Soft plastic colors for partly cloudy days?

[TriStateBassin106]

When the sun keeps coming in and out of clouds on the water do you guys worry about your colors for soft plastics? This might sound like a stupid question but it's always intrigued me...

 

Let's say I'm fishing a lake with a moderate stain in the water, it's sunny out and I start with a green pumpkin color, next thing you know clouds come over and the sun pops in and out occasionally but remains hidden by the clouds. Would this count as low light conditions? Would I change out to a darker color like black n blue or just keep fishing green pumpkin? 

 

I'm sorry if the question is rather confusing but it's always intrigued me. 

[Fishes in trees]

Back in the day, when the Color-c-Lector and then the Combo-c-Lector came out, that was the primary problem with these devices.   You'd drop the probe, get a color reading - go fishing , right?   Not so fast, move the boat 10 feet and the light might be different, water color be slightly different, whatever, and you'd get a different reading.  If you were determined to fish the color dictated by the device, it would drive you nuts.  You couldn't really be sure that the color it told you to use, dropping it off the side of the boat, would be the same color it would dictate if you moved the boat next to the stump you wanted to throw to.  That was basically the problem with that device, and it is the same conundrum

you're dealing with now.

 

My only advice is to choose a color based on your best guess and go from there, when you lose confidence in a color, try something else, OR have half a dozen identical rigs and put different colors on each rig.  I can testify that either approach has the capacity to drive you nuts.

 

Most of the time, in the waters that I commonly fish, I'll throw some kind of green pumpkin.   Over the past couple of years, a buddy fishing out of the back of my boat will often throw a black & blue dinger when I'm throwing some kind of green pumpkin and I've been outfished more than once.   Then I go to black & blue and he still outfishes me, which leads me to the conclusion that color had little to do with it, he's just a better stick bait fisherman than I am.

 

It is all a mystery - good luck.  The only thing I know for sure is that I have tomorrow off and I'm going fishing.

[roadwarrior]

Well, I have been fishing the Senko since 1996. Every color I have ever fished seemed to work as well

as the next. I recommend fishing YOUR favorite!  For me, as my wife would say, it comes down to matching

heels and purse.

 

[Tatsu Dave]

Good question and will get quite a few varied answers. I fish with 5 rigs and 4 will all have different color stickbaits to start, how do I pick the color's? I have developed a group of different colors that seem to work best for me in varied light conditions, I have them rigged on different rods. For me the water color I fish is always about the same with the exception of muddy, so full sun - partially cloudy - full overcast - and low light at dawn and dusk. I've posted it before and its always the same ones Crime Scene  -  Rainbow Trout - Junebug -  Watermelon Gold Flake - Trophy Hunter (pumpkin red flake/junebug). I will fish with each one and see whats drawing the strikes for the day best. 

 

One of the last fishing trips my son started with watermelon magnum (heavy red flake) and me with my highest confidence bait, rainbow trout, The RT accounted for half a dozen fish and his got two strikes but no fish, he changed to RT with me and started to catch at the same pace I was. Light combined with water color and what the color of what bass are feeding on will dial you right in with one of those colors. Its why Munky Butt is a top color in whopper ploppers, another name for rainbow trout. Low light and junebug or trophy hunter should click. Full sun crime scene and watermelon gold flake (the more gold flake the better). 

[whitwolf]

No matter the conditions throw a color you always have confidence with.  I'm not being a smart butt here but if you throw a bait/color you have confidence in, good things usually happen.

[roadwarrior]

On 10/6/2020 at 2:05 PM, Tatsu Dave said:

Good question and will get quite a few varied answers. I fish with 5 rigs and 4 will all have different color stickbaits to start, how do I pick the color's? I have developed a group of different colors that seem to work best for me in varied light conditions, I have them rigged on different rods. For me the water color I fish is always about the same with the exception of muddy, so full sun - partially cloudy - full overcast - and low light at dawn and dusk. I've posted it before and its always the same ones Crime Scene  -  Rainbow Trout - Junebug -  Watermelon Gold Flake - Trophy Hunter (pumpkin red flake/junebug). I will fish with each one and see whats drawing the strikes for the day best. 

