Best squid jig colour

[kingyfisher]

Pink is a very attractive colour particularly in Sydney( where I live) in March every year tens of thousands are attracted to this (and other bright colours) ,particularly near Oxford st. during the Mardis Gras ........

[michu]

I agree that Pink is the fundamental colour in squid fishing, followed by Orange.

This is particularly true when we do fishing in 'newly discovered fishing spots' in HK.



It is interesting to find out that 'the best colour' is not always effective in the most popular fishing spots in HK. Instead, Green or some Natural Colour' become the last resort, and sometimes even become 'the best colour' in that region.

[bluewaterhunter]

Glen

something i struggle to reconcile is that squid are actually color blind.

(Keep in mind that they whilst they are fairly smart, they are pretty low order mollusc!)

So the question must be asked, what difference does color make.



Each angler has their preferences and some think there is a science to it...



I am not so sure.....



Having said that I have had success with gold/brown of late.



Blue W. Hunter

[michu]

I do remember I had come across a TV programme (early this year or the year before) regarding the 'learning theory' of cuttle fish suggesting what cuttle fish would attack and what cuttle fish would not attack and treat something as prey or food. If I am not wrong, that should be one of the programmes in Discovery Channel.



That TV programme also told us that cuttle fish, squid and octupus were all colour-blinded. What they could see (with their eyes) were only black, white and grey. However, cuttle fish could simulate the background colour with the colour pigments on its skin. The programme showed that when cuttle fish swam to a particular region with a particular colour, it could change its colour pigments to match the same colour of that particular region (may be/or in order to protect itself). The experiment also showed that cutlle fish were particular sensitive to several combination of colour. I could not remeber the details. The experiment also showed that cuttle fish were insensitive to several combination of colour(yellow with ???, I forgot) and pattern of shapes in the background.



The TV programme also tells us that cuttlefish, squid and octupus have similar characteristics. I did not watch the whole programme, in fact. I only came across it. I did not know why they only chose cuttle fish for the experiment.



I then drew conclusion from their experiment that cuttle fish could actually 'understand' what the 'colour' was. It is not necessary for me, as squid angler, to know whether cuttle fish can understand what the 'colour' is by means of its 'eyes', or its pigments, or 'any part of its body'. Even the scientist who carried out the experiment did not know reason why. ...But... the outcome was that the cuttle fish could simulate the background colour with its pigments. So, cuttle fish must actually understood what the colour was before it could simulate and match that particular colour. The TV programme only showed the experiment on cuttle fish, it did not show identical experiment on squid. However, the programmes did tell us that cuttlefish, squid and octupus have similar characteristics, I further extend my 'conclusion' on squid that squid can also understand what the colour is before before it can change its colour to match the surrounding area(Remember, there was not any experiment on squid).



I then try to use my camera and take 'black and white pictures' of my favourite squid jigs trying to find out whether there is 'distinguished pattern' on them... carry out your own experiment and conclude your own results...



Up to this moment, I always try to gather squid jigs with 'big contrast' (whether expressed in terms of colour , pattern or shape).



It is indeed interesting to find out that every my fishing friends has its own favourite colour of squid jigs.



However, I think colour is not the final word,...... 'movement of the squid jig' is the key to sucess.



Michael S K Chu at 00:51 2008/06/22 HK (final amendment)

[michu]

Even though, I said colour was not the final word, the statistics of this topics did suggest 'the best colour' of the squid jigs.



May we can expand our topic of 'best colour', to 'best combination of colour' like this,:-



For example

Main colour, Subsidiary colour

Pink, White

Pink, Orange

Orange, Black

Orange, White

............................etc. ......... Please vote....



What do you think?



Michael S K Chu at 00:43 2008/06/22 HK (final amendment)

[michu]

I would very much appreciate anyone who could add link in this area with respect to any TV programme and or Video talking about squids, cuttle fish, as well as octupus.



Michael S K Chu at 00:46 2008/06/22 HK

[michu]

[quote name='Michael S K Chu' post='12186' date='Jun 21 2008, 09:44 PM']I do remember I had come across a TV programme (early this year or the year before) regarding the 'learning theory' of cuttle fish suggesting what cuttle fish would attack and what cuttle fish would not attack and treat something as prey or food. If I am not wrong, that should be one of the programmes in Discovery Channel.



