the "no paint" lure

[Headhunter]

I caught a pile of bass, no clue how many, and at the time my largest bass were caught on it (and several hybrids) on this lure. Actually it does have a flake of paint or 2.

It is a Dalton Special and I believe the color when new was "bass oreno". I think.

The majority of bass I caught on it, actually was after the paint was basically all gone. I finally retired it. May put some gamakatsu's on it and try it a time or 2.

Makes you wonder how important may be at times.

 

[younggun308]

Looks pretty natural, but visible because of how dark it is. Did you notice it working better in specific conditions? (cloudy days, etc?
Or was "topwater o'clock" more important?

 

[Headhunter]

Looks pretty natural, but visible because of how dark it is. Did you notice it working better in specific conditions? (cloudy days, etc?
Or was "topwater o'clock" more important?

Didn't matter that I could tell, if fish were shallow they would hammer it.

 

[Spurhunter]

I've had some crankbaits that wouldn't have a lot of paint on them after so many fish. The fish didn't care. Some baits are just special. The sound, the action, the vibration, or whatever it is makes them irresistible. Then you lose it and can buy 20 more just like it that won't ever get bit.

 

[younggun308]

I've had some crankbaits that wouldn't have a lot of paint on them after so many fish. The fish didn't care. Some baits are just special. The sound, the action, the vibration, or whatever it is makes them irresistible. Then you lose it and can buy 20 more just like it that won't ever get bit.

Topwaters: the box calls of the fishing world

 

[sll]

Topwaters: the box calls of the fishing world

Good analogy. Topwaters are definitely "silouette" baits and color is usually not important.....that is why clear Spooks are hard to beat in clear water.

That being said, many years ago I won a 3 day tourney on Lake Russell in SC/GA on a balsa flatside that I had just had made and had painted the day before I left for the trip. The clearcoat didn't have time to cure properly and on the first day of the tourney almost all of the paint came off of it with the structure I was grinding it through and all of the fish I caught on it. On days 2 and 3 the plug was mainly "wood" finish, but it didn't matter as the fish kept eating it and I kept throwing it. That bait just had the right action for the time of year and I beat second place by over 20 pounds. That bait became known as the "Plywood Plug" by my peers .

 

[Headhunter]

Good analogy. Topwaters are definitely "silouette" baits and color is usually not important.....that is why clear Spooks are hard to beat in clear water.

That being said, many years ago I won a 3 day tourney on Lake Russell in SC/GA on a balsa flatside that I had just had made and had painted the day before I left for the trip. The clearcoat didn't have time to cure properly and on the first day of the tourney almost all of the paint came off of it with the structure I was grinding it through and all of the fish I caught on it. On days 2 and 3 the plug was mainly "wood" finish, but it didn't matter as the fish kept eating it and I kept throwing it. That bait just had the right action for the time of year and I beat second place by over 20 pounds. That bait became known as the "Plywood Plug" by my peers .

With an exception, not for bass as much as stripers and hybrids. I have seen both key on a color that it did not make sense. blue and chrome or black and chrome redfin, on occasion they will have a preference, one over the other, to the extent if you did not have the right color on, you almost would not even get hit, much less catch one, while the guy with the right one for the day (either blue and chrome or black and chrome) and it makes no sense. The lure is being waked so the blue and black part are almost out of the water. Then another day you can fish with a redfin that has the paint, most any color, knocked off it, and they will kill it. I have been in a line of people on the bank and if you didn't a jumpin minnow in what we called "copper bopper" (black on top, copper on the sides, orange on the bottom) you almost wouldn't catch a fish.

 

[Pilchard]

I've heard many highly-respected fisherman argue the importance of color. Personally I believe it's more about how you are wiggling your bait than what color it is. It's the reason two fisherman can fish right beside each other with the same bait and have such wildly different success rates. Ever heard the old expression "you ain't holding your mouth right"?

It becomes especially apparent in fly fishing in clear water where you can watch the fish react to your presentation. I have pushed many people around on a skiff that have not got a bite after 15 or 20 shots at laid up fish. They get frustrated and say you try.... and the next guy gets a bite on the very next fish.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

it's more about how you are wiggling your bait than what color it is.

TWSS

 

[Dbllunger]

Personally I believe it's more about how you are wiggling your bait than what color it is.

Dadgummit! Buzzard beat me to it.