[Jason Decker]

so here is a question, rafts come in all sorts of color and aside from personal color preferences
do you think there is any advantage or disadvantage to the raft color and any effect on spooking the fish.

Would say, yellow or red be a disadvantage to green or blue ??

some boats such as the aire super puma, the bottoms are all the same color, so the top color is the only difference.

i am very close to getting a raft and I have a few options on color

JD

 

[Salmo_g]

One school of thought is that white boat bottoms are least visible from beneath the water; another is that mimicing the color of a log floating down the river, altho more visible, is less disturbing because it's "normal." I don't think fish give a damn.

Sg

 

[Mayfly Aviator]

Mossy oak or waterflouge.

Just stay away from red, as it is most easily damaged by UV rays.

 

[jessejames]

Purple.
Blessings
jesse clark

 

[Kent Lufkin]

It's worth remembering that even underwater, light still comes from above. That means the raft will be backlit and will appear as a dark silhouette with very little apparent coloration against the much-brighter sky.

It's also worth remembering that since fish don't 'see' the same color spectrum we do, if they're gonna be spooked, it's more likely that it will be due to the sudden appearance of a large dark object floating above them than because the object happens to be one color or another.

K

 

[Bill Dodd]

It's worth remembering that even underwater, light still comes from above. That means the raft will be backlit and will appear as a dark silhouette with very little apparent coloration against the much-brighter sky.

It's also worth remembering that since fish don't 'see' the same color spectrum we do, if they're gonna be spooked, it's more likely that it will be due to the sudden appearance of a large dark object floating above them than because the object happens to be one color or another.

K

iagree iagree iagree

 

[martyg]

Yellow looks great in photos.

 

[flybill]

I think you need a pink raft Jason!

 

[Ray]

You should get one with a mirror finish on the bottom.

On a serious note, dark colors heat up faster and require bleeding sooner than lighter colors. In our fleet of yellow, purple, dark green, and red; the yellow requires the least amount of bleeding. It's a little thing and not something I would worry about or use base a decision on, but it is a good thing to be aware of. After a trip in cold water on an 80 degree day, the rafts end up drum tight after a short 20 minute trailer ride back to the resort.

 

[Mumbles]

I have a newer boat that is green with black on the bottom. It just casts a shadow as mentioned above.
I have an older red boat that is all red. In most light it probably also just casts a shadow. In bright direct sunlight the light actually passes through and casts a redish color.
Not sure if it is a good or bad thing. Again this is an older boat, newer ones are probably thicker materials.
I have to watch the pressure in the dark green boat more than the red boat too.
Good luck.

 

[Christian Brewer]

I was reading a discussion about people not liking the tan rafts from Sotar when some mentioned that they had one and everyone comments how much cooler it is inside when the sun is beating down on them in the summer time as compared to one of the darker colored rafts.

While rafting thru Boulder Drop on the Sky last spring, I got tossed out of a raft with a white floor and came up underneath...I can definitely confirm that the raft bottom looked like a dark silhouette white to me when I looked back up at it from below until I got back up close to it.

Christian

 

[AndreD]

iagree iagree iagree

I agree with this as well.

Another thought to consider when deciding on color it what color will you be seen by other boaters, mainly powered jets and ski boats if used on lakes with that kind of traffic. When I got my kayak, I wanted to get sand or blue, but I also thought those colors wouldn't be seen as easily as a bright red or yellow object, so I got yellow. Many kayakers gett hese colors just for that reason and they don't seem to have any issues catching fish.

 

[1morecast]

The color of the bottom of your boat is really not an issue imho. You might want to get a light color on the tip of your boat, something that doesn't absorb the sun's rays. You will see what I mean in August when your floating and its hotter then blazes with no wind.

 

[Matey]

It's worth remembering that even underwater, light still comes from above. That means the raft will be backlit and will appear as a dark silhouette with very little apparent coloration against the much-brighter sky.

It's also worth remembering that since fish don't 'see' the same color spectrum we do, if they're gonna be spooked, it's more likely that it will be due to the sudden appearance of a large dark object floating above them than because the object happens to be one color or another.

K

Yellow looks great in photos.

Fish can see objects above the water ahead as well as up so a brightly colored raft could be seen from a ways downriver. That said, if I am using a raft on a lake where I could encounter powerboats a highly visible color could have some advantages. Whether that alone is enough to spook fish is debatable. I discovered during my mountaineering years that the last color to fade to grayscale in fog and dim light is yellow (nice to be able to locate your tent in poor visibility) so that would be my ideal choice. Also yellow bladders would probably not heat up like OD and other dark colors.

 

[Steelheader69]

Ok, this has been my long stance on boats, especially since I mostly fish from boats. First off, you rarely will fish "over the fish". That's if you want to be successful. I'm either up river fishing down (away from the boat) or I fish tight against one bank and fish into the hole across the river. I've never had a problem with boat colors. From white to black and all colors in between (eventhough as they say white and black aren't truly colors but shades, whatever LOL). I've even been in a red driftboat and knocked the crap out of a run sidedrifting. So I don't think it matters, what matters is how loud you are coming into the hole and how you present that boat. If you come in hot and heavy with oars slapping and person in front of the boat stomping their feet, you may have a problem. Just find a boat that attracts YOU and you'll be fine. If you like it, buy it.

 

[Kirk Singleton]

I have a friend that has a grey Maravia, very nice boat. That said- I think you would look good in a pink raft. Just sayin' ;-)