Field testing jigs

We have field-tested mini jigs over the years. I've had the privilege of fishing with the first of the tubes skirts . Before I get into fuel testing myself. We would like to ask you guys what are your favorite colors of jigs also the size. And do you have any field testing experience. Now about my field-tested I have tried every type of jig that there is with all types of materials over the years I've come to conclusion that there's only two jigs that I normally use on a regular basis we use hair jigs all soul hackle. My color preference may surprise you normally we try to use a pattern to match with the fish are feeding on. I prefer to use gray and brown shades. If you probably know fish or color blind or are they. Field testing different shades I found out a lot from dark to light it makes a difference to them. We found out a standard gray shade would be light that is the most common color that I use and we are very successful with it. Using brown in different shades is really interesting we found out from dark to light and somewhere in between they seem to like best. The brown color that I use is similar to a brown yellow shade. The most popular size that I use is one 32nd ounce that is a size that I can't most of my crappie on . We know many of you use florescent colors which are not my favorite. The only thing that florescent colors do is catch fishermen. As you probably know many of us that tie jigs will use for florescent paint because it looks good . So there you have my Experian's is a fuel tester. We've also field-tested for Berks Co. but that is another story in another time so let me know what you guys think using your jigs and experiences with size and color bob.

Ok that is intresting NOW. Lets come south into East Texas. The water in Caddo lake is very seldom clear. Most of the time after a jig goes down 12 inches it is lost to sight. On a clear day (water wise) maybe two feet visiblity. On those days the only jig that will take fish is the electric chichen. On a cloudy overcast day I will go to a darker color jig. On a day that the water is dirty ,It will run a red brown color ( ask Flatfish )and you can see down maybe 6 inches. At that time very dark color jigs black and brown. Most of the time on a normal day 10 to 12 inches of visiblity I use Electric Chichen, White and blue (tail/body), white and black, yellow and black, yellow and purple.

Now travel to LOP or Toledo Bend, or Lake Fork it is a different story. Flatfish and I had a conversation on this about three days ago. I am under the opion that water tint, sky cover, temp, and bait fish varity will be the factor in what jig that should be used. It will very because each body of water is different. One should be versitile and be willing to change to be able to catch fish. What works in one lake may not take one fish in a nother. Today when I go out I will start out fishing the river at 14 feet with a electric chichen. before the day is out I might have to be on Big lake in the sturmp fields with a white and blue tube jig at 8 feet in order to catch Crappies.

Something I would like to see is a study to see if there is a differance in say the fathead minnow that is in the deep south compared to the fathead That is in the lakes in the upper mid-west. Even the color of the bluegill fry in Wright-Patman Res. compared to the fry in Lake Fork. Some biologist should be able to get some Porkulus money for a study like that!!!

Go where the fish are and fish a jig to match what they are feeding on at the right depth when they are feeding. Now that equals success no matter where you fish. This is just my opion.

Good fishing

Redman

depends on where you are fishing . Each body of water can be different, as to what the fish will bite, you really need to have plenty of colors around here.

well I'm no pro but i know one things different colors work on different days. so if fish dont care about Flo colors how come i can be fishing the same spot fora hour with only a few bites then swith colors and nail them faster then i can unhook them? I mean like switching from flo pink to flo yellow or Chart. And I know the small mouth up here will only hit my red and white jigs and wont touch any other colors so why is that? I am asking this not because i think i know anything but because im curious i never got into all that cloudy day rain overcast sun in the east rising on my dogs ass so i gatta use black today crap lol but just swith colors tell they hit.

Joe

Oh and 64thoz is my favorite size in Green chart with flo blue kiptail

The clearer the water the more nuetral colors work better like grays,whites,cream,tan,etc...But when water is stained or muddy you need brighter colors like pinks,oranges,chartreuse in order for them to even see a bait. I defintely wouldn't take one color fishing and 20 different colors still wouldn't be enough.Here in Missouri conditions change so much in a day I have to bring a big assortment. I never will have enough colors to choose from although I have my favorites.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jiggin_Joe

i never got into all that cloudy day rain overcast sun in the east rising on my dogs ass so i gatta use black today crap lol but just swith colors tell they hit.

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LOL

I don't tie most of my jigs in flo colors for nothing or because I think they look cool- actually I hate the color pink but for some dang reason crappie like it, esp. in lots of Oklahoma waters that are never clear

I have always used jigheads with a grub of somekind for panfish.Every size and kind.Since I came on this site I saw all your pretty little tied things and started myself.I tried every color and came up with just two that constantly catch fish.I'm not even going to paint them,for me any more.Trial and error.I came up with these.1/8 and 1/16,I like 1/4 oz,also for crappie.Depends on whether the wind is blowing or not.With the 1/4's I catch a lot of bass which makes my buddies mad,lol.