That TV programme also told us that cuttle fish, squid and octupus were all colour-blinded. What they could see (with their eyes) were only black, white and grey. However, cuttle fish could simulate the background colour with the colour pigments on its skin. The programme showed that when cuttle fish swam to a particular region with a particular colour, it could change its colour pigments to match the same colour of that particular region (may be/or in order to protect itself). The experiment also showed that cutlle fish were particular sensitive to several combination of colour. I could not remeber the details. The experiment also showed that cuttle fish were insensitive to several combination of colour(yellow with ???, I forgot) and pattern of shapes in the background.



The TV programme also tells us that cuttlefish, squid and octupus have similar characteristics. I did not watch the whole programme, in fact. I only came across it. I did not know why they only chose cuttle fish for the experiment.



I then drew conclusion from their experiment that cuttle fish could actually 'understand' what the 'colour' was. It is not necessary for me, as squid angler, to know whether cuttle fish can understand what the 'colour' is by means of its 'eyes', or its pigments, or 'any part of its body'. Even the scientist who carried out the experiment did not know reason why. ...But... the outcome was that the cuttle fish could simulate the background colour with its pigments. So, cuttle fish must actually understood what the colour was before it could simulate and match that particular colour. The TV programme only showed the experiment on cuttle fish, it did not show identical experiment on squid. However, the programmes did tell us that cuttlefish, squid and octupus have similar characteristics, I further extend my 'conclusion' on squid that squid can also understand what the colour is before before it can change its colour to match the surrounding area(Remember, there was not any experiment on squid).



I then try to use my camera and take 'black and white pictures' of my favourite squid jigs trying to find out whether there is 'distinguished pattern' on them... carry out your own experiment and conclude your own results...



Up to this moment, I always try to gather squid jigs with 'big contrast' (whether expressed in terms of colour , pattern or shape).



It is indeed interesting to find out that every my fishing friends has its own favourite colour of squid jigs.



However, I think colour is not the final word,...... 'movement of the squid jig' is the key to sucess.



Michael S K Chu at 00:51 2008/06/22 HK (final amendment)[/quote]





Note:

Cuttle fish and Octupus both live at the bottom of the sea and both do can camouflage. I doubt whether squid can camouflage. When in danger, squid produces black substance like ink and swims away quickly.



I doubt whether squid can distinguish colour as well.



Michael S K Chu at 06:40 2008/06/22 HK

[michu]

I always ask myself.... what makes the differences when I look at different colours(trying to make myself colour-blinded)?



Differences of levels of hue and saturation (in colourful world) = Differences of levels of brightness and contrast(in colour-blinded world) ???



Will expert in black and white photographers or expert in Photoshop come and explain? Many thanks.



Michael S K Chu at 08:05 2008/06/22 HK

[glen]

hi michael, as you said, if you took photos of the jigs and then converted them to black and white, then that might give you an idea about the differences in appaeance. However I am afraid I am not a photoshop expert so I am not sure really sure how to explain hue, saturation etc.



Maybe this will help:



[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hue"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hue[/url]

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturation_(color_theory)"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturation_(color_theory)[/url]

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightness_(color)"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightness_(color)[/url]

[michu]

Thank you, glen. I'll try to learn more about colour in the coming years. I'm not sure whether I can fully understand them all.



My question then becomes:-



Are squid more sensitive to a particularly level of brightness and contrast?

Or What is the best level of brightness and contrast for squid jig?



(Previous question is: Are squid more sensitive to a particular colour?

Or what is the best colour of squid jig? )



Michael S K Chu at 09:37 2008/06/22 HK

[michu]

Another question arises.



Will simply black and white(of different levels of colour tone) squid jig works well on squid too?



...simply because squid is colour blind...???



Michael S K Chu at 10:46 2008/06/22 HK

[Adro]

[quote name='Michael S K Chu' post='12200' date='Jun 22 2008, 11:37 AM']Thank you, glen. I'll try to learn more about colour in the coming years. I'm not sure whether I can fully understand them all.



My question then becomes:-



Are squid more sensitive to a particularly level of brightness and contrast?

Or What is the best level of brightness and contrast for squid jig?



