I Tracked 10 Trips… The Chartreuse “Rule” Is NOT What You Think
- By: Pat Ogletree
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing, Tackle & Gear, Artifical Lure Tips
For years, we’ve all heard the rule.
Chartreuse in dirty water. Natural in clear water.
It sounds logical.
And many of us follow it without thinking twice.
So, I tested it.
Ten trips.
Same setups.
Alternating casts.
Thousands of reps.
What showed up in the data wasn’t as clean as the rule.
And once I looked a little harder, everything started to make more sense.
Featured Gear:
- Lure 1: Prawn Jr
- Lure 2: 2.0
- Rod: Slam Stick Medium
- Reel: Otis 2500
- Rigging 1: 2/0 Hoss Football Jighead 1/8 oz
- Rigging 2: Weedless 3/0 Hoss Helix 1/8 oz
Key Takeaways:
- The “chartreuse in dirty, natural in clear” rule did not consistently hold up across trips.
- Some of the biggest differences showed up when separating days by something other than water clarity.
- There were clear patterns, but not the ones most anglers expect.
- The biggest clue wasn’t in the water color. It was somewhere else entirely.
Final Thoughts
Color absolutely matters.
But maybe not in the way most of us think.
Do you like using lures with chartreuse tails? Is there a specific time you throw them? And after seeing this, does it change how you’ll choose colors moving forward?
Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s compare notes.
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Interesting observations and data, thanks Pat!
a better understanding is worth the discussion. thanks
Thanks for the info. I’m a believer in the chartreuse tail. I have found that it helps when the bite is slow.
Great insights, Pat. Thanks for the video!
If trout are red/green colorblind, it really shouldn’t matter, right?
Funny you should mention that. Throughout the experiment I could not see a time where the chartreuse or natural caught more trout. It did seem that color didn’t matter as long as you found the fish. With reds, being able to see the RGB spectrum, chartreuse had an advantage during certain times.
Have you considered comparing natural color lures to darker color lures. I have used chartreuse tipped lure for over a decade and found that fishing in the flats where shade is in abundance, they work extremely well. Most of my fishing is done wading i must clarify that. As I’m sure there is a difference between wade fishing and fishing from a boat.
I’m not sure wading would make a difference in that situation but that’s a great idea for an experiment. In a previous video I did about color, Chartreuse stood out better in all situations so it has an advantage in that department. But I do feel it would be off putting when fish are not feeding aggressive. I’ll have to try it out.
Thank you for taking the time to apply scientific methods to your fishing and then sharing the results with us. It’s this kind of content that really separates Salt Strong from others.
Glad you liked it Michael!
Good stuff, Pat! Thanks! 🎣🧂💪🏻
Thank you James!
Great video
Thanks Charles!
Thanks Pat. That is fantastic information.
Glad you liked it!