Fishing Forum

Which works better on a cloudy day, a silver or gold lure? I realize there is no hard and fast answer but is there a general rule of thumb?
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I would say a hammered gold
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[quote hogstalker]...is there a general rule of thumb?[/quote]

No. Take your pick and try it. If you only have two options (silver vs gold) then you've got it pretty easy.
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The very general rule is brighter for brighter and darker for darker.
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I thought the general rule was the opposite as more light is reflected off a lighter lure in darker condition such as clouds, murky or deeper water. But honestly I just throw what I’m confident with as it frequently doesn’t matter that much.
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Oh forgot to answer question. I’d personally forget the rule and throw gold. Just have better luck gold lures than silver lures.
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The best analogy I've heard came from a youtube clip on selecting lure colors. The bass pro said it's like your phone screen: you have to turn up the brightness to see it in daylight, and turn it down when it gets dark.

Same for lures.
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[#0000FF]Whatever you fish with confidence will catch more fish than something in which you have no faith.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I have fished a lot of both gold and silver...all over the country...for lots of different species...under a lot of different conditions. I have my own personal opinions but they are just that...opinions.
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[#0000FF]I do believe that a good general rule is silver in bright conditions and gold in lower light conditions. But there are variables in water clarity, temperature, etc. Similarly, some species seem to show preferences for one or the other...but can change completely in different waters under different conditions.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]The best plan is to carry both and don't hesitate to change it up if you know the fish are there but are not responding to your first choice. And you should also carry different sizes of the same lures. I have experienced a few times when merely dropping down one or two sizes...or increasing...made all the difference in fishy attitudes.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Okay now, if you really want to start some opinionated discussion, ask a generalized question about which color is best.
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Thanks for your replies, all good answers So I'm going to go with heads it's gold tails it's silver and switch halfway through the day.
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[#0000FF]There is one other variable...and an important one. What is the color of the primary forage species? When perch or carp are on the menu, gold will usually get more votes...but not always. And when lighter colored species...like shad...are the top menu item you will usually do better with white or silver...and sometimes with a dark back of blue or black...or purple.[/#0000FF]
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My rule is if it is not catching change. I do have favorites to start with, I'm sure that is true with most everyone.
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I am of the opinion that there are no hard and fast rules and trying both is probably the best bet. that said, here are a couple of things I've noticed FWIW.

1. The species you are after has an effect. For me, white bass always annihilate silver spinners and can be meh on gold. I catch more brown trout using gold.

2. In clear water, I seem to do better with gold. In muddy water, silver outperforms.
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I agree with the darker when darker, lighter when lighter. This goes for both sky conditions and water conditions. When water is off-colored and murky, or skies are dark and overcast...I always go to my gold and black. When the water is clear, or the sky is clear...I go with the silvers and white. Again...I will continue to try any color combination until I catch fish, but that is how I would start. I would say the most important factor is having confidence in whatever you are throwing...anything I throw with confidence outperforms anything I throw with out it.
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At a fly fishing seminar at the International Sportsman's Exposition, we watched underwater video of night fishing to see what the fish see in the presentations. The black lures above were silhouetted by the surrounding brightness from the small amount of light from the night sky while lighter colored lures would blend in with the surrounding light, so I think this corresponds with prevailing posts on dark for dark.

I'm thinking the silver and reflective surfaces that can flash get that flash advantage when there is full sunlight.

I agree with changing it up and trying different lures. One professional tournament fisherman so much believed in changing lures he told me he even changes when a lure is catching otherwise he wouldn't know what else worked.
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Apparently we’re doing it wrong[shocked]. Maybe it’s because we target a lot of trout who are too dumb to remember the rules[laugh]. But primarily targeting trout in Utah my experience matches yours. As mentioned a lot has to do with species targeted. I remember pulling out some Jakes spin a lures in the Everglades with a descent current flowing through a 50 yard channel between 2 islands. My brother in law laughed at me until I began catching a variety of fish on the silver one about every other cast. He and 3 teens continued to get almost skunked on a variety of lures and bait before asking to borrow my the same lure.
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