the paddletail again....

[ctom]

Walleye fishing on the Mississippi River has been heating up something unreal lately given the super mild weather that winter has handed us and a color pattern has come to light that seems to be getting plenty of bruiser sized fish. The color is called Firecracker/ chartreuse tail. Purple Firecracker/chartreuse tail hase been equally hot. That got me thinking so after church this morning I hit the shooting table and came up with this hybrid color that suits both of the others.

 


The original colors call for some silver in them but I just flat out don't like silver and haven't even got the color so I tossed in some copper with the green, blue and purple. Being a clear base and wanting to touch on both colors in one I simply added a small amount of violet hi lites and wallah!. The chartreuse tail section is straight chartreuse with just a dab of violet hilites. Both the clear and the chartreuse have some depth with the hi lites. I'm pretty sure I have a winner here and Friday will tell all if the weather stays as it is and we can get the boat to the river.

As mentioned, quite a few fish between 6 and 8 pounds have been lassoed there in the last week and most of them have fallen for the two firecracker colors. I'm going to cast up some 1/4 ounce heads on #2 Sickle hooks now to partner with these baits. Jason....I think you may have score a winner in a couple circles with this mold.

[pjmcla]

Super nice Looking baits.  Is that .035 or .015 glitter?

[ctom]

That would be the .015 glitter. I only use that size in all of my plastic.

I just had this plastic out in the sun to gawk at it and man that glitter just rolls color out of the bait clear from the other, or shaded, side of the bait and with the little smear of hi lites the colors are something else.

I use Jason's glitter in some of my powder paint recipes too where it does an equally impressive job. Good stuff.

I've been tossing around the idea of some of the string glitter in a couple of applications. Anybody else use it? How do you like it if you do? 

[pjmcla]

Thanks for the reply. 
I have used the Silver Holo string in some 3 & 3.5 inch carrots.  I would think it would be a little large for the small fries, esp if you always have used .015.  It has an interesting effect.  I prefer the standard holo glitter.  But; I have not used much of the string; so it may just be I haven't gotten used to it.

[Muskygary]

Those baits look great Tom, and the best thing is that your the only one with that exact color!!

[ctom]

What I find super interesting is how different areas of the country tend to lean towards one type of coloring while another area goes in a different direction. I sent this pic to a buddy in up-state New York and he just replied saying something to the effect of "you have to be kidding". I do have to admit that the upper Mississippi River along the Wisconsin/Minnesota border get steered into some color combinations that seem a bit wild, but they work. I shorten up quite a lot of the store shelf plastics sold as walleye baits and use them for crappies with solid success. Now that I make the stuff myself I see a real lack of store related plastics shopping in the future. And Muskygary, it is nice to have a color that others don't. I am sure the walleyes will like the color too.   

[pjmcla]

Was it the Chartreuse tail he was thinking was wrong ( or weird )?   
I thought Chartreuse tails were universal.  They certainly are in the South East.

[ctom]

pj....I think he was referring to the glitter colors. That chartreuse tail is a hot addition all over.