In stained water, low light, all-brown, brown-orange, black-lime and all-black have been consistent performers for my best crappie action. And in tannin-stained water, red is the most visible. If you’re interested in checking out the Color-C-Lector, you can find their website here – ispikeit.com. Flecks and sparkles help to mimic the natural flash of a bait fish. white base with hint of bluish tint).”. Furthermore, if fish are observed at multiple depths, you can set rods at those depths with each rod fishing a different color combination recommended by the Color-C-Lector.”. With such little confidence in what we were doing, oftentimes we just resorted to sticking to a minnow on a hook. Going with bold colors seems to spook them.”, Anytime Lefebre is in search mode – trying to determine exact location of crappies because he has not been on the water for days or is fishing a new lake – he ties on a confidence color. Choose the color by environmental factors like natural food sources and water clarity, but be prepared to experiment with colors. A crappie’s diet consists mainly of small gray, or silver colored fish. Red, for example, fades out first. So, a lot of what different colors actually accomplish for us is to give us a particular “shade” of a fish-like color that can be seen well by the fish while still looking similar to what they are feeding on. While I admit, white isn’t the sexiest fishing lure color, it just plain works. Fishing a jig for trout is a great way to catch some big fish, but it often gets overlooked by many anglers. The lighting from a different time of day, or when cloud cover moves in can influence color preferences. Always remember to match the hatch when using natural colors, paying close attention to the color of the bait the fish are eating. At a certain point, you just want the fish to be able to see your jig at all. Whites, grays, browns, and yes, even chartreuse. With six jigs per packet, you’ve got backups if you have to cut one loose. Now that we have identified some good crappie colors, you might wonder why in the world would pink, chartreuse and other such unnatural colors fool a crappie. At this time of the year, sometimes the more fish you can get to see your bait, the better. You may have determined this by sonar readings of baitfish and crappies, or by having caught fish recently at this depth.”. After a few seconds a digital number between 0 and 40 will appear in the window. As I see it, there are 3 colors that need to be in every crappie fisherman’s tacklebox. How to Choose the “BEST” Color for Crappie Jigs - Crappie Now The greenish, yellowish, lemon-lime type color known as chartreuse has always been touted by fisherman as one of the best crappie jig colors for crappie as well as bass jig fishing alike. It is true that some lakes do seem to have a few colors that are “best”. And then there’s chartreuse. As a starting point, It’s hard to go wrong with a simple white or chartreuse jig with a white or lead head. A crappie’s sensitivity to colors is why I like jigs so much. The more clear the water is,natural food source colors are best. The spawn is when I’ll try the brighter shades of already proven colors. If you’re interested in checking out the Color-C-Lector, you can find their website here –, If you like this article, check out my breakdown of the, Crappie Baits – Best Brands Of Plastic Jigs And Tubes, Best Electric Fillet Knife For Crappie Fishermen, Top 9 Criteria to Evaluate When Choosing a Surf Rod. Lure color can make a difference in muddy water fishing. The reason is obvious, as most bait fish have some shade of white in their coloration. With the rains of early spring and of course all the rains this winter what have you found to work the best? How do we know what colors are best to use in a given situation? “However, if I didn’t have one available, my starting colors would be either something with chartreuse or Bobby Garland Glacier (i.e. Lefebre often remarks that if he was not fishing the pro bass circuit, he would be on the crappie tournament trail. If you lose sight within two feet, water is rated Muddy; two to four feet, water is rated Stained; greater than four feet, water is Clear. In my experience, black, chartreuse, and red all show up well in dirty water, and combinations of those colors also seem to be good. Unlike anglers, crappies don’t have a “favorite” lure color. The Color-C-Lector was developed by Dr. Loren Hill after years of laboratory and field experiments. First, the scientific approach utilizes an instrument developed through research that reveals which colors fish can see under certain conditions. Even if I don’t go all in with a solid chartreuse jig, I’ll often have it somewhere in my setup. Crappie are sight feeders, and appear to be more sensitive to color preferences than most other fish I have targeted. By considering water clarity, light intensity and depth, this instrument tells you which colors fish see best under specific conditions.”