How have you simplified soft plastic choice?

[Angry John]

Spend a ton of time on the water but not near the years a lot of guys here have.  My main issue is i move all the time and the colors that are good change a lot.  Here in TN the green pumpkin and black blue work just as good as anything.  In washington state it was watermelon red and that was a hot color in Connecticut. How many bags of plastics did it take me to figure out the right color, more than it should have based on the big box of plastics in the garage.  Currently my colors of choice are, california 420, PBJ, and black blue.  If i could trade everything for those plastics colors i would be set.  Then again when i move back to georgia in a year  what is the right color there????  Thank GOD i have realized that colors are not critical and i don't need them all despite what they try and sell me.  One tip if your hung up on color is to get some dip, and add color that way to a few basic colors.

[Munkin]

Years ago I had been wrecking fish on 6" Zoom lizards so I stocked up. One day I picked up my BPS bag and the strap broke. When I got home I had over 30 plus bags of 6" Zoom lizards along with everything else I was carrying. Now I limit myself to 5 colors per type of bait and one wildcard. This has cut me tackle I carry by half and has improved my fishing. Now I concentrate more on finding the fish versus which color I should use.

 

Allen

[MIbassyaker]

I don't feel the need anymore to stock up on lots of colors, although if I'm buying multiple packs of something because I want a lot of bodies, I'll get a few different colors "for fun".  I mostly only buy colors with the words "pumpkin", "watermelon", or "grass" in the name given the choice, and don't care much which it is.  But if I see a pack of something I really want, and they don't have a color I'm looking for, I'll just get it anyway.

 

Is that "simplifed?" Sure doesn't feel like it -- at this point, I could probably stop buying plastics completely and still reach the end of my life before using up what I have accumulated so far. And I'm not even that old. 

 

 

[Derek1]

I’m not there yet I just started collecting plastics this spring. When I switched to the backpack I ended up with four 3600 series full and about 30 bags left over. I can’t beleive it was all in the tackle box. I’m starting to realize that almost everything is caught on some version of watermelon or ozark smoke. In several shapes and sizes and flukes and paddle tails oh my. If this happened to me in a few months I could imagine you guys that have been at it for years. 

[papajoe222]

With me, it's been a chore to pare down my selection of styles of plastics more than colors.  I stick to basically four colors. Between tubes, ribbon tail worms, straight and paddle tail worms, jig trailers, beaver/creature baits, swim,baits,  lizzards and grubs, not to mention different sizes, my dilemma is choosing what other two (bisides jig trailers) to take on any given outing. I usually end up with four, sometimes five.

[Glaucus]

I stick to a few proven brands and a few proven sizes in a few proven colors. Doesn't get any simpler. 

[evo2s197]

I had the bait monkey problem really bad, to where I had every color made for every type of plastic bait.

 

Then I got one of those waterproof field note pads and started keeping a log of every fishing outing writing down the baits and colors that I caught a fish on, along with date, time of day, location, weather and so on.

 

You would be surprised how much more streamlined your tackle will become.

 

For instance, plain brown and  plain black jigs is all I carry and 4 different colors of trailers for them.

 

And for plastic worms I have two colors, for ribbon tails and two for straight tails.

I'll accent with dye.

 

This pattern continues on for other soft plastics I have also.

 

I do have a finesse set of plastics with the morning dawn colors and other funky colors, but those baits are mostly drop shots and trick worms, were talking maybe 5 to 6 packages of different types of finesse plastics for when the situation calls.

 

You cant possibly cover every scenario.

 

But the log as been hugely successful in catch rates and reducing my tackle purchase urges. Now I have more money to spend on more NRX rods, but that's another story ?

 

 

[Spankey]

20 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

How long do you throw a given bait/color combination on a given day before you can say it's not what the fish want on that day?

 

How many days does a bait have to fail to catch fish before you decide it doesn't deserve a permanent place in your tackle box?

I have 4" Power Worms, Kanami and 4.5 RoboWorms both curly & straight tails and I've caught fish on them all. But some colors certainly produce better than others.

 

The lesser producing colors are great to have in my possession when I'm out to throw as a change up color. The change up works a lot of times.  

 

My soft plastics I store in containers. Only that certain plastic will be in there. Zoom lizards will not be mixed with Power Lizards, 4" Power Worms would not be with 7" Power Worms etc. Easy to find what I want and what color I prefer. I believe color means something but not everything. But I have certain colors I have no confidence in at all. No sense in ever throwing them they are watermelon, bubble gum, yellow or orange type worm. 

