Musky Lure Colours

[kickingfrog]

No right answers and almost limitless options and opinions but this is something I struggle with. For most of my fishing because of "clear" water I tend to favour natural patterns. That's my bias, but for musky I know lots go with patterns and colours that are anything but natural and I do as well, but I still have a strong desire to go natural. Anyway, it's January.

[lew]

You'll never go wrong with black & orange.

[kickingfrog]

I've got a couple (dozen) lures that haven't produced fish and that is what I've considered painting them. Jail bird stripes on one and skunk on another. Yellow/black is the other I've considered.

 

[lew]

1 hour ago, kickingfrog said:

I've got a couple (dozen) lures that haven't produced fish and that is what I've considered painting them. Jail bird stripes on one and skunk on another. Yellow/black is the other I've considered.

 

I mention black & orange above and that was for large spinnerbaits that I ALWAYS started my day with if I was casting and caught me more fish than any other bait I had. 

Your right about yellow & black though Rob, that's another good combo. 

One of my favorite trolling baits was a yellow & black jailbird coloured 10" Believer and my best twitch bait was a yellow & black jailbird coloured Double "D". The Double "D" doesn't come in that colour from the factory but I painted mine and they really produce a lot of fish. I had other colours but none worked like the yellow & black combo

Edited January 30, 2021 by lew

[kickingfrog]

I've been looking at getting some Double D's and Triples. I've held off because I've used salt water x-raps and others to fill that niche and my lure collection out of control already, but my will is weak. 

[kickingfrog]

All my believers are natural colours (my bias). I do have a 8 inch silver with black. I've thought of painting one of them but can't bring myself to do it and the new ones come it some really nice colours that I can't bring myself to paint over either. How does that go? I don't have a tackle addiction. I have a storage problem.

[irishfield]

Guess who...

[misfish]

I KNOW I KNOW. LOL

[lew]

48 minutes ago, misfish said:

I KNOW I KNOW. LOL

He does look somewhat familiar...

[Pigeontroller]

Colour of bait least important part! Except maybe on LSC...lol

[kickingfrog]

9 minutes ago, Pigeontroller said:

Colour of bait least important part! Except maybe on LSC...lol

No doubt. Depth, action, speed and size are more important, but once that's all been sorted there is only so much that can be debated in the boat. 'Cept Marry Ann/Ginger. lol

Edited January 31, 2021 by kickingfrog

[Rizzo]

I needed to be able to select 2! On St Clair for me "natural light" has been great. But that same lure on other bodies of water hasn't done much. On those other bodies bright orange has been the ticket. Since that one "natural light" bait has probably caught around 40 fish (and it still keeps going!) I had to go with that. Funny thing is, I have bought new versions of the same bait, and they just don't produce as well. Send out the old chomped up one...it is only a matter of time.

[OhioFisherman]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LOT-OF-2-VINTAGE-CISCO-KID-DIVING-SHALLOW-6-INCH-MUSKY-FISHING-LURES/373434719351?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131231084308%26meid%3Da63d8cf3b97e4bf8ae6c7c04add46377%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D224267999773%26itm%3D373434719351%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWithAblationExplorer&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109

Probably lost more big fish on one of those up north, that color, top one, there is a difference between the two.

[kickingfrog]

7 hours ago, Rizzo said:

I needed to be able to select 2! On St Clair for me "natural light" has been great. But that same lure on other bodies of water hasn't done much. On those other bodies bright orange has been the ticket. Since that one "natural light" bait has probably caught around 40 fish (and it still keeps going!) I had to go with that. Funny thing is, I have bought new versions of the same bait, and they just don't produce as well. Send out the old chomped up one...it is only a matter of time.

Maybe I should have asked what worked best in your boat Rizzo.

[Moosebunk]

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer between natural light, natural dark or bright anything.  Kinda like Dax eludes, as long as you're fishing your "A" game you should be confident enough to know that the lure catches fish, or has a good chance, under certain conditions.

[dave524]

My rule of thumb for any new lure to me was to get the first one in black, especially a surface lure and then go with a colour for the next one

[BillM]

On 1/30/2021 at 2:40 PM, lew said:

You'll never go wrong with black & orange.

I was about to say.  As long as it's black and orange you're good  

[mepps]

I have given black/orange a try in many shapes, size and depths and its never produced for me! That said, Black/yellow has been solid! Most fish caught last season were on natural gold colours baits, but I never had success with gold in previous years. I always stick with the 2-3 colours that worked best in the past, and if they arent working that day, I change it up.

Edited February 1, 2021 by mepps

[outllaw]

hi i am on l.st cl. been building baits for a bit. clear water naturals. algae green run frog patterns. belly colors very important..in fall we run larger baits .in off waters bright colors. .action on baits is first priority.then color..contrast is the key. 

[Whopper]

On 1/30/2021 at 11:38 PM, irishfield said:

Guess who...

Ole what's his face. LOL

This thread is bringing out some of the old timers

 

[lew]

49 minutes ago, Whopper said:

Ole what's his face. LOL

This thread is bringing out some of the old timers

 

Hey Bud, remember this day ??

Fun times for sure  !!

[Whopper]

Hey Bud, remember this day ??

Yes I do Lew, we had a good time that day

[Tjames09]

On 1/30/2021 at 2:40 PM, lew said:

You'll never go wrong with black & orange.

I’ve caught lots of Muskies (not as many as you that’s for sure lol), but I’ve never caught a single one on black orange and I ALWAYS throw a black orange lure but it never catches. 
 

I fish Kawarthas and natural lutes just work better for me.

 

sometimes maybe it’s just confidence. But I do well with “match the hatch”. And I go darker or brighter depending on sun and waves. More natural the calmer and brighter is; brighter the windier and cloudier it is. 

[kickingfrog]

On 2/2/2021 at 6:52 AM, lew said:

Hey Bud, remember this day ??

Fun times for sure  !!

Maybe I haven't focused on the musky/mustache aspect as much as I should have. lol

 

[Musky Plug]

I more often then not start off with some black/dark coloured baits when either trolling or casting, those I have the most confidence in. If that doesn’t work I usually switch to something more natural. If I’m fishing with someone else we usually run opposite colours and different size baits.