(Previous question is: Are squid more sensitive to a particular colour?

Or what is the best colour of squid jig? )



Michael S K Chu at 09:37 2008/06/22 HK[/quote]



Hi Michael



I have a white body jag with black on the top of it and it is one of my most consistent jags day or night. It's the first jag I try.

[michu]

[quote name='Adro' post='12244' date='Jul 2 2008, 09:01 PM']Hi Michael



I have a white body jag with black on the top of it and it is one of my most consistent jags day or night. It's the first jag I try.[/quote]



Hi, friend,

You are one of the two persons whom I met to be so successful on using white squid jig.

[Adro]

[quote name='Michael S K Chu' post='12245' date='Jul 3 2008, 12:52 AM']Hi, friend,

You are one of the two persons whom I met to be so successful on using white squid jig.[/quote]





If squid are colourblind why does colour matter?

[michu]

[quote name='Adro' post='12248' date='Jul 4 2008, 03:44 PM']If squid are colourblind why does colour matter?[/quote]



Do you remember I used to take black and white colour photographs of squid jigs?

The reason is that I assume there is a difference among different squid jigs which are reflected on 'brightness, contrast level, shape or pattern' of appearance.



White is also seen as monochrome(black, white and shades of grey), but 'opaque white, fluorescent white, ...etc' will appear to be different 'levels of grey colour' on the squid jig. This is what I imagine to be the squid jigs in the squid eyes.



But up to this moment, we still do not understand whether squid is sensitive to colour pigments or (intensity)shades of grey colour reflected by the colour pigments of the squid jig. If anyone knows the answer, do tell me.......



We still talk about colour,....simple reason....easy to communicate....

What if we say,...say...grey1, grey2, grey3, grey4,..,...grey99...on monochrome colour....--->dull? unsuitable for marketing?

Do you think so?

[dglasgow]

I agree with you glen and i too prefer green not only that green is my favorite color. Most of the squid took green jigs. Squid are attracted to green so green is the winner always.

.........................................................

Duke Glasgow

[glen]

hi duke, welcome to the forum! <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/xyxthumbs.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> cheers, glen

[dobrien]

Ive always favored green, but recently Ive found a new confidence in

a brown/gold habyshi(sp?). Caught my last doz squid with it from the boat.

D/

[zeusfaber]

Hi Guys,



although I have not posted anything for a while I have been following some of the threads with interest. What actually attracts squid to a jig in the first place is something I lose sleep over!!!



Most of us would agree it is obvious that colour does have some effect on the the success of squid jigs, however, I have always thought that contrast, either between jig and background (this will change in different weather conditions, water, light/depth, salinity etc) or colours on the jig is the real answer to selectivity.



Colour is a luxury that is really only experienced in air or shallow water because water is a very good attenuator of the colour spectrums. The deeper one goes the more colours well known to us begin to fade and finally become monochrome. Light has a frequency and each colour a different wavelength the longer the wavelength of the colour the further it penetrates the water. Red at great depth for example becomes invisible (red has a very short wavelength), for this reason many fish dont see in the red spectrum for the same reason many deepwater crustaceans are red in colour. When diving/snorkeling you might notice everything seems greener (green has a much longer wavelength) the deeper you go, this is because many of the other colour wavelengths have been attenuated.



The optic nerve in squid is massive in relation to the size of the animal and the cones at the back of the squids retina suggest that it is adapted to work very well in low light conditions. This, I reckon, helps the squid to recognise and locate contrast, when combined with a particular movement the attack response becomes irresistable and thats what we want every time. Sadly something as everyday as the effect of wind on the surface of the water, time of day or cloud cover will change the way the squid see a jig.



My most succesful jigs have been ones that generally display strong contrasts with one or two exceptions that completely blow any theory out of the water (proof of a higher force, who knows). The most telling times have been in low light conditions, the time of day that soaks up the light of car headlights, just before sunrise and and just after sunset.



Squid heh! Dont ya just love em?



Jon

[glen]

Hey Jon, Good to hear from you!!! Thanks for sharing your squid mind reading techniques! hahaha



So what colours and shades are working best for you? If contrast is the key I guess a white jig would be the best over a reefy/rocky sea bed?



Cheers, Glen