# Crappie colors



## Intimidator

For those interested, I've been researching how stained water effects lure color for crappies and what the crappie actually sees in the water. Some of my findings are helpful for me to understand why a certain lure swimbait for me does well. This only applies for stained/fertile water like CJ Brown! 

1. Opaque fluorescent Chartreuse or yellow in stained water looks white to fish, just use white.

2. Fluorescent Orange looks Yellow.

3. Blue looks Dark Gray. 

4. Translucent colors show their true color beautifully. Smoke imitates baitfish (minnows) and silver glitter imitate scales.

5. Black gets richer and is the ultimate in contrast.

6. Pick colors lighter or darker than the bottom you are fishing.

7. Baitfish take on a gold hue on the bottom.

8. At night go dark...Black, Purple, Dk Red, Blue, and combos of all of them.

9. Chome blends in and is like camoflage, fish can't find it, like colors that match the water, rocks, plants, trees, stumps, or bottom.

10. Contrast, Contrast, Contrast. 

Many fishermen have been working with colors to downsize their tackle so they can carry small amounts. Many of them are now carrying just Black and Brown Jigs and jig heads, Smoke colored grubs, and Black/Grape worms or swimbaits, to fish in stained water.


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## boonecreek

thank for the info. i guess half the soft baits are the wroung colar. do u think scent addetive makes a driffent?


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## Intimidator

boonecreek said:


> thank for the info. i guess half the soft baits are the wroung colar. do u think scent addetive makes a driffent?


See, I had alot of "Stuff" that didn't seem to catch fish and was just laying around, I actually think I bought most of it because I liked how it looked...now after throwing all that stuff away, I seem to buy lures that are more natural in color or movement and contrasting.
I think worst case scents covers "Our" scent! I have some of the Pro-Cure gel oils and I really like them!


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## boonecreek

thanks again


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## spfldbassguy

I believe that you can't go wrong with plain ol' white. It's a good choice for any species.


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## buckzye11

Pink/pearl has been working great in stained water for me. Also red glitter/chart has been working.


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## Intimidator

buckzye11 said:


> Pink/pearl has been working great in stained water for me. Also red glitter/chart has been working.


I think the main thing is to look for is contrasting colors that they can see!

Several articles stated not to throw colors of the normal food source...like shad colors....but others say match the hatch....I say, whatever works!


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## COmmodore 64

Interesting. I just stopped by Land Big Fish and bought some fuzzy jigs. I should have got some black ones.


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## buckzye11

I did a test run of all my tube colors today in stained water(man i got alot of tubes). I wanted to catch fish of course, but my main goal was to see which one really took the crown. I'm sure there were many variables that don't make this scientific(area fished, time of day, fish movement) Most tubes caught crappie, but IMO the Blackfront/Whiteback combo was the clear winner(can't get anymore contrast then that). Strikes were harder, and caught more.Thanks Intimidator for the good info! I had always assumed the brights were best for crappie in any situation, but i guess not. Try the Black/White combo out see if you agree!


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## Intimidator

buckzye11 said:


> I did a test run of all my tube colors today in stained water(man i got alot of tubes). I wanted to catch fish of course, but my main goal was to see which one really took the crown. I'm sure there were many variables that don't make this scientific(area fished, time of day, fish movement) Most tubes caught crappie, but IMO the Blackfront/Whiteback combo was the clear winner(can't get anymore contrast then that). Strikes were harder, and caught more.Thanks Intimidator for the good info! I had always assumed the brights were best for crappie in any situation, but i guess not. Try the Black/White combo out see if you agree!


My "go-to" is Smoke/Silver Glitter. But also jig head color is key! 
SpfldBassGuy and I were fishing today and I was using SSG and a dark gray (Keitech) jig head, I had lost a few jigs and put on a Chartreuse fish head jig with rattle eyes....nothing (for about 15 minutes)...same spot where I had been killing them....put another Keitech Dark Gray jig head on and started catching crappie again...we just laughed!


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## buckzye11

I was using the weighted tube hooks(1/32) that insert into the body. I looked up those Keitech heads. It looks like they only make the tungstun grey. What size do you use? I think the smallest i saw was 1/16 oz. I got those Black/White at a garage sale last year, BPS dosen't have them. I'd like to find more, i only have 5 left! Well, off to Nimisila, good luck out there friends of CJ!


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## boonecreek

going to have to get me some black/white tubes


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## Intimidator

buckzye11 said:


> I was using the weighted tube hooks(1/32) that insert into the body. I looked up those Keitech heads. It looks like they only make the tungstun grey. What size do you use? I think the smallest i saw was 1/16 oz. I got those Black/White at a garage sale last year, BPS dosen't have them. I'd like to find more, i only have 5 left! Well, off to Nimisila, good luck out there friends of CJ!


They have 1/20 and 1/32 also on Ebay (Keitech USA). I use all the weights from 1/32 to 1/8th, the weedless jigs, the regular jig heads, the skirted swimmer jigs, and 1/0 and 2/0 big hook jig heads...the quality is unmatched but they cost more (quality)...you can bend them, and straighten them over and over and the hook does not break. Yes, they are only available in grey (which will not chip) but the color still works well for me due to the stained water of CJ.


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## Intimidator

Well, this past weekend we put to bed any color myth during the spawn. I fished with 4-5 friends on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and we caught crappie on every color known to Man...the key was when they stopped hitting one color we all switched to something different and when the bite started again for one person, we all used that color and caught fish!


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## Ruminator

I'm glad to hear you and your friends were successful with your methods. :B

- by the way Brent, watch your mailbox.


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## Intimidator

Ruminator said:


> I'm glad to hear you and your friends were successful with your methods. :B
> 
> - by the way Brent, watch your mailbox.


You doing any good up North! Everything down here is flooded...I think CJ is one of the only Reservoirs that is open to fish, this is the 2nd highest I have seen CJ since it was built.


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