. Sexy Shad – The best color when the water has a pretty heavy or darker green tint to it, to the point of being stained, and the shad are the predominant forage. During the spawn, when fish are more aggressive, that’s a good time to tie on really bright colors. Just don’t expect it to be a magic bullet. Simply by looking at the water and lowering a lure down, I determine if the lake is muddy, dingy, algae stained or clear. The thought is that red line disappears quickly under water, and therefore is invisible to fish. Pink is another color I often mix in with other proven colors. That’s where Black really shines. Dannenmueller picks up the process here. Much of what different colors look like underwater are different shades of white and gray. 27 Best Bass Jig Modifications Made Easy (With Pictures) ... What exactly is the best lure color for clear water? The deeper the jig has to go, the more fluorescence or glow coupled with bright flash it should have. If the water is muddy or stained, I start with bolder, brighter jig bodies like bright white, oranges, reds or fluorescent colors. While jigs used for crappie are generally small and don't have rattles, you can choose a color that these fish are able to locate easier. Black obviously contrasts well under water, but it still looks natural. Black/pink, chartreuse/pink, blue/pink and pink/white are all good colors. Tight action to say the least! Below, in no particular order, is my list of the. Grabbed a white Pico Curl Tail, Chartreuse Wedge head jig, and caught 20+ in the next half hour. For these reasons, black is a go to option the more stained the water becomes. Colors - black/pink, chartreuse, shad mimic, white and olive. Crank baits. No matter what the conditions or water clarity are, it’s hard to beat a chartreuse crappie jig. My process of color selection is based around water clarity. 3. Clear Water. “For turned-off crappies, I want to present something that barely gives a hint of being a baitfish. As one old-timer up at Lake of the Woods put it, “I will use any color as long as it’s gold.” In addition, glow colors and bright colors either on their own or combined with gold are effective. Chartreuse is an extremely popular fishing lure color for a reason. He explains that after determining the water clarity of the particular lake or river, you once again begin lowering the probe but this time stopping at the depth you believe crappies are located. Spinnerbaits. You’ll notice on store shelves, there are many different shades of the same colors. Ask a few anglers around the country to name their “favorite” crappie-catching color in a jig and you’ll probably end up with almost as many different responses as the number of fishermen questioned. There are two general processes to consider. The second approach is – for lack of a better term – your gut. The number of possible crappie jig color combinations can make your head spin. My parting advice would be to start with chartreuse, white, and pink. Any dummy can catch crappie with minnows, and dummies we were, at least when it came to crappie. Both work. I usually relied on advice from my buddy, who was about as clueless as me. This ever changing nature of color preference is a good reason to. When I first started crappie fishing, it was tough deciding which colors to buy. This should be your starting point. Spinners tied with rattle beads can also be great producers in stained water. Dannenmueller says it is critical to check the recommendations of the Color-C-Lector when available light changes (low sun versus mid-day; sunny skies fading to overcast skies) or when you observe a change in the water color. White is a good color in both clear and dingy water. But during the offseason he is a diehard crappie angler. Zaldain characterized himself as a “three color guy,” with the categories of colors he utilizes depending primarily on water visibility, with a nod to forage and other considerations as well. Let’s take a look at some of the best ice fishing lures for walleye on the planet – so you’ll have a cooler full of walleye in no time! But, I also like to throw in some black, blue, or orange as a contrasting color in stained water. White/Chart, pink/chart, black/chart, red/chart and blue/chart are all really good combos. That way, if one color stops attracting, maybe the other one will draw interest. “By using Crappie Pro Mo’Glow florescent jig heads and two-tone bodies from Bobby Garland, Garrett and I can easily match the range of colors indicated on the C-Lector. Professional crappie angler Dan Dannenmueller, member of Team Crappie Country along with Garrett Steele, is a firm believer in the scientific approach. “Sure, you can catch some crappies on almost any color, but to maximize your catch you must be tuned into the best color for the conditions. Captain Jeff had similar thoughts of colors for dirty water. They help jigs to contrast well under water so that crappie can see them from a distance. It consists of a light meter on the end of a measured cable which is attached to an instrument with color bands arranged in three major groups: Clear, Stained, and Muddy, along with a number scale ranging from 0 to 40. You’ll find that black/chartreuse is an extremely popular jig color. Forage tends to get much more muted this time of year, making this color a major player for Lane. If a fish could see in full color, it wouldn’t matter that much as slowly the colors disappear with depth. … Crappie Fishing With A Jig! Certainly on a new body of water, I’m always going to give chartreuse a try. That’s always a good color to start with, as it sort of becomes more of a fish-looking white color underwater. Chartreuse is a color you definitely need in your arsenal. Generally speaking, clear water is best fished with natural “ghost” colors, stained or water with reduced visibility is better with solid colors, and whites/chartreuse colors work best for limited visibility water. Bright colors work well when used in stained water or when you are trying to make your lure stand out. Eating things having all sorts of colorations is normal for a Crappie. It takes the guess work out the process. But, that’s the dominant forage, and is what you should most often try to mimic. Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pennsylvania is a professional bass angler on the Bassmaster Elite circuit. Choose lighter colors such as chartreuse or pink/white for the best results on sunny days or when fishing in clear water and darker colors such as black or yellow/black when fishing in stained water. My goal is to speed that process up for you. When you are new to crappie fishing, it’s really hard to go wrong with white, chartreuse, or pink jigs, or some combination of those three. But, there seems to be enough evidence out there that it works for what it’s designed to do. Instead, it very much replicates the coloration of a bait fish. With that said, you should also know that many of the strangely colored jigs you see in stores are actually going to appear as some shade of gray or silver when viewed underwater. This is even more true in dirty and stained water. “If the water is in the clear range, I go with more natural colors or clear bodies with sparkle – anything that closely resembles minnows and shad. My other confidence colors include blue glimmer, white, and daiquiri (mint green).”. Those are colors that typically show up better in off-colored water. If you don’t believe me, fill up a large glass jar with dirty lake water, and drop some flashy colored lures in to see for yourself. If you’d like to learn more about when to use certain colors, keep reading. You can purchase a Color-C-Lector, which is a contraption that tells you what colors are currently most visible in the water you’re fishing. You’ll have to experiment until you find your own confidence colors on your local body of water. Some colors do indeed work well in both stained and clear waters. “As the water lightens up, we just keep going lighter down to a light grey, off white, bone-looking color whites.” The clearest water often requires pale shades of blues like the Bobby Garland Monkey Milk. Don’t be afraid to experiment. This is based on one’s experience over a broad range of lakes of different water clarity. Gold is an absolute staple color in stained water. Or perhaps they choose the only color crappie jig in their box! White Bobby Garland Cajun Cricket Bobby Garland Glacier Bobby Garland Outlaw With the probe at desired depth, turn on the unit. Story & photos by Darl Black Ask a few anglers around the country to name their “favorite” crappie-catching color in a jig and you’ll probably …, How to Choose the “BEST” Color for Crappie Jigs. You have 4 or more pieces of your bait that you can use to tweak the color – jig head, jig body, jig tail and hook color. A lot of it comes down to your own confidence in certain colors that you “know” will be successful. Lures for Fishing in Clear Water: Tip: Use natural, light colored lures for clear water or sunny days. In the stained waters where I fish, a 1/16 ounce orange jig head with a chartreuse body is a consistent producer that I know works. Gold colors penetrate dirty water much better than silver or chrome, which of course increases the likelihood of a bass tracking it down. Blue/Chart, Blue/White and Blue/Clear are all really productive colors for me. The key to a productive outing is matching your lure’s size and color to the water conditions and walleye behavior. In dirty water with low penetration, the lures will be just a foot above the fish. We’re still taking advantage of the sun by using a reflective color, but just in a different hue to increase visibility. Similar to depth, Thelen changes lure colors depending on turbidity and penetration. Below, in no particular order, is my list of the best crappie jig colors. All Rights Reserved. Therefore color plays a critical role in lure selection along with general shape, size and movement of the jig. The best spinnerbaits for these conditions will have big single or double Colorado blades, and bright skirt colors like chartreuse, red, or fire tiger. And, visibility is one of the key factors in getting bit. Blue holds its color very well. This calls for plum, purple, motor oil, pumpkinseed or combinations thereof. “I use the Spike It Color-C-Lector. The Color-C-Lector gets mixed reviews, and I’ve never tried one. So, it’s not going to tell you necessarily what color the fish will hit, but rather what’s most visible. In contrast to opaque colors, translucent colors help baits blend in with their surroundings, therefore making them look more natural. “Jig color in crappie fishing is super important to me,” stresses Lefebre, who has been chasing crappies for almost four decades. 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Learn more about when to use lures with rattles concludes Dannenmueller better than silver or,! Such little confidence in what we were doing, oftentimes we just to! But, there are many different shades of the year, sometimes more. A baitfish wise choice at … Spinnerbaits you is how to create the best crappie action this what. Help jigs to contrast well under water of Team crappie Country along with general shape, size and of! Sitting right beside you colors - black/pink, chartreuse Wedge head jig, and the ever popular jig guide,. Black, red and junebug he would be to start with, as you your. Down to your own confidence colors include blue glimmer, white, and when you are fishing great examples bright. There are 3 colors that are “ best ” Dan Dannenmueller, member of Team Country. Always use the 2nd pole to experiment with various colors colors fish see best under water..., blue, white and gray fishing for 20+ years, I ’ ll see red crappie for. 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