 

 

[thinkingredneck]

I am a big Zoom fan, Yum fan, Rage Tail fan, etc.  Last count I had 12 colors of Trickworm.   I caught 90% of my fish this year on Junebug or Candybug.  Last week we had an epic day on yearling bass and they liked bright colors, especially  fire tail in a hook tail  Luck E Strike.  Go figure.  It was fun.  A fish on almost every cast.  Would not touch my crank baits or spinners.

 

I was on a boat instead of a kayak so I took a large boat bag.  On the kayak I only take three 3600 boxes, one for top, one middle and one bottom, unless I am in an experimental phase, trying something new.  A kayak teaches you to simplify by necessity.

 

On days when I have a limited amount of time, I will take a pack of Junebug and a bag of Candy bug Trickworms, some 3/16 & 1/4 bullet weights, and some hooks.  Seems like I do just as well.

[Catt]

22 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

How long do you throw a given bait/color combination on a given day before you can say it's not what the fish want on that day?

 

How many days does a bait have to fail to catch fish before you decide it doesn't deserve a permanent place in your tackle box?

 

As to how long, it's gut instinct!

That's like asking how long ya give a "spot" before moving. You don't know if decision was correct or not until you try it.

 

To the second point, from my personal experiences with Green Pumpkin.

 

How has that color been on the market?

 

I've caught maybe a dozen bass during that time frame on green pumpkin. Green Pumpkin can no longer be found in my tackle box.

[Tennessee Boy]

19 minutes ago, Catt said:

As to how long, it's gut instinct!

That's like asking how long ya give a "spot" before moving. You don't know if decision was correct or not until you try it.

 

To the second point, from my personal experiences with Green Pumpkin.

 

How has that color been on the market?

 

I've caught maybe a dozen bass during that time frame on green pumpkin. Green Pumpkin can no longer be found in my tackle box.

Yeah,  I think most of us go on gut instinct.  I'm not sure that's always a good thing.  Do we really give much thought to how we evaluate something new?

 

Let's say your fishing trick worms.  I've found myself do this.  I'll start with my favorite color,  if that doesn't work I'll try some of my other favorites.  If none of my favorites are working I might give that new color I just bought a try. 

 

If you're not careful you end up only fishing a new color trick worm when the fish aren't hitting trick worms.  That's no way to evaluate a new color or anything else new.

[fishwizzard]

This past year I gave away about 75% of my plastics.  I kept around my favorites of each “category” of plastics in three-ish colors, a dark, a natural, and a bright.  I still have too many plastics but it was a good start.  My new “plan” is to start fishing different plastics head-to-head to see what one I want to stock.  Like, right now its Roboworm 6” worms vs Zoom Swamp Crawlers.  For the presentations I use them for they will both work so I just need to pick one over the other. 

[Spankey]

15 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

This past year I gave away about 75% of my plastics.  I kept around my favorites of each “category” of plastics in three-ish colors, a dark, a natural, and a bright.  I still have too many plastics but it was a good start.  My new “plan” is to start fishing different plastics head-to-head to see what one I want to stock.  Like, right now its Roboworm 6” worms vs Zoom Swamp Crawlers.  For the presentations I use them for they will both work so I just need to pick one over the other. 

I don't mind having the variety of colors. Over the years I've mostly stuck to a certain mfg. for what I've been fishing. My cut tail worms for the most part are Kanami, Paddle tails would be Case, 4" & 7" curly tail are Power Worms, Straight tail finesse/drop shot Robo worm. I do have a few strays of BPS or Cabela's or whoever branded stuff but not much. 

[evilcatfish]

I've yet to truly simplify my plastic selection, but roboworms, tubes, old monsters, hazedongs, and sweet beavers cover 99% of my soft bait needs. And despite having several colors of each, I could throw out all but 2-3 of each and be set. 

 

*this doesn't include swimbaits though

[blckshirt98]

I used to get a hodgepodge of brands/models/colors of plastics but nowadays I have about a dozen I know will always catch fish in the local reservoirs and is what I bring/use most of the time.  I'll bring a couple of packs of "oddball" baits because it feels good to mix them up and get a bite on a bait you normally don't use.

[Spankey]

20 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Started out throwing Watermelon Seed, went to Watermelon Neon it got better, switched to Watermelon Slice get even better.