 

One of the last fishing trips my son started with watermelon magnum (heavy red flake) and me with my highest confidence bait, rainbow trout, The RT accounted for half a dozen fish and his got two strikes but no fish, he changed to RT with me and started to catch at the same pace I was. Light combined with water color and what the color of what bass are feeding on will dial you right in with one of those colors. Its why Munky Butt is a top color in whopper ploppers, another name for rainbow trout. Low light and junebug or trophy hunter should click. Full sun crime scene and watermelon gold flake (the more gold flake the better). 

I knew I needed more soft plastics!

 

Don't have rainbow trout or watermelon/ gold flake and I don't know what Crime Scene is,

please tell me.  OH! and Green Flash. Can't find it anywhere, it must be "The One".

 

 

[Hammer 4]

Stained water for the most part. Cloudy or sunny, Senko in either 297, or 319, both green pumpkin with different color flakes. Using these since about 1999.

[king fisher]

I fished with a guide once, that recommended a black and blue Skinny Dipper because the water was muddy and we had cloudy skies.  Fishing was slow but steady.  Every once in awhile we would see some baitfish splash.  I asked him what they were, and if that was what the bass were probably feeding on.  He told me they were called turaly, (my best guess at the Spanish word) and they were the primary food for the bass there.  I then had him look in my box and show me if I had anything that was the same size and color.  He picked out a Skinny Dipper in purple smoke, and said it was an exact match but would only work if the sun came out.  I gave it a try any way and caught fish every cast.  I'm not saying I new more than the guide, I just got lucky and that was the day that match the hatch was the way to go.  The next time I fished there, black and blue killed them and I couldn't buy a bite on purple smoke.  What I should have said in way fewer words is, try  colors you like until you find what works, and if it stops working try another color.  Dark colors on dark days, light colors on sunny days is a good place to start or match the hatch, but that's only a starting point.      

         

[Tatsu Dave]

10 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Don't have rainbow trout or watermelon/ gold flake and I don't know what Crime Scene is,

please tell me.  OH! and Green Flash. Can't find it anywhere, it must be "The One".

Crime scene can best be described as a maroon belly with turquoise and green flakes and a dark green top with heavy green flakes. Watermelon Candy is another with the heavy green flakes. Green seems very attracting to bass in general but smallmouth in particular. Watermelon gold flake is best represented by what BBB calls huisache HEAVY gold flake. Pink is a spring favorite for bed fisherman on many lakes due to the fact you can see it so well. Bubblegum as its called is an incredible producer in northern waters due to brook and rainbow trout forage fish with the pink bellies. Rainbow Trout and Bubble Scum both utilize this look. I actually like both above mentioned green's better than green flash senkos. 

[Jaderose]

I keep it pretty simple.  Overcast with typical midwest water clarity (green water with 2-6ft visibility) I usually throw a Green pumpkin/black flake.  Sunny?  Junebug or Black/Blue Flake..gotta have some sparkle.  Mixed?  Tequila Sunrise, Morning Dawn, Red/Black....some variation on that.  

 

Works for me...most of the time....lol

[TriStateBassin106]

25 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

I keep it pretty simple.  Overcast with typical midwest water clarity (green water with 2-6ft visibility) I usually throw a Green pumpkin/black flake.  Sunny?  Junebug or Black/Blue Flake..gotta have some sparkle.  Mixed?  Tequila Sunrise, Morning Dawn, Red/Black....some variation on that.  

 

Works for me...most of the time....lol

You don't throw Green pumpkin when it's sunny? 

[Cgolf]

When fishing stained water, even slightly stained water I will rarely change color due to light conditions.

 

Clear water is a different story, depends on sun and the waves, essentially how much light the fish are seeing. High light penetration I use smoke based colors, low light penetration I use watermelon based colors.

[scaleface]

Purple for everyday , everywhere . 

[Finessegenics]

Color is usually the last variable I consider when choosing what I think is the best way to catch fish under the circumstances. But I usually subscribe to the “match the hatch” theory. Unless you’re fishing chocolate milk, I don’t see the point of swaying from the basic forage imitating colors. 

[DaubsNU1]

I find myself over-thinking this very topic a lot. I do have favorite colors and lure.

 

When fishing is good, I tend to stick with my favorite colors...

When fishing is not so good, I try different colors...throw everything but the kitchen sink...

 

I'm trying to flip that paradigm...and fish different colors when things are going well...to see what different / non-favorite colors I can gain confidence in.  

 

** yes, I'm over-thinking this AGAIN! ** 

[WRB]

Every lake has different color preferences, the only way to know is trail and error.

