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Glow Lures....Are They The Real Deal ?            By Bob Fiesthumel 

Before we discuss glow lures and their effectiveness, let’s offer a quick reminder that the walleye eye lacks the yellow and blue cells which in essence creates a form of color blindness for walleye in this color range.  The colors they do perceive very well are in a range of reds and greens.   In-Fisherman magazine produced a very well researched and tested article a number of years ago that pointed out just what the best bait colors should be under ideal conditions. The article explained the rod and cone make-up of the walleye eye and their ability to distinguish colors. Now if we accept the theory that the spectrum of color vision is affected by depth and start at red, orange, yellow, green, blue, etc., the question becomes what will walleye see as you progressively fish deeper water?   Since our desire is to create high percentage opportunities with our baits and encourage walleye to bite, then isn’t it logical to use the colors that fit the middle of the visible spectrum - orange/yellow/green and isn’t it ironic that these color choices represent perch colors in their natural element. Perch are the one constant as far as forage in a walleye fishery and their range of use of the water depths also duplicates the higher opportunity water elements for walleye activity.  Now that we have that behind us let’s discuss glow lures and their effectiveness.

Yes, glow lures have become the rave in the fishing tackle arena.  Every fisherman has to have an assortment of glow lures.  But is this a case of misperception or reality?  Do these lures catch more fish?   We believe the answer to this question is an absolute “yes.”    And I am sure there are a lot of fishermen out there that will back up that statement through their own experiences.   To get a more complete understanding of why glow lures are effective let’s analyze the properties of color at varying depths.

Basic Color Properties Underwater

Now we are not going to get into a physics lesson, but we do want to provide you a general explanation as to what happens to colors underwater.   Some colors, such as variations of red, have a high absorption rate underwater.   Blues on the other hand have a much lower absorption rate.  What does this mean?  Red doesn’t travel very far through water.  What looked like a bright red lure to you in the boat will take on a more grayish color the deeper it runs.  A blue lure, on the other hand, will maintain its color at a wider range of depths.  But remember walleye are color blind when it comes to blues and yellows something that must come under consideration when making a color choice.   Now other factors play a role in determining color variations underwater such as the position of the sun, the amount of particles in the water etc.  But for this discussion, it is good to simply understand that the higher the absorption rate, the less the color will remain true at greater depths.

First of all, walleye have superior sight capabilities in low light conditions.   They tend to suspend off the bottom and come into the shallows at night or during the day when a chop is on the water.  The chop tends to prevent the light from entering the water thus attracting walleyes into the shallows where they have a much greater sight advantage over the bait fish.    Couple this with the fact that the ultraviolet rays still manage to penetrate the water thus providing glow to your glow lure even on cloudy days and you have a fish catching combination.   So what may not be obvious to you becomes very obvious to the hungry walleye at depths unseen by the human eye.  The glowing lure takes on more contrast and flash in the lower light conditions in the aquatic world.  This makes it an easier target to follow and attack with predatory instinct.   In essence, the glow lure carries the sunlight with it causing it to show the colors of the lure in their truest state at depths up to 30 ft or more.  It is very simple; these lures are fish attracting machines in lower light conditions.

The Key to More Effective Glow Pattern Lures

What holds true in the non-glow world still holds true in the glow world.   You can’t simply tie on a glowing glob of plastic or lead and expect this to trigger the predatory instinct of a walleye.   The lure must have an effective presentation, good vibration, realistic action and must be a good imitation.   Painting a lure in one color glow does not represent reality to feeding walleye.  Painting in contrasting colors, with realistic baitfish patterns, is necessary to trigger a feeding frenzy.   Make sure the patterns are distinctive.   Ensure that the scales on the lure’s profile stand out with the use of light and dark color contrast.  Look for creative color patterns such as the contrasting underbelly of a walleyes favorite baitfish.   Simply put – glow in and of itself — is not enough.  The glow must represent a realistic imitation of a baitfish – wounded or otherwise.   Bottom line, not all glow patterns are created the same.   Do your homework.

When It Comes to Glow, “The Eyes Have It”

The eyes of the baitfish represent a lot to a feeding walleye.  Instinctively the walleyes are processing information.  Is this a baitfish?  What direction is the baitfish swimming?  Does the fish need to be maneuvered for head first swallowing?  Is this fish injured?

The use of oversized 3D eyes that glow can be very stimulating to feeding walleye.    Bottom line, the eyes, when exaggerated, can increase the strike ratio.  Walleyes just can’t stop themselves from hitting a baitfish with such an alluring feature.   PK Glow Lures have trademarked glow eyes and have perfected the use of this alluring technique.   These lures cannot be out performed by any other glow lure on the market.   Why? Because of the painstaking detail that has gone into every aspect of each lure they produce.

Conclusion

We at HotRig.com  take all these factors into account when carrying a line of glow lures.  PK glow lures have proven to have all the elements needed to be fish attracting machines.   Without the glow patterns, these lures work extremely well. Add the distinctive, contrasting color glow schemes and get ready to fill up the live well.  The cranks have the right wobbling action and vibration to fool the craftiest of walleye.  Add the rattle and the distinctive glow patterns and these lures cannot be out-fished.   The spoons are enhanced by the glow contrasting patterns.  What was already a highly effective lure turns into a killer attractant in low visibility conditions.  Add the 3D glowing eyes and get ready for some serious action.

If we, at  HotRig.com could create a line of lures that out fished the glow line of PK’s — believe me we would.   But you really can’t improve on near perfection.  We decided to carry PK Lures instead of competing with them.   It really was the only option we had.