to know the fish that you are trying to catch. Some fish will be able to see dark colors better in low levels of light, like some species of bass.

what color lure to use for bass

In clear water on a cloudy day, a neutral brown, green, or gray is a great color of lure to use, because the bass will be able to spot it even on cloudy days due to the clear water conditions and the ways their eyes work.

On the other hand, if you are (let’s stick with bass fishing,) wondering about what color lure to use in cloudy conditions for a muddy or unclear waterway, you should stick to brighter colors that will cut through the cloudy water and cloudy sky.

best lure colors for bass

Lure colors like yellow, bright orange, or even bright green, like chartreuse, are colors that are perfect overcast lures for muddy waterways!

Sometimes it helps to use color combinations to make the most of one rig. Both bright and neutral color lures are perfect for a sunny day or cloudy days, in clear/ muddy waterways when used as one lure.

Tips for Beginners on Selecting Lure Colors

When you are first starting to learn about what different fish like and how to target them in different weather and water conditions, it can feel like a lot of information is constantly coming at you by different sources, and who knows if these sources actually know what they are talking about!

Here are our best tips to help you learn about the colors you should be using on your line.

Consider Getting a Fishing Lure Color Selector Chart

fishing lure color selector chart

Lure colors are easy to learn and keep track of thanks to things like a fishing lure color selection chart that help you find the right color lure. Using a fishing lure color chart can guide you on the fish you are trying to catch, the water conditions, the visibility, and the colors you should have on your rig.

For bass anglers, there are bass fishing lure color selection charts that will help you narrow it down. Eventually, as you become a better fisher, you will be able to forsake the bass fishing lure color selector chart and go off of intuition and memory.

what color fishing lure to use

You can’t expect yourself to learn about all the colors that all the different fish like or can see in clouds or sun, so give yourself the time to learn. Do not rush yourself.

Lure colors are simple to learn and one day you will find that you did not have to check the chart before setting up your hook or rig that day.

Conclusion on What Color Lure to Use

To conclude, the colors that you are advertising to the fish are what will make or break your fishing day. Whether they can actually see the colors of your lure or not will be the definitive measure of whether or not you catch any fish that day.

Just because they can smell or taste the bait you out does not mean that they will be able to locate it with their eyes, which means they might never even try to find it.

Cover all your bases by attracting them with a colorful lure that speaks to them through the water to get great catches on cloudy days!

Good luck!

Randy

  • October 14, 2020