Stained water

[Oleo40]

Where I chase Crappie [river system] I have stained water and can only see down a foot or so. What colors do you use in these type of conditions? There are a lot of days it is less than a foot[ wind, rain dam running etc...] Tks Ole

[CTom]

Almost exclusively I'll use a deep purple [transparent] with a chartreuse tail or a darker blue with the chartreuse tail or black with a chartreuse tail. The darker colors act as a reverse contrast so fish can see them as they are darker than the water. Something else to consider is how much noise a bait makes in the water. While twister baits are great for making noise I much rather prefer paddletailed baits that thump good on the retrieve. Fish get drawn to the sound, then get a glimpse of the dark moving thru the water. Once they close the gap they can zero in on the chartreuse tail piece for the hit.

Dark water like this is where the uv enhancer really starts to play ball too. Even in water that resembles soup the enhanced plastics can pick up the uv rays available and this really makes the baits stand out in that eerie bluish- violet glow.

[Fatman]

[skiptomylu]

The first jig I will pick up in shallow water like spring time is like the picture below, maybe with a willow leaf blade??

I would also still fish my Chart/Blue/Chart one as well, but maybe the darker Blue Crystal?? Also may want to try All Black or a Black and Blue combo! Purple like said above would also be good. In water the last colors to still show their color is Blue and Violet, but Florescent colors also help visibility as does UV. I do like my FL colors like the Charteuse!

Skip

[Oleo40]

Thanks a lot guys. I have used a black/chart in the past but don't remember the water color [75 yrs young] Skip if I may, what weight is that beauty and where can I get long bou like that?

[skiptomylu]

Thanks a lot guys. I have used a black/chart in the past but don't remember the water color [75 yrs young] Skip if I may, what weight is that beauty and where can I get long bou like that?

That is a 1/32 Oz Roadrunner and the boy is from Hareline Dubbin. So any shop that sells Hareline products will have it. Their Saltwater Neck Hackle is also better than others. The hackle is on the high side because of it's length. They also in my opinion do a better job handling their marabou and hackle. None of this kind of feathers is ever perfect and it's just a matter of what one like more. Once I started buying their hackle and bou as long as they dye in the color I want then theirs is the one I want. For a few years I was buying the same stuff everyone else was, but once I got some of their stuff, I was sold and they don't have as many colors of hackle especially, I want theirs if they have the color I need. Again all this is just my opinion, but I also am pretty sure there are a lot of guys here and other boards using Hareline Saltwater neck hackle after I told everyone one about it and once they try it, it's hard to go back. I have also bought some pounds of marabou and sold some of it to others and more than a few times guys come back and say that marabou was a lot better than what they had been buying.

Now just know not every feather is a nice big long one, but many are!

Skip

[Oleo40]

Thanks again Skip. Back in my Trout days I used a lot of Hairline stuff as just as you say its the Best. Ole

[skiptomylu]

Ole I am pretty sure you can get that from JS Flyfishing or a couple others like Bob Marriott's?

Skip

[Donald@CrappieLogic]

blue and white for sure with a pink head

[Oleo40]

Skip J. Stockard has it on sale right now