 

The hot color right now is South African Special; black with red & purple metal flake.

 

I can't do much watermelon and I know it is in my head. Can't shake it out. 

 

But that South African color is on my to do list, I've been eye balling that color up for awhile. I do well with things similar and have no doubts about it. I'll get it on my next order. Some worm version.  Thanks for the reminder. Another black Thats been working good is "yoga pants" a flatter black that has a marble to it. That is how I see it. 

[TOXIC]

I'll admit I have a lot of Yamamoto because that is the only plastic I throw.  How I decide on what colors is through reading different forums and from personal experience as well as those around me experience.  Then I field test them.  I can tell you out of 20 guys I know that fish the Potomac, there are at least 15 different "favorite" colors between them.  And every single one of them will claim that their favorite catches them the most fish.  What does that say???  C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.C.E.  I am a firm believer in confidence.  I've said it before, I was told by Gary Klein when we were working a show together one time...... "I don't know that confidence helps you catch fish but I do know that if you have no confidence in a bait, you won't catch fish"  I always remembered that.  

By the way....this is how my Yamamoto orders come in, so I have quite a few colors to try at any given time.  

 

[budgetbassin]

I mainly fish the following plastics in variants of junebug, watermelon, and green pumpkin.

 

Zoom Super Fluke

Zoom Trick Worm

Yum Dinger

Big Bite Baits Trick Stick

[Catt]

2 hours ago, Spankey said:

I can't do much watermelon and I know it is in my head. Can't shake it out. 

 

But that South African color is on my to do list, I've been eye balling that color up for awhile. I do well with things similar and have no doubts about it. I'll get it on my next order. Some worm version.  Thanks for the reminder. Another black Thats been working good is "yoga pants" a flatter black that has a marble to it. That is how I see it. 

 

I'm catching em in shallow water marshes on Ultravibe Speed Craw in South Africa Special, got some in Ol' Monster & did well on Toledo.

 

Oh! I have my hand full of favorites but there's always times ya gotta make adjustments.

 

Late winter on Toledo Bend, water temperatures in the low 40s, high off colored water due to runoff, frontal conditions leaves most anglers scratching their heads.

 

I tie on a 1/0 straight shank round bend hook, Zoom's Trick Worm in Merthiolate, stick the hook through the egg sack like ya supposed to & proceed to kick bass.

[Mobasser]

8 hours ago, Catt said:

 

As to how long, it's gut instinct!

That's like asking how long ya give a "spot" before moving. You don't know if decision was correct or not until you try it.

 

To the second point, from my personal experiences with Green Pumpkin.

 

How has that color been on the market?

 

I've caught maybe a dozen bass during that time frame on green pumpkin. Green Pumpkin can no longer be found in my tackle box.

Agree! Green pumpkin is a gone for me too. I've given it a fair shot and it hasn't been good at all. Also, it's always good to try a totally new color which may not be in your favorites. You never know. It could become your best color next week.

[Cgolf]

5 hours ago, TOXIC said:

I'll admit I have a lot of Yamamoto because that is the only plastic I throw.  How I decide on what colors is through reading different forums and from personal experience as well as those around me experience.  Then I field test them.  I can tell you out of 20 guys I know that fish the Potomac, there are at least 15 different "favorite" colors between them.  And every single one of them will claim that their favorite catches them the most fish.  What does that say???  C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.C.E.  I am a firm believer in confidence.  I've said it before, I was told by Gary Klein when we were working a show together one time...... "I don't know that confidence helps you catch fish but I do know that if you have no confidence in a bait, you won't catch fish"  I always remembered that.  

By the way....this is how my Yamamoto orders come in, so I have quite a few colors to try at any given time.  

 

 

I agree with you when fishing off color waters like rivers and most lakes. On the river I fish I have over 10 years worth of data on colors and baits that caught smallies. While many colors caught em it seems that black with red or blue flake, green pumpkin Texas red (yum crawbug color), and watermelon and some flake account for the most fish. Overall though the fish aren’t that picky. Bait style on the river, well maybe. Crawbug and craw imitators lead the way with stickbaits Ned rigged in a ways back in second followed by grubs and tubes. 

 

Where I disagree in confidence is in semi clear water where you can see a lure on bottom on a calm day in 10 to 15 feet of water. On this lake I am supremely confident in water red, smoke red, smoke purple, and bluegill (smoke with blue and gold flake). What took me a few years to figure out was why at different times either a smoke and some color bait got bit while the water red couldn’t draw a strike. The reverse also happened. Ultimately it was a match the hatch thing with how the prey looked in varying light conditions. 

