Here is the color that the bass were loving tonight on Austin
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Yes thats an 8in weagle, and the bass was around 21 in.
Had a slightly smaller one hit a teardrop frog too.
No Muskie on the frog pattern.
I've seen where bass (particularly largemouth) can be an indicator of the wrong color more often than the right color. The same could be said for pike too, I guess.
Isn't it also been said if you are finding small pike in an area you are looking for muskies that is a bad sign? Ive heard this for a lot of shield lakes, and usually holds true, but not always.
"swanezy" said:
Isn't it also been said if you are finding small pike in an area you are looking for muskies that is a bad sign? Ive heard this for a lot of shield lakes, and usually holds true, but not always.
I've heard that as well, but then have had a handful of times where a big skie will follow in after the hooked pike. I've actually caught some muskies up north on hooked pike and that is why I always leave hooked hammerhandles in the water for a couple extra seconds.
Musky Prey, That same brite green Frog was extremely hot on Osterhout for about 5 years. Our Little Claws in that florescent green frog took about 50 fish when nothing else worked. Kid Coulson got in on that bite while it was hot.
It was a contrast thing Im sure as Ive seen Chartruse and Black Bucktails extremely hot on lakes like Campau and Austin before. Michelle had a Chartruse and black Squirrely Burt that rocked as well.
When it comes to frog patterns I just dont know why they work like they do. 15 Muskies in one day last year all on four lures all frogs and NOTHING ELSE GOT BIT. We ran perch, bass, whites, shads, sucker patterns and carp but it was Olive frog and blue frog that did all the damage. A man cant get much more proof then that in regards to colors ,patterns and preferences by muskies. Another very important thing that day that we learned was that those fish preferred jointed baits over straights. On that day We had exactly four frog colors in the boat. Of the 15 fish 12 came on the two old Lokes and three on Little claws in Olive and green Frog. One fish even ate two baits.
What absolutely baffles me is why I dont sell hundreds of Frog colors every year. On Michigan inland lakes they out perform every other color we use. I write it off to lures that catch fish versus lures that catch fisherman. I sell tons of Fire Tigers and cool Whitefish, Ciscos, Walleyes and such but Michelle and My top producing colors still go unnoticed most of the time. Last year on Hudson, Lower Crooked, Several years back on Ovid, 6 ,7 and 8 fish days on St. Clair, Multiple fish days on Murray all on Olive and Blue Frogs. Only a couple people in this club and a handful around the country take advantage of these colors.
On Ebay Ill put an Olive frog Slasher out there and be lucky to get 9.99 on it. Ill put some extremely bright Chartruse and Candy apple red shad out there and Get 40 bucks for it. Makes no sense to me AT ALL. In all truth colors catch Fisherman. Guys buy flame jobs and prisms,glow in the dark , rattles, 3-D EYES and now even snakeskins and pay boo koo bucks but I have yet to see one of these awesome colors out perform a dull tan perch or an Olive Frog. As a Lure maker I have to paint what guys want so I have the perfect scientific testing ground for what colors work and what colors sell. The two do not match. The colors that catch the most fish are the lowest selling colors I sell. It baffles me…. Mike
Only fish for us on the opener you guessed it . Loke Crackle Frog [smilie=2thumbsup.gif] . A real good fisherman named Cooper Smith should weigh in on this conversation as should Chad Sandy. These two troll St. Clair a lot and can also testify as to the way water colors dictate lure colors. I doubt we will ever know exactly why certain colors go on certain days but my best guess is water clarity, waves, current, and speed all have effects on what a color and pattern look like to a fish on a given day. The position of the sun ,cloud cover or lack of cloud cover etc.
I have to go with color matters in most every situation. I have had it proven to me way to many times even in the last week while fishing for blue gills. They only wanted yellow or silver soft plastics. White and black wer not touched but they pounded chartruse 1 inch grubs. Clear water no stain at all. The evidence just keeps proving to me that color is as important as both action and presentation. Mike
"ricky sox wrangler" said:
Mike, someone we both know put me onto 3 fish in 35 minutes with a crackle frog loke and the reason he gave to me for switching to that lure was the sky conditions. He's also told me that you were the one that turned him on to the lokes.
