Camouflaging yourself should be an important component for every fishing trip. Tackle shops always have a large selection of hunting clothing and most anglers typically ignore this significant collection.

There are several areas of camouflage that anglers should keep in mind when fishing from a bridge or structure. Most fish have tremendous eyesight and other senses that will warn them that danger is close. Anglers should keep this in mind when planning their next fishing trip, selecting a location or what prey they plan to target.

Clothing is the first line of camouflage. Wearing a contrasting shirt color against either a bright or cloudy day can warn the fish that a foreign or danger is present. (The picture shows an angler with a light blue shirt against a light blue sky)

Anglers should match the clothing colors to mimic the background.  If the sky is a bright blue, your shirt color should blue, trying to match the background sky. Similarly, if there is an overcast day, your shirt color should match as close to the background as possible. In this case, your clothing should be pale or light grey.

When fishing on a bank or other structure, the angler’s movement is also important component of camouflaging. Trees or other vertical structures do not move erratically unless there is a weather condition. Fish sense the surrounding conditions, so they will know what is unnatural. So anglers should limit their movement to a minimum.

Noise and unusual sounds that are not standard in a location, such as dropping gear, banging rods against railings or other such noises put up a warning. So minimal noise, movement of gear or even loud voices can be felt for some distance under the water.

Being stealth and using good camouflaging techniques will give you a significant advantage.

Additionally, these tips can also be incorporated when fishing on the water.

So next time you visit your neighborhood tackle shop, look a little closer in the camouflage section. You might just find the ticket to help improve your catches.

Until next time – Tightlines. Capt. Tony