When anglers share tips on a hot trend, which in turn spreads across the country in ways nobody anticipated, it brightens the future of fishing. That’s the case, literally, with the emergence of UV-brightened lures which have just begun to hit tackle shop shelves and will continue to do so at an unprecedented pace due to hardcore anglers’ unwavering belief that––all critical factors of lure size, profile and action being equal––UV colors simply catch more fish.
First, let’s shed some light on how UV works: Ultra-violet light is light that exists beyond the shortest wavelength of visible light––meaning that UV light penetrates the water column deeper than normal, visible light. To a fisherman, that means lures with a UV finish may be more visible to fish, especially in low-light conditions.
But that’s awfully scientific. Another explanation to the growing color craze is simpler: Lures with UV-brightened patterns are catching a hell of a lot of fish.
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| Multi-Species UV Weapon: Storm Lures Neon UV ThunderStick |
It started out West, according to Mark Fisher, director of field promotions at Rapala. Salmon and trout anglers in Washington, Oregon and Wyoming had tremendous success in previous years with UV-brightened lures in clear water streams and large river systems alike. Not many in the Midwest were doing a ton with UV, but when the same salmon anglers who ply the waters of the Columbia River took trips to the Great Lakes, they tried their favorite UV-brightened baits and, guess what? They caught salmon.
Because UV colors look a decent amount like glow colors, it wasn’t too much of a stretch then for Great Lakes anglers to start trying UV-colored jigs and such for winter-time walleyes once Erie and her sister lakes froze. And once the lakes un-froze, anglers seeking an edge asked the question: “Wouldn’t these UV colors work on open-water walleyes?”
Sure enough, they did.
“You have to credit the curiosity of today’s fishermen who ask: ‘What else can we do to catch more fish?’” Fisher says. “There’s a spirit about that you have to admire.”
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| VMC Dominator UV Hammerhead Jighead |
That spirit drove convinced anglers to use UV-colors in more and more situations in new regions of the country––it even drove them to demand more UV-brightened lures from the world’s most recognized tackle company: Rapala. Hearing a growing plea from fully converted, diehard anglers, Rapala’s product development team launched a two-year fact finding mission to research and test ultraviolet lure finished. The biggest advantage appears to lie in the increased visibility of UV-brightened lures in low-light conditions.
“That’s part of the magic of the fishing industry, and you can’t always give credit to companies because great ideas come from anglers everywhere,” acknowledges Fisher. “Smart tackle companies align themselves with the top anglers who always have fresh ideas and are constantly pushing the envelope to discover creative new ways to catch fish.”
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| VMC Neon UV Moon Eye Jighead |
This year, that alignment with leading, cutting edge anglers resulted in the production of ten new Storm baits with UV Bright finishes (including ThunderCrank MadFlash, Hot ‘N Tot, Jointed MinnowStick and Wiggle Wart MadFlash), two new VMC jigs with UV color patterns (Neon Moon Head Jig and Hammer Head Jig) and three new Lure Jensen baits in UV (Krokodile, Dipsy Diver and Jet Diver).
And a little birdie told us that’s just the beginning. “Very soon, you will see Rapala coming out with some of the tried-and-trued, core, classic lures in UV brightened colors for the first time ever,” Fisher says.
And guess what? North American Fisherman will have the scoop.