Tom

[Catt]

My suggestion is to throw those color charts in the trash can!

 

My plastics are not divided into clear water, off colored water, muddy water, or sky conditions.

 

I throw em all in all conditions & let the bass decide!

 

Show me one color chart that list Merthiolate ?

[MIbassyaker]

I have never understood the idea that one should fish darker colors in low light conditions. 

 

Low light conditions already darken your lures no matter the color (unless they are glow-in-the-dark) because less light in the environment means less light reflecting off the surface of your bait.

 

Low light also reduces the difference between colors, so the darker the conditions, the less it should matter what the color is.

[NoShoes]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

My suggestion is to throw those color charts in the trash can!

 

My plastics are not divided into clear water, off colored water, muddy water, or sky conditions.

 

I throw em all in all conditions & let the bass decide!

 

Show me one color chart that list Merthiolate ?

Just googled it, interesting color.  Might have to find some. 

[Spankey]

I don’t think it’s a dumb question. Good question. I don’t have a scientific answer or a scientific approach to it but not being an expert I would not over think it all to much. Green Pumpkin, Pumpkin Seed, Watermelon w/ blk. fleck, black, black and blue seem to fish about the same for me. 
 

But I don’t hesitate to throw natural Shad and shiner colors either. Regardless of light conditions. 
 

I think you are talking about soft plastics. Hard baits I feel about the same way. 
 

Hey where does bubble gum/pink fit in. There have been times that I was real hard up and couldn’t buy a bite. Throw a bubble gun Zoom Shad or pink RoboWorm and have a smallie slam it. 
 

I doubt there is a real answer to why bass do what they do. 

[Jaderose]

21 hours ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

You don't throw Green pumpkin when it's sunny? 

Sure I do but I usually start like I said above.  I don't have any GP with Flash so I go Blue/Black.  

[N Florida Mike]

I think a lot of it is fishing what you are confident in. That being said, I seem to do better using watermelon red in sunnier days ( or any kind of flake  )  and I do well with watermelon seed on more cloudy days , especially on somewhat clearer waters.

The water clarity seems to matter to me as to color of bait but theres good opinions that contradict that. I have one murky lake I fish, and blue seems to be the best color.

All my clearer spots watermelon colors ( except I dont do well with watermelon magic ) Tannic stained waters are dark but have a certain clarity to them. These waters I do  better with black grape or red shad. 

As for low light, I do better with dark colors , especially june bug an hour or so before the sun goes down. As for using dark colors at night,  I was always told it is the dark silhouette against a slightly lighter sky comparatively that does the trick . Seems to work for me...

[OkobojiEagle]

I'll worry about changing plastic colors when I notice baitfish changing colors...

 

oe

[WRB]

If you had the opportunity to look at my soft plastic listing in the flea market the colors range from white to black with nearly everything inbetween. Color preferences change constantly. Tom Mann recognized that bass anglers love different colors of soft plastics and came up with his Jelly worms naming the colors after fruit like Blueberry, Blackberry, Grape, Strawberry, Watermelon, etc. etc. during the era of black and brown worms. All of Mann's colors caught bass and his business grew.

Late 70's hand pours worms with vains and laminated coloration was introduced by Smitty's worms with crawdad colors like cinnamon with black vain and orange belly followed by greens with cinnamon belly and red-green flake or black blue flake that became known as Green Weenie.

John Zankowski ( Zank) while in high school learned to pour worms for Smitty and came up with "neon" coloration. The plain black vain became black, blue, purple and charteuse  neon vain with translucent smokes, cinnamon and light green. Zank also came up with micro fine flakes. Zanks worms changed the hand pour worm business in SoCal spawning dozens of hand piurs because John liked to fish more then making worms opening the doors to competition after Smitty was overwhelmed with orders.

The Green Weenie and Cinnamon Blue neon era of hand pours dominated the tournaments. 

Greg Strumpf (Roboworm)  came up with a production machine to make hand pours faster and more uniform coloration ending the majority of garage hand pour businesses.

Green Weenie w/blue flake and Cinnamon blue neon w/ red flake (now oxblood w/ red flake) and Smoke purple neon ( purple thunder) to this day still catching bass everywhere anglers in the know use them. 

Color only maters when it maters.

Tom

[roadwarrior]

You need to write a book!