Fish Color

[gimmesalt]

I read fishing reports where they talk about the color of the fish. For example they will say "green cod" and I've also heard color when referring to blackfish. I've heard the color can tell you if they just arrived, have been around, or are leaving.
What are the color significance for cod, blackfish, and any other fish where color is an issue.
Thanks

[cowkiller]

This is a tricky question, because there are so many answers.Fish will turn colors to adapt to their surrondings.Water temp, structure,mud bottom, sand bottom, it all affects how fish will change their color.

For example in the spring when the first blackfish are taken ,they usally have a lite grey color to them. Now as the water warms ,they start to get a darker brown color on the females and the males get a dark grey with a white chin starting.Now as the fall turns to winter these fish will slowley start to all turn a lite shade of grey.They stay this color all winter while the sleep inshore.

Fluke, Mostly when targeting ocean fluke they are always a lite sandy color(sand Bottom), when in the bay and you catch a very dark or blackback as we call them they are on a black (muddy bottom).This should give you an idea, it goes for most fish.,,,joe

[suilleabhain]

Cod are colored two ways, red cod, used to be on Block Island, get their color from the kelp. Green cod locally means a new batch of fish have moved in. After they hang around a while they lose the bright green.
I've caught blackfish in black, gray and brown. A lot has to do with what blackfish are feeding on. You will get blackfish with blue streaks in the meat, that's just coloring from eating mussels.
Fluke will go from muddy brown in the bay mud, to light color on the sand and spotted on gravel. Don't confuse a spotty fluke with 4-spot flounder. They look just like a fluke but with 4 symetrically spaced blackish spots, with a touch of pink in the center. Toss them back, they taste like crap anyway.
You will also hear of tunas & marlins "lighting up" when fought. They are burning fat & muscle and will glow a little under water.

[cowkiller]

Bill, ive also caught orange cod in the summer as these fish are on a rusty wreck and take on the orange color.,,,joe

[gimmesalt]

Thanks, This is good information. When pics are posted with a fishing report one can look at the fish color and get more info than the angler gave. For example, the fluke color and marking can tell you what type of bottom the person was fishing. Blackfish turning grey in late fall means get out there soon, green cod they are just arriving etc. etc.

[suilleabhain]

Yeah Joe, I've seen that too.

Stripers, you fish them more than me, you can tell different sources from the breaks in the stripes and color from what I've heard. That true?


Color makes enough of a difference that back in the 20's & 30's when there were no electronics, captains would look at the fish, check the color, size and what was in the stomach and then move to another spot to find a better school of fish. They could tell where fish had come from on local spots by checking them.

[cowkiller]

Yes, Bass caught from the surf are usally lighter. Bass caught from a boat or in the bay are darker on their backs.