# Hull Color: Does it affect fishing/Flats Fishing?



## Rollbar

As the subject reads: Does it?
I was hearing of one guide that uses the sky blue for a hull color on the flats so it, well, looks like the sky when the fish look up.
Then again, most hull's look dark when underwater looking up but maybe that is only in deeper water.
Thanks,
JB


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## jmrodandgun

Rollbar said:


> Does it?


No.


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## FlyBy

I don't know if it does, but last year when I was looking at getting a new skiff I was going to get the BT camo. I probably wouldn't have a skifif with a white hull, just in case. Like chicken soup, it couldn't hurt.


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## Rollbar

FlyBy said:


> I don't know if it does, but last year when I was looking at getting a new skiff I was going to get the BT camo. I probably wouldn't have a skifif with a white hull, just in case. Like chicken soup, it couldn't hurt.


Pics of you hull/boat?
Thanks,


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## firecat1981

If your fishing the flats then the fish aren't looking up at you. So no it doesn't matter.


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## FlyBy

Rollbar said:


> Pics of you hull/boat?
> Thanks,


I didn't get the skiff. I would have given up 2" in draft. That won't work where I fish. My current skiff has a black hull.


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## devrep

I don't think anyone really knows what things look like to a fish. I believe their vision while good is somewhat blurry. how else to explain the stupid stuff they will hit. I have a red skiff with white bottom and a yellow skiff and see no difference in fish foolin.


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## sjrobin

Any boat with a bright white deck reflecting sunlight will wear you out(eyes) more than any other less reflective color after a day in the sun. The hull color makes no difference other than like vehicles, some colors show stains or show fade faster


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## Rollbar

Someone sent me this:



> I believe hull and underside of T top works. I first noticed years ago on a teal green hull bottom bait would hang out under the boat when fishing for shallow water grouper. I caught a lot of grouper on that boat in 12’ to 25’ of water. My boat now is a darker blue and I have caught a lot of fish again in shallow water, and out to 40’. Besides grouper in this boat I have caught Kingfish and Cobia close to 40 lbs in a spot that averages 12’. I feel like feeding fish look for bait under seaweed and floating objects that are always dark in color. White is the color of predators belly, besides I have never found fish around anything white that’s floating. Its probably more the underside than the hull sides that count. I have had so much bait surround my boat that I have now that I had to hold a 6’ bait rod in the middle catching bait at the side of the boat and just dipping the hooks in the water. I have heard some like red but I have not considered that color.


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## EdK13

Green hulls attract bait.


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## Capnredfish

The sky is not always blue. So how would a blue hull help during those times. A boat sitting In the water never looks like the sky. just get a color you like.


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## coconutgroves

Color is for the buyer, not the fish. I will say this though - I recently painted my lake house a light blue and I no longer get spiders, mud dobbers and hornet nests. Along the south and in Florida, and definitely through the Caribbean, the value of painting the underside of patios and the soffits blue, or the whole house blue, was never clear to me until doing it myself. My boat dock is next.

So if you store your boat outside, blue will help keep the bugs and spiders away.

On a related note, I would think dark colors work better off shore. Fish are always looking for structure - I've dived my entire life and there are always tons of fish hanging out under the dive boat, which usually has a dark hull.


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## DBStoots

There is a really long thread on this topic if you search for it. Some good information.


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## Rollbar

coconutgroves said:


> Color is for the buyer, not the fish. I will say this though - I recently painted my lake house a light blue and I no longer get spiders, mud dobbers and hornet nests. Along the south and in Florida, and definitely through the Caribbean, the value of painting the underside of patios and the soffits blue, or the whole house blue, was never clear to me until doing it myself. My boat dock is next.
> 
> So if you store your boat outside, blue will help keep the bugs and spiders away.
> 
> On a related note, I would think dark colors work better off shore. Fish are always looking for structure - I've dived my entire life and there are always tons of fish hanging out under the dive boat, which usually has a dark hull.


I painted the outside ceiling a sky blue and NO BUGS. 
I guess they think it is the sky and can't land on it.
Works awesome.


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## Rollbar

Here is a great thread:









Hull Color


Your confidence ain’t gonna make a difference if the fish get the hell out. Lol. Yeah but at least you have hope lol. Those days where you expect to catch fish, but don't, are still better than those days when you know you don't have a chance but still do it and don't. :)




www.microskiff.com


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## Smackdaddy53

Painting the porches, eaves and soffit on houses light blue is nothing new, old timers were doing it before any of us were alive.
Good question but don’t sweat the details...go fish!


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## crboggs

Throwing a shadow across fish is more impactful than hull color IMHO.


