cjam93 Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 Hey guys so later this year I am taking a trip to a lake that is very clear. You can see in some places 10-15 feet down. This is very clear to me because the places I usually fish you are lucky to have a day where you can see close to 3 feet. So my questions are, when it comes to plastics what colors should I try? I have no experience with water like this so I feel like I am back to square one. Also, there are both smallmouth and largemouth in this lake. I have never caught a smallmouth before so that is what I want to target the most. I have heard before that smallmouth like something flashier than largemouth usually want. Is that true? What are some colors I could take and have a chance of catching both? Also if it matters I plan to fish docks a lot, but I will also pull out some and try to dropshot for deeper fish. Thanks guys! Quote
Super User ww2farmer Posted March 4, 2015 Super User Posted March 4, 2015 Sounds about like most WNY water, until the algae blooms, summer boat traffic, or rain colors it up. Green pumpkins, watermelons, browns, and black have always worked well for me in clear water. With or without your choice of colored flake. I tend to lean heavily on green pumpkin, it's the swiss army knife of soft plastic colors, works, and works everywhere. Clear or dirty water. Bluegills are a big part of the forage base around here, and green pumpkin with a little purple flake in it is an all time favorite of mine. 6 Quote
Bruce424 Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 Green pumpkin. Green pumpkin blue flake. Watermelonseed. With Watermelon light shines through it better than green pumpkin. Its more natural. Watermelon or green pumpkin orange flake and purple flake work great in clear water too. Just my opinions Quote
Mass Bassin' Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 Green pumpkin, Green pumpkin blue flake, Watermelon red flk, ect. for smallmouth I sometimes like to throw a lighter color like white but that's just me Quote
Super User smalljaw67 Posted March 4, 2015 Super User Posted March 4, 2015 WW2farmer nailed it for you, I'd look at smoke colors too like plain smoke and smoke purple, if you go for smallmouth use green pumpkin tubes and smoke purple tubes and target rocky points in the spring and main lake humps and deep rock flats during summer. 2 Quote
ColdSVT Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 What farmer said! When i hit the finger lakes its green pumkin of some variation for me! Quote
BassObsessed Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 It sounds like one of the private lakes I fish locally. 25 ft deep and you can see down 10-15ft in some areas. I have had the best luck using a black/blue or junebug color worm. Actually I havent fished anywhere yet that a junebug or black/blue worm wouldn't take a few bass. 1 Quote
lecisnith Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 Green pumpkin. Watermelon. Tubes tubes tubes. Quote
Super User everythingthatswims Posted March 4, 2015 Super User Posted March 4, 2015 Purple smoke drop shot of some sort would be my choice. As long as it's natural it should work though. A big swimbait can be deadly in that clarity Quote
aceman387 Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 It sounds like one of the private lakes I fish locally. 25 ft deep and you can see down 10-15ft in some areas. I have had the best luck using a black/blue or junebug color worm. Actually I havent fished anywhere yet that a junebug or black/blue worm wouldn't take a few bass. I fish similar water like that (strip pits) and two of my favorites are a black & blue jig and and a blue fleck colored berkley power worm. Quote
Will Wetline Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 My home water has the same degree of clarity and beside what's mentioned above, I do very well with a cinnamon w/black flake, specifically GYCB #176 in a 5" Hula Grub. Quote
Super User Dwight Hottle Posted March 4, 2015 Super User Posted March 4, 2015 I know you asked about plastics but if you really want to target smallies I would be throwing some jerkbaits. With water clarity like that you could clean up. 1 Quote
cjam93 Posted March 5, 2015 Author Posted March 5, 2015 Thanks guys for all the suggestions! I am planning on using jerkbaits as well! For the people that suggested tubes, how would you rig and fish them? Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted March 5, 2015 Global Moderator Posted March 5, 2015 Watermelon red magic and watermelon purple flake are my 2 favorite colors in really clear water when it's sunny. If it's cloudy or low light I'll go with green pumpkin or green pumpkin red flake. Dip the tail in a little chartreuse JJ's Magic if you're fish for smallies, they can't stand that stuff. 1 Quote
