There is no doubt these days most of the lures are marketed more to the anglers than their effectiveness on fish, I think we all are aware of that. However, many freshwater forage fish do flare their gills when stressed or threatened. A red eye isn't that far way from a red flared gill and still a spot on the fish for a large fish to focus on. Red headed lures with a white body are one of the all time classic color patterns.