Colors

[Thearcher1340]

     Hey all u guys that use plastics, is there any color you prefer more during the hardwater season? Or is it more a personal preference.  Does it seem a color works better for u during ice season than open water

[Idahogator]

Depends on the target species.

Chartreuse and black, just to get this started.       

[Spider1]

what works one day might get you skunked the next. Sometimes the fish on one side of the lake likes blue while the fish on the other side like red. That's probably why they're on different sides of the lake. Bring different colors and see what the fish under you likes.

[hardwater diehard]

I tend to stick to natural colors brown/black/mud green ...but have a colorful assortment ready willing an able if need be ...match the hatch if you can... see what they are burping up ...see what bugs/larva are around your hole after drilling.... mostly in shallow water . Don't forget profile ...could be all about the available forage as opposed to color ...if its a minnow day or lake ..you may not get a bite if using a bug/larva imitation no matter what the color ...and as always size matters ...with plastics you can pinch the bodies/tails/tentacles and change the profile and action .

[UFCreel]

Have been out many times. Where I start with chartreuse and am killing them (crappies). Then you notice after a while it slows down or becomes nonexistent. Change of color time. Maybe a 50 foot move is in order too. Use a camera too see if you are still on fish. If you are still on them do the color thing or change up the profile of your rig. Mostly though I find changing color is the key.

[mono_mono]

If I was stranded out there for months and months it would have to be white

[lostbrit]

I did use pink, chartreuse to start but last season I went with a more natural looking bait with great success.

[GoldenGraham]

Chartreuse is definitely my favorite starting point, some days I'm more attracted to that color than the fish. Depending on the bite and water clarity I will change colors(pink, white, orange, green, and brown most often) until I find what the fish are getting excited about. In the early morning or late in the day I will often use something with a bit of "glow" in it.

As hardwater diehard said before, size is important. I've had many experiences where I am just not getting any hits, but then I toss on the exact same thing in a smaller size they start hammering it like crazy which was kind of cool.

[Stinkybaits]

I use white more than not.

[Swift]

Black, red and gold on jigs ..... black, red and motor oil (browns) for plastics for the clear water I fish during the day. Glow red at night.  Simply my standard colors for years that work. Believe that overall size, shape, location, time of year/day mixed with  your overall presentation is much more important than color is. Asst colors are usually to get you to buy more product, freely admit that I'm as guilty as anyone     Open water is basically the same but usually a little larger.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

     Hey all u guys that use plastics, is there any color you prefer more during the hardwater season? Or is it more a personal preference.  Does it seem a color works better for u during ice season than open water

I think plastic color preference depends on the lake/area, and the type of forage that is most abundant in the lake for fish........Personally in NW Iowa my go to and main color for plastics when pan fishing is red.....most of my winter plastics are red. However, the white plastic perch eye from northland does work to catch walleye and pike when on a spoon jigging.........still blew me away it actually worked.

[JiggingIowa]

Have had a lot of luck with black on crappies, otherwise a light red or glow red is my all around go to for pan fish in general. Really like the little atom plastics. I buy the spidgies and rip a leg off to use, get like 18 out of it instead of the 5 wedgies that come in a pack, and are basically the same thing.

[royjulius]

If I was stranded out there for months and months it would have to be white

Yep.