Hmm that would be our friend Brad on the River ? He also fished a lot with John Mulliet before John Died. The contrast on the Crackle Frog is vivid. Bright yellow with that cracked green and black spots. There are times in the Detroit River when that color can not be out fished.
As for the debate on colors? it will go on and on and on with as many claiming color matters as those who claim it doesn't. Ill always be in the group that believes color DOES matter. Mike
Pretty sure we got off the topic on this one…
The question was: Last time out I caught 2 largemouths on muskie baits, and I thought that maybe I found a color that was working in that water condition that day. Do you find that to be true elsewhere, or are my annoying fears correct that something was wrong with my choice???
or…am I overthinking like usual?!?!
It wasn't does color matter it was about largemouths and other species being an indicator of a good color.
"Will Schultz" said:
Pretty sure we got off the topic on this one…The question was: Last time out I caught 2 largemouths on muskie baits, and I thought that maybe I found a color that was working in that water condition that day. Do you find that to be true elsewhere, or are my annoying fears correct that something was wrong with my choice???
or…am I overthinking like usual?!?!It wasn't does color matter it was about largemouths and other species being an indicator of a good color.
Not sure about the over-thinking part Will.
To continue with the pic earlier posted, about 45 minutes later I was in a downpour (the banquet rain gear is absolutely awesome, can thank the donor enough on the quality of gear) had switched to a perch colored glide and had 2 follows in 5 casts on a flats area that had no weeds or structure that I can recall. One came in so hot it followed 1 complete turn on a figure (circle 8). It was windy and waves 1-2 at the time.
So perch was on for Muskie at that particular location and conditions. Interesting to say the least. 😀
"vano397" said:
As usual I wake up at night thinking about what I could have done better the last time I fished…nightmares are aweful!
And my last trip out is none different!
So my question:
Last time out I caught 2 largemouths on muskie baits, and I thought that maybe I found a color that was working in that water condition that day. Do you find that to be true elsewhere, or are my annoying fears correct that something was wrong with my choice???
or…am I overthinking like usual?!?!
Michelle and I always catch bass on Musky baits. On Lower Crooked I got two bass on one lure(orange belly fire perch Shallow Rippin Shad. That same color worked well in Indiana on Muskies. My guess is it is more of profile thing then color in my example. The lake in Indiana has blue Gill shaped forage so the Rippin Shad does real well. Lower Crooked is more of a diverse fishery in regards to forage. The bass there seem to like the smaller panfish shaped lures and the Muskies like the longer Jointed more slender profile baits. But both bass and Musky ate the same color(fire Perch) but on two different lakes. Like I said in my prior posts I believe that all the variables come into play. sunshine, water clarity, casting or trolling, color and profile.
On a side note the day I caught two Bass on one lure(fire perch) I caught 6 Muskies on Olive Frog . The bass were tight to weed cover and Muskies were out over open water. The bass were caught casting and the Muskies trolling . So,,, in this case the color that caught the bass had zero effect on Muskies that day as did casting for them. I would not however take this evidence as what will happen every time out. So much comes into play every time we slide a boat into a lake or river and set out to catch fish. Michelle and I have fished all over the the known Musky range and have found only one true rule. Very few lures catch fish everywhere.
For instance on of the best trolling lures ever built(Lokes) have never put a single fish in the boat for us in Lake Webster. But Tuff Shads and Rippin Shads do extremely well there. Frog patterns do great in Michigan but do not produce in Indiana. Your question is answered in itself. You found a good color and lure for Bass that day. If you had no luck on Muskies using that lure you were either not on Muskies(they were not where you were fishing) or were looking for a different profile , color or both. My example of Lower Crooked showed us catching bass shallow but no Muskies. W e moved to the center of the lake and caught 6 Muskies trolling Lokes in frog patterns. We returned two days later with planer boards and caught 15 Muskies trolling frog patterns. We did not catch a single bass trolling. 😀 Mike
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