Color Preferences For Plastics

[keithdog]

I am wondering if perhaps the prefered color choice of ones plastic baits, weather it be a Senco, worm, lizard, crawdad, or any other plastic might be a regional thing determined by water conditions and natural forage. I know there are a lot of southern fisherman in here and watermellon and pumpkinseed are often refered to as a prefered color of choice. I'm not so sure that is the case here in the midwest. To tell ya the truth, I've tossed plastics in those colors many times and I can honestly say I have never ever caught a bass off either of those two colors. Yet if I put on a plastic in shades of black or blue, the bass go bonkers with it. I can't understand how a bait the same color as the snot weed I clean of my baits would attract a hit. I've never seen a real live green salamander before. Mostly black or red. The red ones are actually newts, the salamanders lil cousin. Not sure there is a green salamander. I have had good success on plastic frogs in shade of green of course, which makes sense. But never a worm, or salamander bait in green shades. Same with jig and pig combos. Only black or blue combos seem to work here. At least for me. I'm in NW Indiana and am wondering if any other bass fisherman in my parts have any luck with plastics in green shades, other than frog baits.

[JB]

we live in south western ohio and I think water clarity is the issue here...
years ago all the waters were murky and colors like black and blue, red shad, junebug, and blk+chartruse were all the rage, but now most of the water is clearer and the green plastics seem to be the ticket ...at least most of the time. Of course a guy just has to buy all colors*just in case* huh

[skeeter944]

i fish with 4 different colors of soft plastics,pumpkinseed,watermelonseed,junebug,and black. i fish clearer waters with about 5 or 6 foot visibilty,so those natural colors that blend in see m to do best for me. i think that having a proper presentation to a single fish is more important than spending alot of time changing lures and not making alot of casts. but every water is different,so you just have to figure them out.

[DEbass'n]

The colors i have found to work here are the Watermelon/Black flake, Pumpkinseed, and my buddy has really good luck with bright purple Yamamotos which baffles me, but it works for him.

[pig n jig]

Green Pumpkin is the magic color for soft plastics.I like to save them for days the fish won't bite some other color I had bought.I can't catch chit on watermelon, or watermelon /red flake. I was at a chinese buffet , they had a fishing chart that went by the year you were born.It said I am compatible with jigs as long as they're not black/blue, any soft plastic except watermelon, watermelon /red flake.. It also said something about he who sits on sharp hook , better off . P N J

[mack]

for all of those things i like black, white, and watermelon best.

[jasonR]

Black is great if you have a stain. Watermelon/red flake is a great all purpose color in clear water.

[thebus71h]

Green Pumpkin. That's the go-to color. Like png said, I use it mainly when my other stuff that I'm trying doesn't work.

[Rebbasser]

Depends on the situations, but watermelon, watermelon red and green pumpkin will put fish in the boat just about anywhere.

[lizardsrule]

I have to disagree on the regional issue. I fished in Indiana for years and the midwest. Black and Green pumkin worked well, but so did other colors. I now fish in Florida, and guess what, Black and Green pumpkin still work here, along whit shad colors of flukes, just like Indiana, and shad, crawdad, and chartreause cranks worked in Indiana, as well as here. I believe it to be more of a confidence issue than anything else. If you love fishing black/blue then you feel you can always catch fish on it, so you fish it more. If you feel the methiolate is just plain old ugly, then you won't fish it as long or with as much confidence. I'm working myself out of the color hang ups slowly, because I've caught bass on so many different colors. One day this year a my fishing buddy and I were fishing a river. We could catch bass on any worm or lizard weightless, as long as it was a darker shade. If we used anything in a lighter or brighter shade we couldn't catch squat(except mudfisah of course LOL). I believe the shade has more to do with it than the actual colors. Why you ask, because fish see in shades not colors. WIth all that said, my go to colors are Green Pumpkin, and Black for lizards/worms/jigs etc..., however my go to color for flukes is alewife(shad colored), and my go to for cranks is chartreuse or shad colors. So it depends on what I'm using.

Lizards

[garry_3000]

man lizard , finally I can agree with you I fish Indiana because that is were I live. I have also fished Tenn, Ky, Ohio, Mich, La, Tex, same colors with good suckcess.

