Jitterbug Colors

[.dsaavedra.]

ive heard that black is the best color for a jitterbug. what are yalls opinions on this? i went to walmart to get a black one but all they had was "coachdog" which is black back, white belley, and black stripes vertically on the sides. should i paint it solid black? i plan to fish this lure in the mornings, evenings, and maybe at night.

[GeorgiaBassman]

black is the best topwater color imo b/c it silhoettes(sp) very well.

[WhiteMike1018]

People say black is the best color for a Jitterbug because the jitterbug is a great nightime lure that makes a lot of noise and sound. And  it is said that bass see black the best at night due to its silhoute against the moon.

Black is a great color but I have done well with frog and coach dog as well.

I don't believe color is the most important factor. I believe if you find the fish and present the bait correctly, color is irrelevant, unless they are keying on a certain type of forage.

-WM

[CyBasser]

During the daytime (including up to about 15 minutes before sunrise or after sunset) it seems that all jitterbug colors work, though the most succesful for me has been the solid yellow. During nighttime hours though the solid black has worked best for me by far, especially regarding the size of the bass. Of course it might be a confidence thing, for I tend to throw the black more than the other colors...

[snakesandarrows]

I used to use jitterbugs a lot-until I discovered a crazy crawler.  If you are looking for a hot topwater bait for night fishing, check out the #24 (black frog) crazy crawler-the dull-white belly actually glows in the dark if you shine a light on it for about 15 seconds.

One of my favorite ultralite lures is a frog or perch colored jitterbug.  I agree with the last post, however; if the bait is introduced correctly, color is secondary, unless you are fishing extremely clear water under bright light conditions.

[.dsaavedra.]

ok ill fish w/ the coach dog for a little more before i decide to paint it.

[BassFishingMachine]

I use the black at night and either the frog color during the day or what I think is called the Bluegill color.

[Munkin]

They all work for me.

Allen

[The Next KVD]

Living in Minnesota, we get a HUGE junebug crusade every May/June.  I custom paint my Jitterbugs into the plastic worm color Junebug.  This kills bass in the early morning hours. Once it gets pitch black however I switch to a straight black.

[.dsaavedra.]

Living in Minnesota, we get a HUGE junebug crusade every May/June. I custom paint my Jitterbugs into the plastic worm color Junebug. This kills bass in the early morning hours. Once it gets pitch black however I switch to a straight black.

how do you custom paint them? i'd like to know cuz im gonna paint mine all black. my idea was gonna be to take like some black nail polish and paint that then coat it in a couple coats of that clear hardner nail polish. how do you do it? maybe ill do black w/ chartruse polka dots for fun ;D...idk if my mom or sister has chart. nailpolish tho... :-/

[Taliesin]

I don't believe color is the most important factor. I believe if you find the fish and present the bait correctly, color is irrelevant, unless they are keying on a certain type of forage.

-WM

I have to agree here. In the lake I usually fish white is almost always the best topwater color since everything is feeding on shad.

[BucketmouthAngler13]

In murky water, a black lure stands out best on the top. During the night the same is true. All my homemade topwater plugs are painted mostly black, IMHO you cant go wrong with it.

[The Next KVD]

The most common way to paint lures is using airbrush but i when I'm painting the entire bait a solid color basic spray paint has always done the trick for me.  Make sure u remove the hooks and tape any diving lips or in this case the metal face to make sure the paint doesn't get on it. After spraying the bait i use a hair dryer to quick dry the bait.  Finally I put on a 2 coats of clear spray paint or if u want a very durable paint job use an epoxy and let it dry for atleast 24 hours by hanging it on a rotisery.  Then put the hooks back on, pull the tape off and go fishing. the guyz in the tacklemaking section really know their stuff if u need help. Also www.tackleunderground.com is a website that is completly devoted to making custom baits that u might want to check out if u get intrested.

[The Next KVD]

One thing I forgot to tell u is always use a white base/primer first before putting on ur other colors.  Adding glitter to ur epoxy topcoat or clearcoat really makes the baits look neat.

[.dsaavedra.]

yeah im a member of TU. but i dont have an airbrush. i think ill use nailpolish. and also the hooks on jitterbugs dont come off.