Select Lure Size: When lure size and profile impact bass feeding decisions.
Establish Distances Between Casts: How to best cover water without missing bass.
Avoid Spooking Them: How far the boat has to be from the target spot to ensure the bass can not be put off with view of the angler and boat.
Understanding Bass Vision
Distance: Some suggest that bass can see roughly 50 ft, some say 20 to 30 ft, (humans 200 feet) horizontally in optimal conditions (very high lure visibility) with color and clarity diminishing to the point where the lure is a barely seeable gray object. Less distance if the bass is looking down.
Peripheral Vision Range: Bass total vision is 300 degrees (humans 200 degrees) where they will be able to identify forage with one eye.
Blind Spot: Bass can not see behind them or directly below them and thus rely on other senses to identify forage in those locations. This is also the reason some suggest presenting the lure above the bass, at least for suspended bass. Some suggest that even though a bass can use other senses to identify forage below them the forage will flee when they see the bass turn to see it.
Structure with Drop Offs: Some suggest that bass seek structures that provide drop offs and position themself such that the structure is in their blind spot protecting them from predators.
Binocular Visions(both eyes): Maximum clarity 25-30 degrees (humans 150 degrees) of binocular vision (both eyes) for what is in front or slightly above them. In other words, bass vision is mostly monocular (one eye). It is for this reason some suggest a fast moving lure provides a bass very little time to clearly see the lure and thus compels a reaction bite.
Colors by Depth:
Shallow: Red, orange and yellow color are visible shallow and become visible gray at medium depth. Some suggest red is visible up to 15 ft in high lure visibility scenarios. As the red wavelengths are absorbed the lure becomes gray then black.
Deep: Blue and green colors are visible in deep depths with some saying visible to over 65 ft in high lure visibility scenarios.
Shape/Profile: Bass do rely on visible shapes/profiles to identify forage.
Flash: Bass can see flashes of light.
Movement: Bass do rely on visible movements to identify forage.
Night Vision: Some suggest bass’ night vision is better than humans and at the lowest end of low lure visibility spectrum.
Additional Considerations
Cover Contrast: When fishing cover, for example grass, some suggest selecting a lure with color that contracts to the cover.
Forage Contrast: Some suggest when there is a lot of forage, don’t mimic the forage, go with a completely different profile, size and color.
Multi-Color Lures: Some suggest creating contrast by using multi-color lures.
Depth: As the lure descents the color will change, it will dull, in other words, a lure looks greyer as it gets deeper or all lures become dark when very deep.
Blind Bass: Studies have shown that bass can feed and survive without sight as they rely on lateral line to identify forage.
Shadows: Some suggest that an angler’s shadow is visible and can spook the bass or at least distract the bass from biting.
