Jig & Pig - Why not red/orange?

[piranha]

I don't know if this is a regional thing, but everyone I know throws a black and blue jig and pig combo. I have always done it and had good success although I am simply following what has been suggested to me by others.

It would seem to me that if you are trying to "match the hatch", that you would want at least some red or orange in it somewhere.

Do these colors simply not produce as well? If not, anyone have a reason?

Rick

[playmaker47]

ive caught alot of bass on a 1/4 oz Black/Red jig with a black twin tail grub trailer.

[fishinfool]

light brown and light orange combos have produced good for me down here in South Carolina

[Nick]

I really like Black/red and brown/orange in dirty water. Clearer waters have me throwing peanut butter and jelly or pumpkin colors, a little more muted in clear waters.

[Shad_Master]

Actually there are thousands of species of "crawdads" and each has their own particular color and the colors will change depending on the time of year and the condition of the water.  Recently on a tournament, my boater caught a fish that had been eating crawdads with blue pinchers.  I switched to a green/blue Sweet Beaver and started getting bit in that area, but that bait did not hold up when we moved to another part of the lake.  In order to "match the hatch" you have to see the "hatch".  Try putting out a crawdad trap and see what you are getting and then match your jig to that color/pattern.  In the mean time, other guys will be throwing black/blue and hittin hawgs

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Here in Kansas, our crawdad's are green, so I usually use black and green jigs.  If I am going to use another color though........it's going to be black and blue.

[playmaker47]

Really KU? over here in western Kansas the crawdads are more of a brownish orange so a pumpkin/orange has worked good for me.

this is about the color of the crawdads here

[Raul]

To me is a "seasonal" pattern Piranha, during the "warm" months crawfish here are a dirty brownish/greenish, so colors like pumkinseed, green pumpkin, watermelonseed and pretty much the same variations on those colors work very well, during the "cold" months crawfish turn to a dark almost black brown on top with anywhere from a bright orange to a deep red underside. So my choice of jigs and trailers follow pretty much that same color pattern, black and blue just don 't woik for me.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Interesting,  I have found crawdads at a few of the lake I fish and they have dark green, almost black, bodies with fairly bright green clippers.  YUM's grasshopper green is a perfect color match of the craws I have found.  I think they change colors with seasons too????? Because I found one early this spring that kind of had a blueish green tint.  

[Hookhead]

Red/black, blue/black, brown/black at Folsom lake out here in CA.  I've landed more than a few bass with 2 bright red claws poking out from the back of their throats.  That always fascinates me.  :

I guess I'm wierd like that.

[Raul]

They change skin every year KU, well it 's not skin, it 's the exoskeleton, down here that normally takes place in the "spring"  so my guess is that as the year progresses and the exoskeleton gets "older" it changes colors. What I have noticed is that not all the crawfish shed skin at the same time but throughout a period of several weeks during the spring, at that time both combination of colors work, but by the end of the spring casting a jig & trailer or a crawfish imitator in black & orange, black & red draws lot less strikes to the point it 's not worth the time.

[Shad_Master]

Not only that, but I have heard that the fish are able to detect when they are shedding their exoskelten and are more apt to eat them at that time, because they are easier to digest.

[Muddpuppy]

red/blk are popular here in the winter and early spring.

[hawghunter]

Black n Blue is always true....hehehe...........Do you guys sometimes think that we get way too caught up in colors? Do you think that presentation and location can overcome color in alot of situations.....what are your opinions?..............

HH

[piranha]

Holy crap! I had no idea there was so much to know about crayfish.

In 25+ years of fishing, I have NEVER seen a crayfish but I love fishing with jigs. You guys have given me so much more to think about. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

What kind of home made device can I use to try and catch crayfish? Do I need bait, like with crabbing?

Do you think that the crayfish in a similar geographic region look the same in terms of color? Or can they be different from body of water to body of water?

Is the color more related to water temp or season? We have bodies of water just a few miles from each other where the water temp is different by 10 - 20 degrees. I don't have time to catch crayfish everywhere!   ;D

I fished a body of water yesterday where the fish eat crabs as well as crayfish (it connects to salt water). A guy showed me his livewell after his tourney and there were pieces of crustacean in the bottom. They were red/orange, BTW. There was no way to tell which they were from, although I doubt it matters. If the crabs are red/orange, do you think the crayfish would follow suit?

Thanks for your great input on this one. I am going to try and dig up more info on crayfish. You have all just greatly improved my fishing success.

Rick

[Muddpuppy]

Is the color more related to water temp or season?

I know they turn dark red when boiled in crab boil seasoning.

I think that the ones here pretty much change like Raul described. There are some good links on crawfish that can be fond online under crayfish trapping, crayfish farming, pots , traps ect..

a minnow trap will work even though a mudbug trap or pot is a little different. You can also use a jug type in shallow water.

[Red_neck_LS]

I use a black and blue rubber skirt with a craw imitation trailer 70% of the time. But to switch things up a bit i actually use...white with a white double tail grub.. Not too many use a white jig but everytime i use it i produce bass after bass? Maybe its just were im fishing?

[earthworm77]

I'll sometimes use a jig with a hint of red or orange...maybe like 5 strands, not too overpowering but its there.

[roadwarrior]

Crawdad is what you fish with or what fish eat. Nobody would want to eat bait.

Crawfish is what you boil and eat.

[piranha]

What's the difference?

[Muddpuppy]

Location has alot to do with it when it comes to Crawfish and Crayfish. I guess RW is correct in the terms, even though I have never thought about it much before. Down here Crawfish and mudbugs are probably used mainly to describe the edible ones, but not exclusivley. Alot of those are raised in shallow ponds or rice fields anymore and their size is selected and normally larger. Crawdads I guess could be those found in creeks, ditches ponds and standing water. As far as a difference they are one in the same as far as I am concerned. And pretty much call them what ever comes to mind first. There are different types I guess thoughout the world. Oh, I have seen a bunch of Mudbugs play hockey but never any crawdads.

[roadwarrior]

Crayfish, crawfish and crawdads are EXACTLY the same, it's just that when people eat Mudbugs they sometimes like to dress them up a little and imply that they're some kinda fish. NOT.

I think I read somewhere that there are more than a hundred different species. I don't know whether people eat them all, but fish do.

[Guest avid]

that's why when I go saltwater fishing I like to use shrimp as bait.  This way if I don't catch any fish I can always eat the bait!