Clear plastic soft plastics?

Anyone use clear soft plastic lures? I poured some for bass and panfish this summer and they worked great for both. My plaster molds don't have a super shiny cavity and produce a frosted looking bait, but the background and water stain contribute to it's color as does the baits rough surface. Shiny baits are nice, but in my experience fish bite because of a bait's action, size, thickness, softness, pressure waves/ vibration and color - in that order. Sometimes a rough surface is actually better than a shiny one and lures hang up less on weeds.

I read an article years ago in Fish n Facts magazine about clear plugs and clear-blade baits for bass and used clear Zara Spooks to test the theory. (They work well!) So I poured copies of Power Grubs and short Senko-like sticks (3") to use on crappie. Excellent hits!

Color is so overrated, but can be important on certain days in certain waters; clear soft plastics work most of the time and I always carry some.

Tonight I'll post a few pics of the ones I pour and use.

FrankM

Nice read, I use clear zara spooks,pop R and some smoke grubs here in NY but most of our water is very clear. i have not tried clear baits for crappie.

I would think clear in clear water would work well. I'll try it through the ice in a month.
A nice enhancement to clear would be to add a very tiny bit of .008 glitter in silver or gold hologram (rainbow) or other light colors. Hologram glitter works great in light smoke.


FrankM
(aka Senkosam)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

I would think clear in clear water would work well. I'll try it through the ice in a month.
A nice enhancement to clear would be to add a very tiny bit of .008 glitter in silver or gold hologram (rainbow) or other light colors. Hologram glitter works great in light smoke.


FrankM
(aka Senkosam)

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Use a 1 inch and 2 inch clear grub with rainbow glitter in stained water-works very good at times.

I used to be able to get some small minnow like, 1" baits in clear to cloudy clear with a few silver glitter in side worked great in clear waters. Wish I could get some more like that maybe with a pointed style tail- some lakes here can get pretty clear and crappies just seem to shy away from color.

PM me your name and address and I'll send you some in 1" and 2" to test.
You'll be impressed.

Even this clear double tail grub has colors that change depending on location, background and point-of-view.

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i think color is very important, all the things you mentioned are important, but i definately think color is at the top of the list. Sometimes it does not matter but sometimes it is hugely important.

i use clear trout magnets with peper sprinkles in them, and the work well

I have some curl tail that are clear with silver glitter, and not much of it. It has worked very well for me on some day, but I don't find it a "go to" bait. Just another in the box with the others that I use now and then with good success. Clear tails with glitter on a colored boby is a keeper also. Sliver/green , blue/purple, Root beer/silver are just some of the ones that are a must in my box. I have some clear/silver glitter minnow bodies that I just got and will try today, so the jury is still out. Clear/pepper is one I haven't found much but will get around to.