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## Flats Gypsy

Rollbar. Excellent question and one that I asked myself very recently as it was time to pick the color for my new skiff build. First I wanted to go with some in your face Bahamian color. But it would be harder to sell, and make it easy to identify me from a distance- and if I was an awesome stick (I'm not) I wouldn't want folks following me around- and if I screw up I don't want LEO to easily identify me. So those colors were out for me.

I thought about the fish for a while, and yes they do care what color your boat is. And no they don't care what color your boat is. And yes they will know your boat is there before they see it, and no they won't know it's there before they see it. And there in lies the problem, there are far too many variables and they are constantly changing.

I think the best boat color for flats fishing might be a boat wrap of aluminum foil, crinkled, shiny side out. No matter the conditions of the water or the sky it would scatter what light is available in all directions. A bonus would be the aliens couldn't find me to do an anal probe and the NSA couldn't find me either, at least if I wore my foil hat as well.

I suppose there could be an argument made that camo could be best. Figure out what all the colors of the sky and water are under varying conditions and shoot the boat in those color. Look pretty cool I'll bet. Might be hard to sell though.

So am I going with the crinkled aluminum foil look? Nope, decided a light blue or green would be best (but boring), and actually saw a beach house in Texas with a color I really liked- a mix of both and just bright/rich enough. So that's what I've chosen. Hope I like it. Fish probably won't care one way or the other.


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## permitchaser

I have an off white hull and deck. Fish don't seem to mind and it's easy on my eyes in the sun


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## devrep

I have a skiff with a cream deck and another with a white deck. I never think about either.


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## coconutgroves

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Painting the porches, eaves and soffit on houses light blue is nothing new, old timers were doing it before any of us were alive.
> Good question but don’t sweat the details...go fish!


Agreed, but there are many that don't know this... got to spread the word!


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## FishWithChris

I posted this in the other thread that that Rollbar captured, but my hull is red. zero issues. It's also why the boat is named the Ketchup Packet! lol


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## Flatsfishing nut

Ive fished out of all different colored boats in my life time, it makes very little difference on the hull, however for up close fly fishing in skinny water I do indeed favor a boat that is a close of a match to that water. Wanna see the color I have now? Go to dahnkeducknut on insta, I friggin love my East Cape Fury and get many compliments on the unique color. Fish have gotten alot closer with this one that I have noticed is all Im saying, good luck to all,... no matter what color


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## finbully

I'm going to bet far more recreational, fishing and commercial boats are white deck and hull than any other color. Colors are just our vanity showing through. Mine is grey in remembrance of my Navy life, nothing more.


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## Rollbar

Flatsfishing nut said:


> Ive fished out of all different colored boats in my life time, it makes very little difference on the hull, however for up close fly fishing in skinny water I do indeed favor a boat that is a close of a match to that water. Wanna see the color I have now? Go to dahnkeducknut on insta, I friggin love my East Cape Fury and get many compliments on the unique color. Fish have gotten alot closer with this one that I have noticed is all Im saying, good luck to all,... no matter what color


Very nice color.
Followed.
Thanks,


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## iMacattack

The real question is do fish perceive and sense color and shapes in the same manor as humans?









Vision in fish - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org





IMHO it's doesn't make one bit of difference. The color of the hull is to please the fisherman not ease the fish.


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## BlackbeardFC

Flats Gypsy said:


> Rollbar. Excellent question and one that I asked myself very recently as it was time to pick the color for my new skiff build. First I wanted to go with some in your face Bahamian color. But it would be harder to sell, and make it easy to identify me from a distance- and if I was an awesome stick (I'm not) I wouldn't want folks following me around- and if I screw up I don't want LEO to easily identify me. So those colors were out for me.
> 
> I thought about the fish for a while, and yes they do care what color your boat is. And no they don't care what color your boat is. And yes they will know your boat is there before they see it, and no they won't know it's there before they see it. And there in lies the problem, there are far too many variables and they are constantly changing.
> 
> I think the best boat color for flats fishing might be a boat wrap of aluminum foil, crinkled, shiny side out. No matter the conditions of the water or the sky it would scatter what light is available in all directions. A bonus would be the aliens couldn't find me to do an anal probe and the NSA couldn't find me either, at least if I wore my foil hat as well.
> 
> I suppose there could be an argument made that camo could be best. Figure out what all the colors of the sky and water are under varying conditions and shoot the boat in those color. Look pretty cool I'll bet. Might be hard to sell though.
> 
> So am I going with the crinkled aluminum foil look? Nope, decided a light blue or green would be best (but boring), and actually saw a beach house in Texas with a color I really liked- a mix of both and just bright/rich enough. So that's what I've chosen. Hope I like it. Fish probably won't care one way or the other.


I am rolling on the floor laughing! Awesome reply!


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