This demands heavier gear. Red, for example, fades out first. I realize colors do matter but to what extent? Any crappie fisherman with any level of experience knows thatpink is a great crappie jig color. Conversely, some colors hold onto their color better under water. September 8, 2022 by Brent Pollock. You can go with a simple crankbait color that loosely imitates what they are eating or choose an ultra-realistic finish like those available from many lure companies. Purple. This is why underwater video at depth has a very green or blue look to it. Tried several different trailers with success. To me, fishing is a passion and a lifestyle. Jig color in crappie fishing is super important to me, stresses Lefebre, who has been chasing crappies for almost four decades. Blue Ice 4. A metallic colored blade bait such as aSteelShad produces enough flash and vibration that a walleye can find it in some of the muddiest of waters. Bright, Clear Days. Color With darker water, there are definitely some go-to colors like gold, bronze, pink, along with bright glow colors like chartreuse, orange, glow white and glow red. Walleyes can see phenomenally well in low light conditions, but they cant see through mud. Gonna last me a month after smallies start ripping them apart during spring ;D. The less visibility you get into you may want to start thinking less about color and think more about sound and sent. As many long time LOW anglers will tell you, use any color on LOW as long as it's gold. Then at a distance of 4 ft. the white and white and chartreuse stand out. Jigs & Accessories; Hinges. They match the size and look at the color. Podcast Dont forget white. Under this situation, I go with translucent hues and clear bodies with sparkle flakes regardless of water color, explains Lefebre. If you're in clean water, the first color to disappear as you get deeper is red, then orange, followed by yellow and green and finally blues and purples. I much prefer cranks with large lips and rattles, as theyll give off so much more vibration and sound, which is perfect for low visibility conditions underwater. When deciding what jig color to tie on a key factor to consider is water clarity. Copyright 1997-2023 The Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide LLC All rights reserved. I then placed the lures at several different depths in stained water. One slight variation in color combination can drastically change your catch rate compared to your buddy sitting right beside you. Spring is usually when the rain or melting snow brings an influx of runoff into the lakes and rivers and creates stained water. I have been an avid angler for over 20 years and I just could not imagine a life without this wonderful hobby! 80% are black or black with an accent color, mostly blue. Some of the best walleye lakes in the North and into Canada have stained water. You crank your favorite square-bill down 5 feet or so into the depths in some stained water with the aid of a speedy 7.5:1-ratio reel. It seems like its even more important when a fishs sight is diminished by the color of the water and they have to rely even more on their lateral line. They help you more so when the sun is out, and when youre fishing water clear enough for light to penetrate. By recognizing the part that colors plays in your jig presentation allows you stock up on a wide selection of colored jig bodies right now for the coming seasonnot just your favorite color! Jigs. Youll want to use a subtle natural color instead of a gaudy looking bait. The thump, thump, thump of a big number 5 or 6 deep-cup Colorado blade can be tough for big walleyes to ignore. Updated February 20th, 2019 at 10:00 AM CT, How To Choose The Right Jig Color For Your Presentation. It's your job to work threw different colors until you get bit. Unlike anglers, crappies dont have a favorite lure color. Instead, it very much replicates the coloration of a bait fish. If you can produce some live bait, minnows are definitely the way to go. Youll notice a few repeats, and thats no mistake. Chartreuse is another color that fades rather quickly underwater, therefore it doesnt look so crazy when viewed beneath the waters surface. The three most significant things to keep in mind are: For highly visual baits like topwaters and jerkbaits, the color selection often comes down to the water clarity and sun conditions. Scientific research has demonstrated that fish have very good color vision and are able to distinguish differences in colors even shades of the same color. Visit our. When fishing dirtier water, its important to recognize if the water is stained or muddy. However, since walleyes can also see white well youll want to add a fluorocarbon or monofilament leader to your braid. Going with bold colors seems to spook them., Anytime Lefebre is in search mode trying to determine exact location of crappies because he has not been on the water for days or is fishing a new lake he ties on a confidence color. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The strong smell combined with the shiny silver scales are desired by LOW walleyes. Some will have gill net surveys available that list caught species of baitfish. Steve spends his time filming and writing about bass fishing. Here are a couple of the best lures for crappie in dirty water. Why These Four Colors Will Work Anywhere It seems to stand out real well, and if you have a bright colored trailer on there like a red crawdad imitation soft plastic. get ready for action infact, i just purchased 5 strike king bleeding bitsy bug jigs today in white. Chartreuse is best paired with white as they complement each other very well. The larger jig head and bigger thump when it hits the bottom are welcomed by walleyes. You can purchase a Color-C-Lector, which is a contraption that tells you what colors are currently most visible in the water youre fishing. Recreational anglers may double their catch rate on what would have been a tough evening. Dark or dirty water & cloudy, overcast days- now you have a choice, you can go very bright or very dark (the latter often confused anglers who think the dark lure will get lost in dark conditions). Muddy water can pose a challenge, and it forces you to begin moving