On Visibility and Contrast

Last week, I went fishing on Lake Burton with Jim Ware and Greg Wood, both of Rome.  At one point in the early afternoon, Jim and Greg fished about halfway back into a creek, then headed back out toward point off a large island.  I had caught my first fish of the day while making my way into the creek, and wanted to explore the creek further back, so I continued to pick it apart dock-by-dock.  Not exactly a winter pattern, but it was the only thing that had worked so far.  When I came out of the creek about 45 minutes later, I began to look for the others.

Off in the distance, I faintly spotted two sets of yellow paddle blades churning.  Jim was wearing a bright orange PFD, and Greg's was bright blue.  But the only signs of the two kayakers I could see were the four blades.  Using my Navionics app, I figured them to be about 530 yards away.  That doesn't seem like all that much distance, but it was a windy day with a lot of chop on the water, and it was tough to discern what was taking place on the surface.

Me, Jim, Greg, and our yellow paddles on Lake Burton

The boat traffic on Lake Burton was about what one would expect for a Thursday afternoon in mid-December.  There were a handful of other fishermen running around, but rarely would we feel that all-familiar rock of a boat wake across our bows.  It was quite peaceful and the fishing was slow.

Soon enough, though, spring will be here.  The winter solstice has passed, and the days are already getting longer.  We'll get a couple of late February warm fronts, and the bass will snap out of the winter doldrums and strap on the feedbag for mating season.  And the mass exodus of fishermen will descend on lakes across the South looking for big prespawn bass.

From this point, all through the summer and well past Labor Day, kayakers will have their head on a swivel.  After the spawn, the pleasure boaters and PWC's come out to play as well.  The lakes will be full of people.  Usually, this is when I head to the rivers, but I still like to get in some practice on the lake every now and then.  Visibility becomes more important than ever during the summer.  Most serious kayak fishermen are familiar with products like the VisiCarbon Pro, and other 360º lighting products.  Some anglers have LED strips mounted on their hull.  Both of these are great for visibility in low light situations.  

But the observation I made on Lake Burton the other day, is that if you want to be seen in broad daylight, the name of the game is CONTRAST. 

There's a reason why most states' DNRs require deer hunters using rifles to wear blaze orange for safety.  If you see something moving in that color, there's no reason to shoot. Other than on a particularly brilliant maple tree in the fall, blaze orange is one of the most unnatural colors you'll find outside.  In the photo above, Jim's orange PFD contrasts well against the water, but may not always contrast well against Georgia red clay or fall foliage.  Greg's blue PFD does not contrast well on the water, but would be quite visible against a dark tree-lined bluff. And his dark clothing provides a stark silhouette in the morning light. However, those yellow paddles we have contrast well against everything, and they are moving a lot.  There's no need to go out on the water in your coat of many colors, but several different colors ranging from light to dark on your rig, paddle, and body should provide enough of a contrast to keep you visible throughout the day.

Stay safe out there, and tight lines, y'all.