High producing Jig colors for midwest??

[1099gl]

Hi guys. I am on a high school budget with a millionaire mindset like most of us, (except im actually in high school). Anyways to the point. I am looking for a few jig colors that work the best or are the "staple" colors. I know black and blue and I think craw colors but there are so many choices and I need some help picking which will work best for my area. I fish Missouri and Illinois. Mostly small lakes when im fishing from the jon, and ponds from the bank. Mostly clear to heavy stained water. 

 

Thanks!

[jr231]

Colors that's have worked in every season for me are earth tones. 

 

Greens , browns and blacks. 

 

Purple too. 

[chubaka]

Like you mentioned above, black and blue, and also PBJ

[fishballer06]

I try not to get too crazy with jig colors and over complicating things. 

 

Bottom contact jigs:

Green Pumpkin

Black/Blue

Natural brown with red/orange/purple highlights

 

Swim jigs:

Bluegill

Black/Blue

White

[Catt]

[MichiganBass80]

Black and Blue, Greens, and anything with Brown.

[Siebert Outdoors]

I am also from MO.

 

Best ones for me are Black Blue, Bama craw and PBJ.

[Paul Roberts]

I use two in my bluegill-based waters: black for dark days and dingy water, and "pumpkin"/olive for bright high vis conditions. If I had shad I'd probably add a pearl-ish kind of thing in my swim jigs. That kind of does it for me.

 

Oh yeah, and like some and unlike others , I like a matching trailer.

[WRB]

Jig colors that represent the basic crawdads where you fish work wherever you are located. Try catching some crawdads in the lakes you fish, good learning experience.

Welcome to bass fishing young man.

It's where and how you fish your jigs that counts!

Tom

[Turkey sandwich]

really good advice on here.  Black/blue combos along with green and brown (sometimes a little orange) will go really, really far. I also like Dip'n'Dye to add accents to claws/tails without having to buy more colors.  This will cover most of your crayfish/madtom/sculpin/etc patterns.  Also, most bodies of water will have several species of crayfish in different sizes and color patterns.  I've found it best, generally, to match colors to the conditions with the basics than trying to match all of the crazy specifics of crayfish color.  

 

The only time I really use a wider variety of colors is when I'm trying to imitate baitfish with a swim jig. 

[kickerfish1]

For your clear to stained waters I find it hard to beat a green pumpkin or watermelon. Sometimes a variation that features one of the above colors plus a secondary accent color... for example like Okeechobee craw, bamabug, or something with a touch of orange or chartreuse. 

[scaleface]

If  your fishing lakes to the north of you with a lot of color like Twain , black/chartreuse gets a lot of bites .

[Bluebasser86]

If I could have black and blue and Missouri Craw or similar, I'll catch them if they're eating a jig.

[Jacob Phelps]

Green pumpkin and black and blue will catch almost anywhere you go. I personally prefer green pumpkin to any other color.. 

[Munkin]

21 hours ago, WRB said:

Jig colors that represent the basic crawdads where you fish work wherever you are located. Try catching some crawdads in the lakes you fish, good learning experience.

Welcome to bass fishing young man.

It's where and how you fish your jigs that counts!

Tom

 

Great advice above.

 

I spent several months in MO for the Army and was able to fish a lot. Finesse style jigs like an Eakins in Green pumkin, black, and PB&J worked the best. Looking at the local craws like Tom suggested is how I came to start using PB&J. In both the Big Piney and Meramec the crayfish were brown with a purple hue. The craws here in Maryland are the same color brown but no hue.

 

Allen

[n2fish]

On a high school budget, keep it simple.  Have brown jigs and black jigs, then use the trailer to add the color.  Its very easy to over think it because there are a bunch of "pretty" colors to choose from.  

[everythingthatswims]

Black/Blue, Green/Brown. All you really need ANYWHERE! You can get specific with colors but you're pretty much going to be using some variation of those.

[Mr Swim Jig]

Black and Blue

PB&J

Brown and Orange

 

Should cover pretty much everything, just remember with jigs to KEEP IT SIMPLE!!

[CTBassin860]

[papajoe222]

K.I.S.S. Pick an earth tone and adjust the color of trailer. One jig and a few bags of trailers will put you out maybe $10. Go with a light, med. and dark trailer and pick a jig that can be used in different types of cover for the most versatility.

[Airman4754]

Craw, green pumpkin, PB&J, and black&blue will everywhere in the universe.

 

Even if you go bass fishing in the Crab Nebula those four colors will work.

 

They will even work in Canada.

[5fishlimit]

Junebug is a great color, too!

[fishingfuji]

The basic two that I use black and blue, brown and green

[Munkin]

This is my #1 producing jig period and I started using them when I was in MO. It is a 5/16oz with a 4/0 Mustad 32798 hook and Zoom Super Chunk Jr. all in green pumkin. I have caught fish in 5 states and all different water clarities using it.

 

Allen