off natural colors and go for bright gaudy colors. So, fish attractants can be a smart way to grab the crappies attention. The key . When it comes to crankbaits and vibration, its good to mix it up until you figure out what the fish want. One of the go-to methods of charter boats on Lake of the Woods is to anchor up and jig right below the boat. x2 In really stained water go to a blue sapphire colored trailer. This is why youll see red crappie fishing line on the store shelves. Some artificial lures come scented, but you can buy a spray or jar of liquid to apply more scent to your lures if they do not. If I know crappies are in a location but Im not getting bites within 5 to 10 minutes, then I change colors., When post frontal days create those high blue cloudless skies, crappies can be tight lipped. If you lose sight within two feet, water is rated Muddy; two to four feet, water is rated Stained; greater than four feet, water is Clear. California 420, road kill, green pumpkin and key lime pie. Green Pumpkin - best and most versatile color. The situation that often comes to mind is when using topwaters on a very bright day. When jigging, walleyes dont seem to be as finicky as in clearer water. Fits both beginners and seasoned anglers. Thankfully, it can be a lot simpler than some make it, and a handful of hues can cover just about every bass fishing situation involving soft plastics and hard baits. Much of the watershed is bog and prime country for creating stained water both in the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods. When fishing muddy rivers, then brown, black, purple and orange seem to work better. He also owns Bass Fishing Life Coffee Co. and a video production business focusing on the outdoors industry. I took the same lures and placed them in the middle of the tank.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'thebassfishinglife_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_7',142,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thebassfishinglife_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Once again, the white and white/chartreuse stood out. Most of the time they'll use a bright-colored line like yellow, green, or orange. Think about those days when the boat traffic riles up the shoreline or the coffee brown water that fills rivers after some torrential rains. Some anglers add scent to their crankbaits. In clear water, use mostly natural colors. Like the reds mentioned above, it can be helpful to choose a color based on the most common forage in your waters. Blue and black is a go-to combination with any stained water. Sunline Assassin FC is a great option for fluorocarbon line to use for swim jigs. So what color is most visible to walleye? Where You Should Use Green Braid. i.e. It is key to also remember that the colors black and white are actually shades, not colors. The swim jig setup must match this hand-to-hand combat type fishing and for this reason, light rods need to stay at home . In any water color you would be safe throwing Black-N-Blue or Black Neon. The best example of white light is daylight. I then placed the lures at several different depths in stained water. Even if I dont go all in with a solid chartreuse jig, Ill often have it somewhere in my setup. Use colors that mimic what crappie are already feeding on. There are two general processes to consider. As a result, selecting the correct bait can sometimes be confusing, especially when picking the right color for the condition. Try not to overwhelm yourself with choosing the right color, as it often isnt the most important part of your presentation. Privacy Statement. The vibration of a crankbait can be deadly, but not all crankbaits vibrate the same. How to Catch More Bass in Muddy Water Conditions. One of the most daunting for many anglers is when the water turns dirty. Makes for a great combo together with the Fenwick spinning rod. Translucent colors work better in clear water, as they look more natural. Tournament anglers may get the extra bite that puts them in the money. Any dummy can catch crappie with minnows, and dummies we were, at least when it came to crappie. Branching away from my top 3, other good colors for crappie are pink, yellow, green, black, red and blue. 19%. "If the water is off-colored from a storm, I find that bright green, orange, or even glow can put more fish in the box. An affordable high-performance spinning reel thats perfect for crappie. Jigs are universally good crappie lures, no matter the water condition or visibility. Simply by looking at the water and lowering a lure down, I determine if the lake is muddy, dingy, algae stained or clear. Of course, thats not all they eat. The Second Round of Underwater Lure Color Experiments. If so, stop and say "hi.". When pulling harnesses, often I pull a 2-ounce bottom bouncer with a harness in 5 feet. On bright, bluebird days lean toward light colors. The first depth was at 2 ft. While white isn't the most exciting fishing lure color, it definitely works. Another excellent choice for clear water soft baits is solid black as it shows up well and looks natural. Eating things having all sorts of colorations is normal for a Crappie. In silty water, yellow and brown are easiest to see. Clear water - white, chrome, blue. Not a specific water temperature but whether the incoming water is warmer or colder than the water in the lake. As the water warms each year, crawfish begin to get more active, and bass are keyed on eating crawfish in shallow water, and that is why red baits are so helpful early in the year. If youre not getting bit on a color you were using earlier in the day, or at a different depth, dont be scared to keep changing until you find one they like. And for jig weights I will go with a 1/4-1/2 oz through process of elimination. Why Lure Color is Still Important in Dirty Water Conditions. Worm Color. Powder-coated jig head Must-have colors: black or brown Pros Simple, streamlined design with natural body flow in the water Durableone jig can last 30 or more fish Can shorten tail to any size with scissorsand still retain natural action Cons Jeff's Jigs is a popular, boutique jig tier, so orders can take a few weeks to fill
best jig color for stained water