TRAGEDY STRIKES IN TEXAS !

[Spoonminnow]

I see you use a lot of different colors of jigs. Do you change out several different colors to determine which works best or make what you have work for you. What determines the color that you use from day to day. I read water color clear, muddy, stain, etc. determines what color to use but I have a lot of trouble choosing the right color myself looks like. That's why I keep going back to minnows as they are always the right color looks like.

The lures pictured below are tried & true and the colors are interchangeable. They catch 6 species of fish in any water color and depth less than 14'.


Color choice is a personal issue, lure choice is a fish-issue. Wrong lure design or size and few or no fish will strike it regardless of color. Making something complex and searching for answers to questions that will guarantee more or bigger fish - such a which color to use, is a waste of time. The original post shows a ruby red sparkle body with pearl tails. Not very natural, but I'll bet is one of a few in Ketchn's tube-color palette that catch fish anytime of day he can find them.

[scrat]

Spoonminnow if color is not a fish-issue why do you just use the green colors that you are showing. I have a color that does work better in the Lake I fish it is a crawdad color grub. Could it be that is the color that most live natural bait is in the lake the reason they bite it. So if color is not the issue then change your bait color to say all white or black in your lure design and see what you catch the rest of the year bet you go back to your green color to catch the same amount of fish.

[deathb4disco]

I was waiting for you to tell us you fell in, had to swim to shore whilst fighting off gators and a venomous Duck!

However, breaking a rod (especially a favorite) is far worse than losing something to the depths of Davey Jones Locker.

I have fishing rods that are worth 10 bucks and rods worth 100's. Why is it that usually, your favorite rod (also the cheapest) which was purchased 30 years ago, is always the one that has the missfortune happen to it. NOT slammed in a car door like the 200 plus dollar model, or stepped on by the neighbor kid....

A few years ago I broke a favorite of mine. One of those "they havn't made this rod in 20 years" models. I think the rod cost me 10 bucks. I have other rods that are way better but, this rod does ONE thing very well. And it is used for that. So, it sits in the corner of the barn for two years. Although I'm a rod builder, I know that I can never return this thing to it's previous glory.

Then, as I'm strolling through the isles of a Northern Michigan store I see it. Beaming at my. I ran to it like it was black friday, it was on sale, and I had to beat 10 other people to get it (no one else in the store mind you). The lights shined down from the heavens as monks began to sing in my ear! I thrust it to the sky like King Aurthor and his sword. We were now one. It was identicle! I gently swept off the dust and smelled the cork handle. I gently carried it to the front of the store.

The cashier looked at me, looked at it and said "your going to buy that old turd"? "It has probably been siting in this store for 10 years"! I pulled the $7.50 cents out of my wallet and went to hand it to them. Keep it they say, and thanks for getting that ugly thing out of this store!!!!!

I went home and ran straight to the barn. Ok, I drove out to the barn. I pulled the old reel out from the cabinet and went to screw it on to the reel seat.... SNAP. The reel seat cracked, the cork cracked, it fell apart. Did I mention I was a rod builder? I was heartbroken for a little less than 15 seconds when I realized that, old glory, sitting in the corner, had a borken tip section (2 piece rod), this rod, had a broken butt section (2 piece rod). I married the old with the new and wouldn't you know it, it was just like I remember it. Or maybe it wasn't.

In the two years she was gone, I moved on to better things. Better reels, better line, and much better rods. What used to do one thing well, has been replaced by rods that are better.

What did I do with it? I gave it to a buddy.

I hope you get your rod fixed quick. Too long without it and you will find a replacement. All that is left are the memories!

A couple of years ago, I spotted an old Fenwick fiberglass fly rod in a little "mom & pop" tackle shop. It was still in the original case and looked like it had never been fished. I paid $40 for it and sold it for $120 on ebay. Both the buyer and I were very happy.

[Spoonminnow]

Scrat, as I stated, these are examples of colors that are interchangeable for each bait shown. The group of my personal preferences of color choices is small, but only because I have experimented with many different soft plastic colors and didn't find much difference in the amount of strikes or how hard the strikes. I don't need to try more colors though if I like a plastic lure, may connect part of it to another and cast it regardless of color. I even discovered last year that mythiolate is a great color for a Slider Worm. Who knew?!! Would I pour other grub designs in that color - you bet - and I have no reasons why it works and don't care.

Colors I don't like for no reason are all white, black and grape. Just don't care for them in a soft plastic lure though I know they catch fish for many. It's like having a favorite anything. The choice is biased without having a universally good reason.

[ET Fish]

Excellent report and pictures!

[dhaire]

Guess I am into the new stuff. Started with PowerPro then moved to ACC Crappie Stix and could not be happier. Pulled a hung up jig from brush not watching what I was doing to the tip as I pulled SNAP went the tip. Learned a great lesson. Picked up another rod and kept fishing. Got home and ordered the tip which turned out the new tip to a newer but same model rod so it did not fit. Andy Lehman, the owner found out and not only sent me another tip but a complete rod for no charge! So there I was with a new rod WITH a replacement tip. What service! Guess he figured I was stupid enough to break a tip so he added one to the whole rod in case I did it again. Rod and reels are the least expense for my passion of chasing crappie.


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[franklin fisher]

Great read. Nice fish once again.

Sent from my SM-G530R4 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[Ketchn]

I typically just use whatever is on my rod from my last visit to the water first .
If it seems I can’t get them to eat it after a few minutes I change it up .
I might go this way or that and never really have a carved into stone plan on colors .
This particular episode I had these baits I bought at Walmart a while back and lost them .
I found them and the rod I grabbed had a bare jig on it .
I thought they looked pretty nice and pitched one and got bit first drop ....
That in turn made it my bait of choice for that trip

[Spoonminnow]

I thought they looked pretty nice and pitched one and got bit first drop ....
That in turn made it my bait of choice for that trip

Bet they'll work on any trip.

[Ketchn]

Bet they'll work on any trip.

they did the next day on the river quite well , not very durable baits though and after 20 bites or so they tend to be pretty beat up .
my wife loves the "nail polish" look of that vibrant red with sparkles ….calls it pomegranate and pearl