There Comes A Time

[SKs Crappie Catching Adventures]

Do you have a “sure nuff “ go to color that is your favorite??Or just try colors depending on water clarity??


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

Perfect example, this past w-end on a local lake in the Houston Texas area that I haven't fished in several months we had 8" of rain a couple days prior to my trip but this lake was going to have better conditions than my other options.
The water was dirtier than I've ever seen it and had a reddish brown tint, since I rarely ever use red, brown was my choice, after a couple drops with a jig known as Joe Dirt on a stump that always holds crappie I wasn't confident it was the bait....
I made a change only with the head color, instead of a brown that's on the Joe Dirt I put the exact jig with a gold head and it was thump after thump after thump from solid black and white crappie..... Every pile there was no difference but then after the sun got up my bite went away....
So 1st I like matching the water color that I see until the fish say they don't want it, second I'll try a contrast with the water color included and from there work to something that really stands out from it...
The next color they hunted was grey and ended up on green hornet...... The key word is "hunted"..... There was no have to entice they came and hit it.....
I'm fishing public waters that are heavily fished so everyone has access to it..... This isn't toss a bare gold hook and catch every fish in it farm pond trips.....
I do have a favorite color but it changed every trip.....

[SKs Crappie Catching Adventures]

That's the beauty of catching fish. There are few rules that apply to all waters - only facts that describe the catch that are not universal to all situations.
If we fished in the same boat at the same time, there is not doubt that both of us would catch fish regardless of colors or lures used once fish are located along with the rest such as presentation being the most important. Seen it far too many times.

is from experience and knowing thy water fished - also not universal to all waters. Always catching "Crappie Slabs" are not part of that equation and a pipe dream for public access waters that are overfished and overharvested. In those cases you're lucky to catch too many "Slabs" over 11" especially in the north were the growing season is much shorter and where there is an overpopulation of runts and sunfish.


Describes me to T! (except scent) if just for the fun of seeing how many variations I can catch fish (of all species) on a single day. (Caught a 2 lb bass yesterday on a mini-stick and an 11" crappie on a much larger lure - colors totally different).

In my opinion lakes that are overrun with small fish don't have a heavy enough harvest.....
I am lucky with being able to stay on good fish with the etiquette or lack there of of a lot of the folks on the water right now.....
I'm not able currently to travel to a lot of the well known lakes and my experiences are from lakes in Texas and a couple in Louisiana but believe me I haven't seen a lake yet where changing colors didn't help me entice a crappie to thump my offering.....
I'm always on the hunt for a consistent bite from Slab Crappie, I'm constantly mentioning Slab Crappie because they are the ones that can be difficult..... Those small crappie can be caught most days on a soda pop can top......

[catchNgrease]

This maybe the reason why you are crappie guide/internet sensation/professional fisherman.



Scientifically color matters. If they can't see it they can't eat it. I'm sure it matters especially on a finicky day or a finicky cycle during the day. Other days they could give too rips what color it is and you better keep your hands oughta the water or they gonna bit them too...smiles...

Great read

To each their own but I will change colors, sizes, profiles, actions or none, scent and the list goes on.....
I'm consistently on Slab Crappie and will continue to help those that want the "facts" of how I consistently stay on good fish year round.....
Changing colors is a big part of that.....

Sent from my E6910 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[BobC]

I’m with CNG. This was an interesting thread.
Bob

[Ketchn]

keeping your jig wet really matters , next up is profile ,color comes into play at this point and then scent .
fish how you want and think what you want but in the end ,its about holding a fish in my hand for me .
to be sure sometimes even the slightest difference in color can make or break an outing ,seen it over and over .
even down to unpainted and painted heads as well . not sure about the what where or why but am sure of this
IT MATTERS

[Spoonminnow]

If they can't see it they can't eat it.

Proven wrong time and again. On moonless nights fish can and do feed. In the lab, blind fish can feed using the lateral line as they do at night. Not much (color) to see under those conditions.

Time for a fact check regarding color in water: Since when does color not change in water depending on light level, angle of the sun (am,pm), water color/ algae/mud or suspended particle filtration of light rays, depth (the deeper you go the less color is like that as seen above water to the point of turning gray or black). Color under the ice is not the same early or later in the day.

Fine if you're catching fish in clear water in less than 4' with a bright sun at midday, but another if you're fishing in muddy water, 8' deep at 5pm. Can you still catch fish with the natural color change or do fish have some magic ability to see all colors no matter what? An eye is an eye no matter the head it's in and what it sees is not always accurate.

When it comes to selecting what size fish to go for, there's no such thing. Fish bite what they are incited to strike no matter the lure. Small fish bite large lures; large fish bite small lures and vice versa. No different for certain lure types which at times catch most fish species on most outing - large and small. Gonna catch me some big slabs!, is based on a hope & a prayer and not much else unless you know the water fished.

Regardless, the proof is in the catching. Catch fish on many colors and shapes/actions consistently on any day and that's all the proof you need as illustrated by the hundreds of my posts on this and other forums.

Superstition rarely helps anglers catch more fish - knowing the facts and keeping an open mind does.

[Ketchn]

Proven wrong time and again. On moonless nights fish can and do feed. In the lab, blind fish can feed using the lateral line as they do at night. Not much (color) to see under those conditions.

Time for a fact check regarding color in water: Since when does color not change in water depending on light level, angle of the sun (am,pm), water color/ algae/mud or suspended particle filtration of light rays, depth (the deeper you go the less color is like that as seen above water to the point of turning gray or black). Color under the ice is not the same early or later in the day.

Fine if you're catching fish in clear water in less than 4' with a bright sun at midday, but another if you're fishing in muddy water, 8' deep at 5pm. Can you still catch fish with the natural color change or do fish have some magic ability to see all colors no matter what? An eye is an eye no matter the head it's in and what it sees is not always accurate.

When it comes to selecting what size fish to go for, there's no such thing. Fish bite what they are incited to strike no matter the lure. Small fish bite large lures; large fish bite small lures and vice versa. No different for certain lure types which at times catch most fish species on most outing - large and small. Gonna catch me some big slabs!, is based on a hope & a prayer and not much else unless you know the water fished.

Regardless, the proof is in the catching. Catch fish on many colors and shapes/actions consistently on any day and that's all the proof you need as illustrated by the hundreds of my posts on this and other forums.

Superstition rarely helps anglers catch more fish - knowing the facts and keeping an open mind does.

wore prespawn fish out one night with clear plastic , folks watching were amazed as was me

[SKs Crappie Catching Adventures]

It's kinda hard for me to fish moonless nights when I'm on the water in my boat in the day time.....LOL.... Just Saying
There are several unknown factors as to the powers of crappie but just be for sure there are many many many days that if I didn't change colors I would not catch the crappie that I do..... FACTS!

[Spoonminnow]

wore prespawn fish out one night with clear plastic , folks watching were amazed as was me

There ya go!

Today we caught 85 fish using different soft plastics - all on different colors - one that had a clear tail.

[SKs Crappie Catching Adventures]

There ya go!

Today we caught 85 fish using different soft plastics - all on different colors - one that had a clear tail.

Hopefully you caught more than one before changing jigs or you'll need to respool every trip......