Zoom Lizard - So Many Colors

[TotalNoob]

I see tackle warehouse literally has exactly 40 colors of the Zoom Lizard (which comes in 4, 6, and 8"). I know texas rigged lizards are responsible for a lot of huge bass catches over the years.

 

As a novice bass angler (and to keep things as simple as possible), if I had to pick just two -MAYBE three- colors for now (and just one size), what are the fundamentals colors I should be looking at, like the time-tested colors? 

 

Fishery Background to possibly help (?): My reservoir is a desert body of water with fluctuating water levels throughout the season. Most of the lake is a shale or shale/rock mixture, a few isolated areas of vegetation though nothing thick. Bass population is primarily Smallies and Spots, there is a small population of LMBs though nothing of size (4-5 lbs) is ever consistently caught. 

 

Visibility is literally anywhere from .5ft-10ft early in the season as far as I can tell. It varies greatly depending on whether fishing the inlet end (where the snowmelt/runoff brings a lot of dirt with it) or the very deep, crystal clear east end. As the season progresses obviously vis goes down pretty much everywhere. Right now where I'm primarily fishing (around the middle of the lake) visibility is easily approaching 10ft. I don't exactly know what the definition of "clear" water is but I know when standing on the pond prowler yesterday looking down at the glass calm water with polarized sunglasses I could see the bottom with decent detail in 8-9 FOW.

 

So I'd think I'm looking for the color to best match clear (or mostly clear) water conditions and a color to best match muddy water conditions. Perhaps a third time-tested color for something in between. Any advice appreciated. 

[Munkin]

I use to be the guy carrying all 40 colors of those lizards with me. One day after picking up my BPS tackle bag the strap ripped off because of how heavy the bag was. This way my awakening moment that I didn't need all those colors to catch fish.

 

Now to answer your question my top 5 are; solid black, solid white, green pumkin, tequila sunrise, and a discontinued Mad Man color called volcano.  For some reason solid black seems to work in all water clarities. Hopefully someone local to you will chime in as there is always that one off the wall color that works for a specific area.

 

Allen

[Tennessee Boy]

Tackle warehouse doesn't carry all of them.  On zoom website they have

4" - 5 colors

5" - 4 colors

6" - 46 colors

8" - 16 colors

 

The 4 colors that you can get in all sizes are junebug, watermelon seed, green pumpkin, watermelon red

 

I rarely fish clear water and I don't fish lizards when I do so I don't think my recommendation would help you.  I will say my two favorites are junebug and pumpkin seed.  

[BassinCNY]

I carry black, white and junebug 6" lizards but green pumpkin almost always out fishes the other colors.

[FishinBuck07]

My main ones are junebug, tequila sunrise, south African special, California 420.

[Westcoast]

Some form of black for the dirty water, a translucent watermelon or brownish marroon for the clear, and green pumpkin if you only could have one colour. 

Ps. Sometimes a little bit of highlight with a dye pen makes it stand out and may get a couple extra bites. 

[fishwizzard]

I limit myself to Black w/ Red Flake and Cali 420 or really any dark green w/ flake color.  

[yosef]

I just buy all types of green / bass / grass colors but I fish crystal clear water only so I don’t have the need for bright colors I like sprayed grass a lot 

[lo n slo]

a 5” Zoom lizard is perfect for spots, and i catch a lot of them. green pumpkin and june bug are my choices.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Pretty much 3 colors for me, Junebug when it's muddy, watermelon red when it's clear, electric blue when it's in between. 

[Bluebasser86]

I fish a baby brush hog and pretend it's a lizard ?

[Todd2]

Watermelon Red and/or Junebug work most of the time. I have seen on multiple occasions where a watermelon color isn't working until you throw the red flake one so now that's what I buy.

[Catt]

4 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I fish a baby brush hog and pretend it's a lizard ?

 

It's works as long as you don't tell the fish ?

[Mobasser]

I like junebug, and pumpkin/ chart tail.

[tander]

I fish a 6" and a 8" lizard in either Junebug or Green Pumpkin. Always found they will bite one or the other.

[GReb]

Greek pumpkin and watermelon are all you need in the dirty south

[Log Catcher]

A 6" junebug lizard just caught the Ky state record bass. I bought a pack and tried them not too long ago. They work. I caught a 12" bass on one.

[rod snapper]

Junebug works well in all but the clearest water. You really don't need to bother too much with other colors unless you want to.

[Todd2]

1 hour ago, Log Catcher said:

A 6" junebug lizard just caught the Ky state record bass. I bought a pack and tried them not too long ago. They work. I caught a 12" bass on one.

I saw that on KY Afield. He was casting to a 4lber and saw what he described as a log come up from the depths and take it.  He ended up catching the 4lber too....what a day.

[jbrew73]

I only have 3 colors for 90% of my plastics. candybug, green pumpkin candy and grasshopper.  If they aren’t available it will be a slight variation of them. 

[ClintIsKING]

I always have a bag chartreuse pepper and some sort of green pumpkin/watermelon on hand. The chartreuse pepper has been surprisingly awesome for me. 

 

I’ve heard a lot of people have success with the junebug. 

[Deleted account]

Pick up a pack of 6" ones in something that starts with watermelon or pumpkin something or other and get comfy with that. While the other sizes work well, I  find the 6" works most anywhere. 

[RB 77]

Black, light green (watermelon), dark green (greenpumpkin), brown and purple. Choose your flake colors. Pick your top three from there.