Boat Color

bparker · Post by **bparker** » Fri May 13, 2005 8:22 am

Has anyone ever heard or read anything about the color of the bottom of a boat in regards to spooking fish?

Any theories out there? Is a dark bottomed boat better? Is a white bottomed boat better?

Any feedback would be great!

Gator · Post by **Gator** » Fri May 13, 2005 8:25 am

From colors are bad, colors are good, they spook them, they don't, etc. I have fished from every perceivable color of boat, from aluminum to white glass to black glass and have caught fish from them all.

Heck, the winner of our last Clearlake Rally was in a HIGHLY POLISHED Tracker. By highly polished, I mean it had a mirror finish. Evidently didn't bother the fish any!!

basscat_225 · Post by **basscat_225** » Fri May 13, 2005 12:32 pm

TRY FISHING A CLEAR WATER LAKE OUT OF A BOAT WITH A RED BOTTOM AND LET ME KNOW HOW MANY FISH YOU DID NOT CATCH.

bassindon69 · Post by **bassindon69** » Fri May 13, 2005 2:33 pm

If you think you are spooking fish because of boat color.. You are just to close.
Don.

catchnrelease · Post by **catchnrelease** » Fri May 13, 2005 7:13 pm

I bought a used Ranger from a guy in Lake Havasu City Arizona years ago, and he swore by the light blue hull color. He fished Havasu, Mead, Powell and other similar lakes. The weather there is usually bluebird, so he figured the fish couldn't see the underside of his boat. Was he right? I have no idea. In those deep clear lakes his thinking may be correct. Now when it comes to the Delta and Clear lake or any other semi-stained body of water, common sense tells me it just doesn't make a lick of difference. Just my .02.
C.

Bassinlee · Post by **Bassinlee** » Fri May 13, 2005 7:45 pm

Seems to be a mixed bag...some swear by white, some swear by black. Some just swear, especially when they're not catching fish, and they blame the bottom color of the boat. Only time it seems like it'd make a difference is if you're directly over the fish in crystal clear water. And in that situation, they're so skittish, the bottom color won't make a difference.
The guys over at BBC just did a thread on this the other day:
http://bbcboards.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=45341
My Ranger bottom is sorta gray, in between black and white. So, heck if I know whether it makes a difference. All I know is, I catch a bunch of fish. And they get kinda ornery once they get near the surface, regardless of what color the boat or bottom is.
-Bassinlee

bparker · Post by **bparker** » Mon May 16, 2005 8:38 am

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like no definitive answer! I am considering purchasing a new boat and since I can order my choice of colors I just wanted some feedback.

A lot of egos out there.

FATGUY · Post by **FATGUY** » Mon May 16, 2005 8:43 am

was talking to bill from bob's marine at the san mateo show and he said two drunks had just left and one had asked him why the bass boats had the sparkles in the paint . he said its to attrach fish .. one drunk said to the other " see i told you so " bill laughed ... ho ho

Mark Langner · Post by **Mark Langner** » Mon May 16, 2005 10:59 am

Bill....since your thinking about selecting a boat color....for what it's worth next boat I get (when my wife will let me) will be a white hull. Why? Cuz it's easier to keep clean, easier to repair (for color matching), and doesn't get so hot. I have a gunmetal grey metal flake hull and when I'm up on shasta for my 2 week vacation it sure gets hot to the touch. It is also harder to keep clean. When I needed some hull repair from dock damage, my flake color was no longer available and I had to do a best match possible. A white hull would have eliminated all that. Just something to consider....

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Mon May 16, 2005 4:56 pm

the bottom of the boat is always a shadow to the fish and color is immaterial. My experience has been to catch shallow fish in Clear water, you have to make long casts. I got a real lesson in that technique during the Delta Everstart.....Barry