Red Baits In Spring?

[Rangerphil]

Ok so let's hear from you guys, why does red work so well in the spring? Down on Kerr lake a red rattle trap won a BFL few years back. Also, a lake I fish if you don't throw a bandit in the mistake color you better go home! I see pros using red down south in the spring also, so why? Is it crawfish? Love to hear what you guys think!

[Darren.]

Curious, I'm not so sure that's the case here where I fish in VA. Although red is a solid color and produces. However, I did catch bass in the winter on a red rattle trap.... hmmm.

[ripinthem]

When the water warms the craws have been buried deep in the mud, come out and play. Depending on the soils they inhabit, they can be really red.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

Ive heard a couple people say this but this is my gonna be my first spring/spawn so I don't really have any first hand expierience with it.  But I do have a couple red cranks and a red spinnerbait.  You can bet Im gonna try them out and see what happens.

[Teal]

Red and orange craw patter cranks and jigs are productive in the spring. I think it has more to do with the large amount of run off from heavy spring rains, that stain and muddy up the water.

[Bluebasser86]

I believe it's because the craws have been hidden most of the winter and they're full of proteins needed to help eggs develop. I do well on red cranks all year long really though. Maybe it has something to do with few people fishing red baits the rest of the year so it's a color they don't see a lot of the year.

[papajoe222]

Early spring is about the only time that color plays and important part in my decision of what to throw.  Around here, an orange belly on a crank will out produce most any color.  I even color the underside of a white spinnerbait's skirt and head orange.  Can't figure out why as the crawfish are still burried when I start catching anything after ice-out.  I don't really care why as long as it produces. ;-)

[Sam]

Red with an orange base.

 

Lipless like a Rat-L-Trap or other lipless crankbait.

 

1/4 or 1/2 ounce sizes.

 

Mimics a crawfish.

[Sam]

Early spring is about the only time that color plays and important part in my decision of what to throw.  Around here, an orange belly on a crank will out produce most any color.  I even color the underside of a white spinnerbait's skirt and head orange.  Can't figure out why as the crawfish are still burried when I start catching anything after ice-out.  I don't really care why as long as it produces. ;-)

 

As Papa said, orange belly.

 

Do you guys know that the pros will use an orange marker or orange Hard As Nails nailpolish (or the orange of your choice from another company) and add orange to the bottom of their baits?

 

Let the orange polish totally dry and then cover it with the clear Hard as Nails.

 

Another secret the pros do their their baits that they don't easily share with us.

[papajoe222]

As Papa said, orange belly.

 

Do you guys know that the pros will use an orange marker or orange Hard As Nails nailpolish (or the orange of your choice from another company) and add orange to the bottom of their baits?

 

Let the orange polish totally dry and then cover it with the clear Hard as Nails.

 

Another secret the pros do their their baits that they don't easily share with us.

Sometimes they share info and sometimes we just don't listen.

[Rangerphil]

I agree it has something to do with crawfish. As far as muddy water I have even caught them in clear water with red. Might have to look up some info on a crawfish life cycle. Is there any correlation between the color red and maybe bluegill?

[Maico1]

I agree it has something to do with crawfish. As far as muddy water I have even caught them in clear water with red. Might have to look up some info on a crawfish life cycle. Is there any correlation between the color red and maybe bluegill?

Here is a good read....http://www.bassmaster.com/understanding-bass-forage-crawfish

 

They work in the Fall as well......one of my favorites is the LV- 500 Max in Aurora Craw. Here is a link for color only:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LUCKY-CRAFT-LV-500-Max-Aurora-Craw-/370323009674

[Blue Streak]

I think it is productive in waters where the craws come out of the mud looking red. And that is usually in the southern states or places with red dirt. I have not heard that red is such a great color in the spring in northern states. Be interested to see if I am wrong about that.

[eyedabassman]

On the lakes that i guide on I always look for crawfish when I get to the lake.It is called molting when a crawfish sheds its skin.In the spring when they can be red I am not sure it is from molting but i would think so.From spring to late fall the crawfish can molt many times and the crawfish will shed there skin and be a different color as the season goes on.In my lakes they can be a redish in the spring and by mid summer be green with a redish orange to a gray color.And in some lakes they can change to brown/blue. There are a ton of different crawfish out there and every lake can be different,just turn some rocks over before you go out and match the the hatch. I have gone out on Delavan lake in summer and did my check and the crawfish were like a gray color and then a week later they were green/orange.I think they molt up six times give or take.

[craww]

One other thing Ive noticed on half a dozen occasions in late winter/early spring are Newts/salamanders meandering around in water with temps in the low 40's. I don't know much about the science of how these coldblooded critters are active, but Ive found a Cherry seed worm is a perfect mimic to their crimson color. Ive had some AMAZING days on the Gulp turtleback worm (yes Gulp), and am convinced the early season bass key on them these animals in certain ponds I frequent.

[Rangerphil]

Maico very good read thanks for that! The little bit of research I did this morning suggests that the bottom color will have alot to do with the crawfish color, but also what I found is that sunlight exposure will also turn them red! So maybe it is a combination of the red dirt bottom along with the molting process, and the amount of sunlight they are exposed to once the water begins to warm. Thanks for all the replies!

[Sam]

On the lakes that i guide on I always look for crawfish when I get to the lake.It is called molting when a crawfish sheds its skin.In the spring when they can be red I am not sure it is from molting but i would think so.From spring to late fall the crawfish can molt many times and the crawfish will shed there skin and be a different color as the season goes on.In my lakes they can be a redish in the spring and by mid summer be green with a redish orange to a gray color.And in some lakes they can change to brown/blue. There are a ton of different crawfish out there and every lake can be different,just turn some rocks over before you go out and match the the hatch. I have gone out on Delavan lake in summer and did my check and the crawfish were like a gray color and then a week later they were green/orange.I think they molt up six times give or take.

 

Eyeda,

 

According to the Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries Department there are over 400 species of crawfish in North America.

 

The best ones are cooked with onions, corn and cajun seasoning and served hot.

[ww2farmer]

For YEARS a red craw lipless crank bait was my go-to color in that type of bait. Worked well in all water clarities, then every one started using them, and the last few years I have been doing better with more natural colors. I still throw the red ones, and still catch fish on them, but not like I used to.

[je1946]

When the water temps hit 50 degrees, I've always got a Lucky Craft LV500 in spring craw rigged on one of my rods, don't know what it is but more times than not it produces.

[eyedabassman]

Eyeda,

 

According to the Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries Department there are over 400 species of crawfish in North America.

 

The best ones are cooked with onions, corn and cajun seasoning and served hot.

It all sounds good! But I have never ate a crawfish! But it sounds good with onions but cool it on the hot stuff! LOL