 

This year drove home the point of trying colors even when the bite is good, because the hard candy produced much better than motor red and KVD Magic. As I said in a previous post I wasn’t thrilled about the color , zero confidence, because it looked different in person than all the images on line, but quickly gained confidence in it when they were jumping on it. 

 

The bummer for me with this being a vacation lake I always have to carry a wide variety of colors because it can change day to day or even during the day. Drives my wife crazy because my tackle takes over the cabin;)

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

On 9/5/2018 at 4:04 PM, roadwarrior said:

I use to be of the opinion that color did not matter and I still think it is not

the most important variable, but...

 

A few years ago I had the pleasure of discussing this topic with Big O.

To paraphrase: "Let's say you are doing pretty well with a particular bait

and color. Maybe you would do better with another color. When fishing

is hot, that is EXACTLY the time to try something different."

 

 

Even then, though it's anecdotal evidence. There can be correlation without causation and no way to tell what would or wouldn't happen if you made other choices. Used to drive myself (and fishing buddies) nuts changing baits and colors. As of now I'm with you, it can matter but it's way at the bottom of the list and I keep my choices limited. For plastics: black/blue, white/pearl, green pumpkin, red watermelon. 

[MichaelCopeland]

I use Strike King Rage Craws, Rage Bugs, Ochos and Rage Swimmers. Zoom Ol' Monsters, 6" lizards, trick worms and Z Craws. Roboworms and Yum Dingers. Colors are green pumpkin, green pumpkin magic, black/blue flake, watermelon red flake, junebug, junebug red, morning dawn, tequila sunrise and my new favorites plum, plum crazy or plum apple. I've recently discovered that the lake I've been fishing mostly(Caney Lakes lower and upper sides) that tequila sunrise and varying plum colors have been hotter than any other color I've throw. Really clearing my tackle bag out of alot of colors and plastic styles that just don't get it done, on Caney Lakes anyways. I do have them set aside to try again if or when these colors stop producing though. ?

[Dirtyeggroll]

2 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

As of now I'm with you, it can matter but it's way at the bottom of the list and I keep my choices limited. For plastics: black/blue, white/pearl, green pumpkin, red watermelon. 

 

I fished with a black and blue jig all day on Sunday at a new lake (dirty/stained 1-2 feet of visibility) without a bite. Finally ended up on some underwater structure where I knew there had to fish and probed it for about an hour with out a sniff. Switched to a Green Pumpkin/Blue (blue craw) jig and got bit on the first cast in the same spot. Proceeded to catch 2 more fish out of that spot in the next 20 minutes...

 

I am not a subscriber to color mattering that much and I have no idea why I switched other than I have been whackin'em on that specific jig. I was fishing with my dad and he continued to throw a black and blue jig and didn't catch a fish on a jig. The simple answer is color matters when it matters and doesn't when it doesn't.

[Subaqua Adinterim]

On ‎9‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 11:04 PM, NorthE97 said:

I’ve come to the realization that less is more for me. Sticking to a few brands and a few select items from each brand has helped me narrow down my choices and make fishing more enjoyable.  

My tips to beginners would be:

• pick a few brands:
• pick a few colors per bait:
•  
• This has been my journey through soft plastics, coming full circle. If anyone else went through this same conundrum or has some tips they would like to share, feel free to add. I hope to save some newer people to the sport some headache, time, and money.  

NE97 Thanks for starting this discussion.  I have traveled that same journey, by experimenting, i.e., spending lots of $$ and trying every different color.  I now mainly use just a few colors - for finesse or T rig worm fishing I use some variation of green pumpkin - (why don't they just call it dark green? aren't pumpkins an orange color? talk about confusing things) with some type of fleck in it - black, red, gold, purple.  I also use the pumpkin color - which amazingly is actually the color of a pumpkin- orange (again, why not just call it orange), with black and green flecks in the plastic.  I occasionally use what I will call dark purple (June bug?).   Limiting what I take has definitely made things easier, and I'm still catching just as many from my kayak.

 

Please note that I fish in the North East, in lakes that are mainly clear water; so the colors that work for me may not work for someone in Louisiana.  I will still experiment, after all this is supposed to be fun, right?  So l may even throw the South African Special just to see what happens.