[Wishing2BFishing]

"Of course a guy just has to buy all colors*just in case* huh"

JB, I agree . . . the bait monkey wants all the pretty colors.

[Wishing2BFishing]

Gentleman, I agree that the basic menu of successful colors includes Green Pumkin/Pumpkinseed, Watermelon, Black, and sometimes a little chartreuse (especially for SM). But, there have been times when one particular odd color was "heads and shoulders" above the rest.

I recall a day that when I was fishing at Brady's Lake in the Pocono Mountains. My friend and I took the electric motor and worked our way to the very back of the lake which was loaded with lily pads. My friend and I both threw texas rigged ribbontail plastic worms (these were the pre-senko days). Anyway, my buddy caught a nice bass from a heavily matted log jam. Of course, while he was unhooking the fish, I threw my worm into the same spot working it the same way he worked his worm. No takers. My friend took his second cast and guess what, another bass. This exercise continued for about 10 minutes with my friend netting 4 nice bass and me catching nothing. Anyway, he was using a very unusual color (1/2 smurf blue and 1/2 silver). I "borrowed" one of his worms and finally caught a bass. This color was the only color that we caught fish with that day.

Similar to the preceding long-winded story, I have had days where Methiolate was king. The LM just didn't want the standard table fare of colors.

There have also been times when my 1/2 green and 1/2 white Strike King Tube was unstoppable and other colors just didn't produce the same numbers (in fact the other colored tubes didn't produce anything).

Anyway, my experience has taught me that the standard table fare of colors usually works. And generally, the color isn't the problem, it is the presentation or the lure (perhaps a fast moving crankbait instead of slow moving worm or tube). But, sometimes, a different color can make a big difference.

[dampeoples]

White, Watermelon Red Flake, Junebug, Redbug, Green Pumpkin, Rootbeer and, of course, Black!

[fishinfortune]

i like the basics and i also have had great luck with blues . my best worms are these pink renegades the bass LOVE them

[pig n jig]

Well you ever notice certain lakes will have another color that works better than your go to colors ?I see it all of the time here, your go to color will produce like Lizards said, you fish your favorite colors alot, your bound to catch fish on them more than another color that stays in your tackle box. I just bought a 10" culprit worm in a new color, Watermelon copper red. I won't fish them until next year, but I already know they are most likely going to produce my new personal best . P N J

[zooker]

ok so like why am i catching fish on june bug worms in clear water? cause it works... green pumkin ,watermelon seed ,and june bug these are the 3 colors to have and use..

zooker

[keithdog]

I'm sure having confidence in your color choice is a big factor in whether you catch fish on that particular lure but I know color makes a difference many times. Like this year. I started fishing senco style lures for the first time. The first few times out I kept switching back and forth between a black/red Tiki worm and a Watermellon Senko. Never caught anything on the watermellon lure, but caught plenty on the black/red bait. I used the watermellon exclusively the first hour of the second day using these baits without a hit, and then when I put on the black/red bait...BOOM. The bass went wild. But who knows. Next year they may want a totally different color again. It's the same way with different types of lures. I've noticed over the years, you can take one particular lake and best lure choices will change from year to year as well. Like top water one year and spinnerbait the next. Who knows why this happens, but it does.

[skeeter944]

Originally Posted by zooker

ok so like why am i catching fish on june bug worms in clear water? cause it works... green pumkin ,watermelon seed ,and june bug these are the 3 colors to have and use..

zooker

yeah,i totally agree with you zooker.

[pig n jig]

Keithdog,I have seen the same thing before,on some lakes, color has alot to do with the catch ratio.I would like not to beleive it has anything to do with it but there is nothing else different in the brand, or presentation and yet there is a big difference in the catch ratio.I personally think watermelon color doesn't work, but they make every type of plastic known to fishing in watermelon color, so some one must be able to catch fish with it.I like glitter added over a plain solid colors, except green pumpkin.The fish here in my area seem to prefer regular green pumpkin over green pumkin candy color, or green pumpkin /blue flake color. P N J