I went by a dealer to check out A Redfish 12. The color was mango. I loved the color, especially for others to see it if I go out on a lake or in the ocean. My question is, will this color afrect my catching fish in small freshwater creeks and rivers?
yak color
If there is no difference as far as scaring fish off, or very little difference, I may go with the mango or a yellow if I choose another yak. If there is a lot, I would love to know the best colors. I always had the idea that blue or green would be best or maybe a sand color. I would love all opinions on this.
kayak color for fishing
Most people that i have discussed this with agree that color has little affect on fishing ( on scaring fish) The only exception to that is that I’ve heard some folks say that the color white seems to make fish nervous since the underside of most fish is white (when looking at a large fish overhead all the fish below see is the white belly) A white kayak might give the impression of a large fish. However I have no personal evidence to back up this claim. I’ve also been told that red being the shortest wave length on the spectrum fades to black when observed from below in anything but the clearest water with good lighting.
A white kayak wouldn’t matter unless
you fish directly under the kayak. casting 30 ft or more away, the kayak isn’t noticed.
Go for the color you like. Mango and
yellow are good colors for being seen from a distance, as is lime green. Red is the most difficult color to pick up from a distance. But, colors matter less if you wear a bright PFD and/or shirt, hat, etc. Mostly, to fish, the kayak is just a dark blob on the water.
Makes no difference to the fish
Get what you want.
- Big D
Khaki and Mango
are the colors of my Redfish 14 and Featherlite 14. Like the above posts, fish see a shadow from above; being stealthy and using the right bait is more important.
The white belly of a shark theory
is rally shot to hell when you consider that almost every bay and ocean fishing boat out there is white.
Go for the mango
if you like the color. It would have to be clear water, very shallow, and the boat moving to bother a fish. I bought a sunburst orangy yellow
- Because I like it
- Because it dramatically improves photos that show the yak or part of it,
- And because it is safer on big water because it is more visible to power boaters, or search and rescue (if ever needed).
My only concern about the bright color is that once in awhile I hunt from it, but decided the benefits outweighed the possible downside. Movement alerts animals far more than color, and my spear fishing/skin diving days make me think that is true for fish also.
yak color
Jsmartt, thank you for your input. I have heard the same thing about the red colors.
yak color
jerlfletcher, TY for your ionput also. I knew you guys have been fishing from yaks and canoes for a while now and have noticed how colors affect fishing. If I decide to get the Redfish 12, I will get the mango color. If I were a fish, I’d have to come up and lick it.
yak color
I really appreciate everyones input on my subject. I felt like mango and yellow would be OK, but I just wanted to make sure. One of my concerns, other than the affects onm fishing was visibility becuae of the low posture on water from a yak. Some of the places I may like to go to, such as large lakes, have fast boats all around where I would be fishing.
I’ve got a white kayak
And also green and red. I haven’t noticed any difference using the white one. I catch just as few fish from any.
- Big D
Yak Color
One of the biggest river smallmouth I’ve seen caught was from a yellow yak dragging a lure behind it - meaning the yak had already passed over the fish and spooked it.
If fish were spooked by red/yellow/orange, they’d be nervous wrecks in the fall when leaves are on the surface of most streams.
Yak color
Dirty_Ed, I was thinking the same thing about that mango color and the fall season. Thank you, and all the others for the info. I will not allow color to influence me on my choice of yaks.
Black and White…
I have both black hull and white hull kayaks and paddle shallow very clear saltwater. I do get closer and see more fish when in a black hull.
black and white
Grayhawk, that is very interesting. You’re the 1st who has said this about color in this way. I am thinking that most people are saying that the stealth of the yaks is what makes fishing better more than the color of the yak. I am hoping to find out soon. Thank you for your input. It is appreciated.
Stealth is more important.
My observances have been while moving and I get closer to small sharks, cuda, turtles and rays in clear water with the dark hull, basically sightseeing.
When I fish it is trolling in murkier water and I can’t say there is any difference. If you are not moving I wouldn’t imagine it would make a difference.
Now the paddle blade color…
yak color
Grayhawk, thank you again for your info and observances. Now I see I need to think about paddle color.
It might make a difference
I’ve been a diver for 18 years now. Red does disappear first- becomes brown- usually below 15-20’ (depending of course on visibility & brightness of sun that day).
Surfacing from dives I’ve always noticed the hull of our boat quickly because it’s white. usually in the north Atlantic, which typically has 20’ of visibility, you can see the boat’s color before the shape. I once dove off a boat with a dark blue bottom. I did my safety hang at 15’, and went to swim to the surface. WHAM. Hit the hull. So yeah, darker colors are certainly harder to see.
But- are we mostly talking open ocean fishing, or streams here? Fish in streams don’t know what a great white shark is. They just know there is something BIG going over, no matter what color it is. And let’s face it, fish in the ocean are deep enough that they don’t see the hull, especially on something like a kayak. (Okay, any Florida or NC guys are going to jump on that… Like I said, where are we talking about here?)
I recently bought a kayak for scientific sampling fishing (using a throw trap). I bought a dark olive kayak for it, because as my name implies, I’m in a swamp. I figure blending in color-wise is a good idea to help me be less noticed & spook fish, skewing data. But it’s not like fish aren’t going to notice a 14’ kayak when they are only in 4’ of water…
If you like the mango, then by all means, man-go with it! Even after all my blather here, it probably won’t make a difference!