Watermelon Color

[Skeeter ZX190]

I assume it is just me and what I'm cofident with, but I've gotten to the point where I say color on Stockton doesn't matter as long as it's green pumpkin. I have a lot of watermelon colored plastics, but I sure don't seem to get many bites on that color. Green pumpkin really does well for me. I'd be curious to here from others if watermelon has been successful.

[ozarkgunner]

Green pumpkin for me also. I also get bit on black and blue for some odd reason. My night fishing colors year them up at times.

[Walcrabass]

Skeeter,

You are on a subject that is very dear to me. I have done a lot of testing with this color thing. While I have to agree with you that Green Pumpkin is a great color let me share some things with you.

Fish and the prey they eat naturally match their surroundings in conjunction with water color. You don't catch bleached out looking Bass on a dark bottom/log/rock because they would look like a white sheet nailed on a black wall. It would kind of blow there chances at a surprise attack. So with this in mind we must always be thinking about color. Here are some of my findings:

An old friend of mine who has passed away used to tell me....Kid, they gotta be able to see it to eat it. By the same token it needs to look like it belongs in the water for the present conditions.

As you probably know from reading my posts I Jig fish a lot. A slow moving jig gives the fish a chance for a good look. And it better look good because there isn't much to cause a reaction strike.

I carry a couple of hundred Jigs with me sometimes. Different weights, sizes, skirts, AND COLORS!!!! Same for my other types of baits.

1. In clear water I have had a lot of luck with Watermelon Red Flake. A little more translucent, an little bit of flash to sparkle in the sparkling water. Trailers to match.Shad patterns with Silver flash also are good.

2. In slightly stained water I use Light Green Pumpkin/Light Brown mixes, Shad Patterns, and Green Sunfish Patterns.

3. As the water gets to a "good" color then a broad spectrum of Green Pumpkins, Darker Browns, Mottled Colors, Bluegill Colors, and Blues do well.

4. When the water gets dirty we have to go to the "gotta be able to see it" mode. dark Green Pumpkins, Dark Browns, Black, Dark Blues, etc. I also have found that a contrast in colors can get attention in dirty waters. Therefore Chartreuse, Orange, Reds, dark Purples can be woven in with these colors. Neon colors can really produce in nasty water as well.

5. Night fishing. I have been up and down the road with this one. I night fish quite a bit. I have literally done testing with a fishing partner at night with each of us using different colors. I have also kept three of my "favorite" colors tied on and alternated them. Black, Black and Blue, Dark Brown, Dark Green Pumpkin, Bluegill.....all these work well. However I have found that a Black with Red Neon brings me more fish in the boat than any "Night Color" I have ever used. Spinnerbaits included. I am firmly convinced they can see the Black with Red Neon better than other colors and that it "matches" well enough to not spook them.

All this can be blown by Chartreuse Spinnerbaits/Crankbaits/Jerkbaits in normal colored water. Well...".Kid they gotta be able to see it". Believe me they can see that color no matter what.

I have fished on days when a small color change meant the difference in getting skunked or catching a bunch. After beginning to catch them I have switched back to the previous colors to see if they might have just started biting or what. No good. I had to go back to the color they wanted.

Now you have my two cents worth. Hope it is of value to someone.

I fished Yesterday in the wind, snow, and cold. I did not catch many but vast majority came on a mottled brown Lion Head Jig with green Pumpkin Chigger Craw. Other Jigs close in color and other Trailers close in color failed me. When I hit on the right combo I caught most of them in the last hour and a half of an almost fishless day. COLOR, size, and retrieve are the keys to the bait you are using.

Thanks a bunch,

Walcrabass

[ozarkgunner]

Nice post. I agree that color can make a heck of a difference on some days. I have boxes full of different colors but matching the bottom is the one rule of thumb I stick with. Color matters but I put it far down the list. Presentation ( right cast) speed, size, then color. The first three are what you need to get bit. The last one (color) is how you get bigger and stronger bites. The experienced fishermen have the first three down to an art so color is all we have left to play with most days.

[Walcrabass]

Ozarkgunner,

I appreciate your experience. You are right about the presentation..... if a lure goes by a fish at a hundred million miles an hour and two feet under it then having the right color won't matter. On the other hand if a lure has the right presentation but the fish can't see it to grab it then it won't matter either. Unless it is something that thumps, pops, or rattles in the water. I am thinking that all those things you mentioned are pretty important. Isn't it interesting how picky they are about things????

[ozarkgunner]

I spent a lot of years in school studying subjects that might better mankind. Now I study a fish with a brain the size of a pea. Makes you think... The senko bite is what kills me. So deadly yet so simple.

[ozarkgunner]

What are you thoughts on scent? I like the power bait trailers as I think the fish hold on longer maybe not more bites but they hold it a bit better.

[Walcrabass]

Ozarkgunner,

My thoughts on scent are as follows:

This is another thing that will fill your live well. Especially with the slower baits like worms, jigs, craws, etc. I definitely believe it makes them hold on longer and better. As a matter of fact I make my own Craw scent and Craw with Fish Scent. There are a lot of times that if you don't know they are there for sure and you don't set the hook they will have put it away for good. I learned about Crawdad scent some 30 plus years ago and did some of my "testing" with it too. I was river fishing back in those days catching a lot of Kentuckies and a few Smallies and Largemouth. We used No.11 Frog chunks and trimmed the fat on the bottom side. We then cut grooves in it at about 1/8 inch spacing. After dousing on the Crawdad Oil we let them set for a few minutes before using them. Brown Jigs made of round rubber or Deer Hair with those No. 11 chunks brought gobs of Bass into the canoe.

I prefer scents made of oil. I put it on the trailers only because eventually it will gum up the skirt material on Jigs. Since Oil is lighter than water it drifts up in the water column to the fish that is looking at the bait. That helps to bring on the bite. I do not like the paste kind because it doesn't spread itself in the water as easily. The oil does not wash off easily as some people think. A small bottle lasts a L---O----N----G time.

My son and I did a test on scents one night at Stockton. We were both fishing with the exact same color, style, and size Jig. He was in the front of the boat running the trolling motor. The fish were not biting well at all. I used Craw Oil on my Jig and he did not. We only caught 13 Bass that night. I caught all 13!!!! He did have one fish on but it rolled off coming to the boat.

Now think about this.... Do Trappers use scents????Do Deer hunters use scents???? Do Hounds follow scents to find what they are after?????Can a Vulture or an Eagle smell rotten fish or meat in the air???? Do they use a chum slick for fish in the ocean?????

I think you know where I stand on the matter of scents now. As a parting note..... you will NEVER find me worm, craw, or Jig fishing without scent on my plastics.

[Skeeter ZX190]

Wow! Thanks for all of the good info. I'm glad I brought the subject up.

How often do you re-apply scent?

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

This is the kind of post I love. Keep it up guys, I'm sure many would rate this as a like, or 5star.