Jiggin Joe, you just aint right!! I tie what appeals to me, has been referred to me as working well, and finally what catches fish. Gotta start somewhere. I tie the hackle to slow the fall and give em more face time with the jig, and because I like the looks of it. Colors are an ongoing education for me. Been told for years some colors and styles will work, only to find they don't git it for me. Just gave away all my tubes to my friend with the stall at the flea mkt, hadn't used em in over a year. Now that I tie I realize that if I just tie for me, I don't need much in the way of materials. To tie what works for others and to answer my questions as to whether or not this is or aint the deal, I'll have a boatload of stuff that I don't use much. Fact is it's fun and I enjoy watching folks go on how they really like this or that for whatever reason. I give lots of mine away to friends and people I've just met and tell them "let me know what you think". We'll see how that works. Gray is working well. Chartreuse and black is also on the "A" list, along with red/chart and red/white. I was told recently that blue is seen at deeper depths than other colors so a few of those is no doubt in the future. I think this may be one of the longstanding discussions in fishing. Looking forward to reading this in a week or so when more folks have had time to respond.

Do fish see color? I have a link that I guess the web page is going under some construction that talks about just this. It seems fish probably can see shades we can not from that info. They have more cones and what ever else in their eyes than we do. Hopefully before long that page can be accessed again so you can read it for your self.

Florescent colors don't show the Florescent part under water, but it doesn't mean that we know what the fish see in them.

Skip

Okay guys here's a little bit of a experiment to do. This will tell you exactly what the fish see because they are colorblind. I want you to lay out a bunch of jigs all different colors and take a black-and-white picture you are going to be surprised by what you see. This will give you a good ideal on what the fish are seeing. Here is a picture of a little bit of Chanel that I tie with.:Dhttp://i593.photobucket.com/albums/t...fishing009.jpg[/IMG]

Well my original like is not working still, but here are a few of the indications that fish do see colors and are not color blind. Lots of great info on these links for you to come to your own decision.
Skip

Fish See in Colors

You may have to hit the back button to read this one since it auto moves on.
Do fish see color? An article by Lynn Ensley

Ah, here is the one that talks about the rods and cones...
Do Fish See in Color

Fishing Lures/Fish of the Great Lakes by Wisconsin Sea Grant

What do fish see?

Make your own decisions on what you believe, but if you read all of these I would think you may have more sight into this, LOL!

Very interesting skip I read all the literature and I will not make any comment right now I want to see what the rest of guys think after they read the information. But very excellent skip thank you.

I Thinkthere's A Little Too Much Color On The Market. Colors Catch Fisherman Not Fish. Painted Jig Head Is A Myth I Never Use Painted Heads And Can Fish Along Side Of Most Good Crappie Fisherman With Little More Then 4-6 Colors And 1/16 Jig Head #4 Hook

Here is all I know while not a BIG believer in any certain color. One year in Canada only a flouresent PINK jig head worked. Out of 20 guys at the camp 21 counting the owner I was the only one with the pink jig heads.

The last four days I was the only one catching Walleyes from that particular lake at that particular time. They were nothing special just 1/16 oz heads tipped with minnow. The first 3 days of our 7 day trip I caught the most walleyes. As stated before the last 4 days I was the ONLY one that caught walleye.


The day we left I gave all 6 pinkies I had to camp owner/operator. You would have thought I gave him 6 ounces of gold.

Locally, mute colors do not catch crappie here. Red and white, pink and white and orange and white catch more crappie in local lakes than anything except bait. Browns, tans, grays and blacks catch very few fish. Water in my favorite lake is always stained coffee brown. I know that mute and natural colors don't work there because that is all I used and was out fished 200:3. I now have a lot of red, orange and pink jigs with white tails so hopefully next year I will catch something I can bring home out there.

Now when it comes to trout, I can throw on a peacock hurl body, peacock sword tail fly or jig here and catch them all day long. Colors, not really, maybe some iridescent, but the fish will hit them before they will hit most other colors both bright and dark. And it didn't make any difference what type of day it was, cloudy, bright, rain or shine, the peacock always works. They must be seeing something I don't because imitation peacock doesn't work even close to as well as the real stuff.

Somewhere I saw a chart of what color is seen and how it is seen at what depth in clear water. It was amazing how easily you could tell that different types and shades of the same colors were still different when all trace of actual color was gone, to us anyway.

I do know this about color and fishing. Throw a mini red glow stick on a hook in the ocean and you will catch more bottom fish. Why? Don't now but it works. Other colors will work but I have never done better than with a red glow stick. If fish are truly color blind I would think all they would see is a bright light or nothing which would likely not get them to bite.

There may be proof someday that fish don't see color but until I have mute colors that match what fish see exactly the same as they see the colors I use now I am gonna stick with using lots and lots of color.