primetime Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 I tend to follow the above only I would maybe try a motor oil Red flake if gp red flake is not working but rarely does a watermelon or green pumpkin not work...I used to always match the water color with the main worm tone when I fished a lot of clear water and that meant a lot of smoke and blacks & motor oil, then I would maybe go for smoke purple or smoke chart like mentioned above depending on sunlight, depth etc. I used to like clear water where I could find craws at the ramp or get a good look at what they were feeding on, if you can get a craw hatch color down like when they are more orange or have some blue or brown, that can really help, if sandy bottom Houdini has been my color lately and it has some gold flake for flash so it is good and subtle. I have always believed line color and diameter is the most important factor in clear water as well as sound, noise on boat or shore, splashing, but most off all, the right size and color hook, and NO extra hardware especially if using say a drop shot. I like the swivel hooks for ease and feel better with my knots but clear water with 10lb test could mean only a few fish, when the exact same line in 6lb or 8lb could increase your action big time. Line color is personal preference, I try to keep it simple and stick with clear but another color that people are always raving about in clear water is morning dawn, I have not used it all that much but it would make sense in clear water as a translucent since clears are alway's a must try so break out the salt and pepper as well....clear water is tricky but when you get it figured out and dialed in, you feel great, until something changes and it starts all over..I don't miss super clear water, but it makes you a better angler for sure. Good luck, if you think something will work, try it, pink could work, we all follow theories that seem to work but some days a weird color will work, red hooks are always worth trying, I am hooked on adding red to jerkbaits and cranks lately and it seems to work or I believe it does, so that is all that matters. Quote
mrmacwvu1 Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 In my experience, if you want to catch smallmouth fish where the largemouth are not. I find that they usually do not occupy the same space. As far as colors go smoke purple tubes work great for me. Jerkbait I love pointers in the ms American shad 1 Quote
primetime Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 Sometimes Smallmouth want chartreuse or orange something like a firetiger, but all advice is right on, when in doubt throw green pumpkin and if nothing, maybe go to a brown or white jig or plastic. I like fishing tubes and like the IKA, but love the Hydra by Damiki, although GYB will have colors that will be perfect and local bait shop will stock the "Magic colors" even if they are not magic, having what you know everyone uses on a lake and trusts gives you confidence and that matters most. I never tried the IKA's backwards but guys say it's a great way to fish them on here, I just have had success regular and have not switched it up but love the weight of the tubes being solid. The KVD dream shot is a killer bait as well for smallies and clear water bass in general. All colors in SK Rage line up are good, they only put out what people use or it seems. Quote
lecisnith Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 quote name="cjam93" post="1717443" timestamp="1425522827"] Thanks guys for all the suggestions! I am planning on using jerkbaits as well! For the people that suggested tubes, how would you rig and fish them? Quote
lecisnith Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/rig-tube-bait.html Quote
Super User Crestliner2008 Posted March 5, 2015 Super User Posted March 5, 2015 Can't remember the last time I got "stuck" on any given color under any given circumstance. Fish can turn on/turn off to a color quite rapidly during the course of a day on the water. I try one, then another and so forth. As long as I know I'm over fish that is. Try drop shotting a 4" Roboworm in various colors. They will take one. 1 Quote
cjam93 Posted March 6, 2015 Author Posted March 6, 2015 This is all very helpful guys thanks so much! Quote
Super User WRB Posted March 6, 2015 Super User Posted March 6, 2015 You should be more concerned locating the bass before being concerned about what color soft plastics to use. What month and approximately where is this clear water lake? Tom Quote
cjam93 Posted March 7, 2015 Author Posted March 7, 2015 I will be there in May, and it is Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia Quote
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