FINE Fish...But, Only in Horseshoe's and Hand Grenades.

[BareKnuckleJigs]

This is not a Success Story.  I don't really know what to call it, other than Fishin'.

Fishin' Tiger Pass, where I've been Bait-Testing, on a small spot that is Fantastic to the Trained/Experienced Eye, but looks like a broken dock to most Folks.  About an hour after daylight I get there, throwing the 3" Skinny Saltwater Shrimp color that I think isn't very interesting since it has some (widely unattainable) store-bought baits in it (I'm working on the Recipe to share, Bro's), on the 1/8 oz. Scallop, 1 small Football Bass, then 1 Healthy Bass about 3 lb.s, I switch to the 3" Skinny in PGF...

After several casts, some Cast-n-Retrieve, some Crawling/Swimming along the bottom, I see some Tailing, Swirling, on the Shallow Flat.  It gets closer to the bank where I start to see some color.  OOP!  Is that a Big Flounder?!  PLEASE tell me that's a Flounder!

NO...that's a Red...that's a nice one...a good 8 lb.s, maybe better.  I cast far passed it, Swim/Crawl a little closer (NEVER Cast on top of a Fish!!!), to maybe 4-5 feet from it, it spins to the left when it spots the 3" Skinny PGF, and Takes OFF like that 3" Skinny had a Bomb strapped to it's chest.  Gone.

Why did I change from the Shrimp?!  Genious!  I changed back to the Shrimp color...keep casting.  Maybe 6-8 casts later, I see some more Swirling...that's him...cast passed...Swim to about 5-6 feet from it, I see it turn and run again, TO the bait, he sucks it up...I see my line moving toward deeper water...WHAM!  Fish on!  Stripping drag...stripping drag...stripping drag...KOOWEE that's Music!  He pauses and I gain a few cranks, takes off again...pauses...digging for my phone to get a video, more drag goes...Pauses, Head Shake...CLICK.  He's gone.  Apparently it was Lip-Hooked and the hook pulled out.  You win some, You lose some.  That's why we call it Fishing, not Catching.

To me, this spoke volumes about that Shrimp color.  It ran FROM the PGF, but ran TO the Shrimp.  Was it the same fish?  I don't know for sure, but after it was hooked, no other Swirling/Tailing or Fish was seen.  I believe it was the same fish.  I'd call it an EASY 8 lb. Redfish...possibly upwards of 9+...while not a monster, it sure would go on the Pit mighty fine.

[pjmcla]

I really liked your informative story.  

Bait and colors are an interesting case.  Bait will be one color on one lake and somewhat different on another.  Or shallow vs deep.  Or summer vs winter.
on and on.  I used to think those guys with the #2 weight fly rods fishing for striper "bait" in a shallow "ditch" in Montana were totally nuts.  They would take their fly tying equipment - TO THE BANK - and tie flies right then and there to "match the tiny insects" they just collected.  Bait is bait: right?  WRONG -  They were way ahead of me.  They knew that the clearer the water; and the higher the population of "the bait"; the closer they had to be to the "special of the day" in color and size.  After 50 years of trying to eliminate all the different ways how not to catch fish - I'm beginning to think this concept might have some merit.  

[BareKnuckleJigs]

After 50 years of trying to eliminate all the different ways how not to catch fish - I'm beginning to think this concept might have some merit.

   Roger on'nat!     Not sure why, but color definitely is a large part of it.  One area, Buras Canal in Lower Plaquemines Parish...one day it'd be Firecracker, another day it was Avocado/Neon (Watermelon/Red), next week it's Chartreuse/Red Flake, next month it's Chartreuse/Red Tail, next week it's Avocado/Neon/Red Tail.  Winter Water, Purple/Blue Flake (Electric Blue?) or Purple/Blue Flake/White Tail, or Smoke, or Smoke/Red Flake, or Smoke/Red Tail...in Deep Holes when the water's cold, or when the water's cold, sometimes the Fish will come up into the Shallow Flats during later morning hours to warm up...ALL in the same area.  I've been fishing for ALMOST my entire 33 years, and I've tried countless colors of this and that...got it "narrowed down" to 6 or 8 HandFuls of Colors...   ...with 1 HandFul of Favorites.

Let's continue Our Process of Elimination, and maybe one day we can have a Tackle Box that only weighs 3 or 4 lb.s!

[BareKnuckleJigs]

Touching again on what You said, PJM... 

Bait and colors are an interesting case.  Bait will be one color on one lake and somewhat different on another.

This time I was still fishing the same spot where I was catching the Bass and Flounder, on the 2.5" in PGF, maybe 2 weeks before.  Same basic bait, slightly different lengths, same basic rig, same presentation, but now ZERO on the PGF and even 1 "run-from"...this time they were KILLIN' the Shrimp color.  Praise GOD we have plenty Plastic, Colorant, Flake and Bags...and Stabilizer!   

[andrewlamberson]

As a life long trout fly fisherman....and bass fisherman (spin and bait casting as well as fly rod)...I am a BIG believer in always "matching the hatch"... whether it's size double dandruff mayflies....or 5" (not 4...or 6" !!!) Shad for bass...pearl white w small silver and gunmetal flake!

No matter what the fish...."Feed' em ....what they are eatin'" !

Of course that keeps fly, lure and mold companies in business ...because those darn dumb fish are always eating something different!!!

Good series of posts....very interesting (I especially like seeing other peoples color combinations and favorites).

[BareKnuckleJigs]

No matter what the fish...."Feed 'em"....what they are eatin'"!

Roger!  I'm thinking that this is the case.  The last few Cool Snaps are driving the Shrimp out, moving them back Offshore for Winter, and they're probably abundant in this.  THAT is 1 thing I didn't consider when I went that day, I was just thinking about the newly-shot Saltwater Shrimp color (and the water's still fairly warm) out of my Fresh 3" Skinny mold...I was NOT considering the Shrimp would be moving out...and the Fish would be get'n FAT on 'em.

Good series of posts....very interesting (I especially like seeing other peoples color combinations and favorites).

Thank You, Sir!  I have the Saltwater Shrimp recipe in "Color Cookbook", but it has some store-bought baits in it.  I made some of these for a guy who liked that color, but I didn't have any of the Deadley Dudley's so I just used the exact recipe, without the DD's.  I used the 10 oz.s of Plastic.  The color is VERY Nice, but it's slightly more concentrated.  I'm going to try the same recipe, but with 12 oz.s of Plastic and see how that turns out.  Judging from ALL I've seen with both batches, the "extra" 2 oz.s added to the mix will likely yield the same color as the Original Recipe with 10 oz.s and the DD's.  This color is prodominantly Brown, with a Hint of Pink, a slight Gold Pearl on the "skin", and a mild dose of .015" Black flake...quite Shrimpy (with a little "Fisherman" and "Notice-ability") by my years of Trawling Experience.  I'll definitely post the "Saltwater Shrimp AO" recipe when I do it..."AO"...All Original.

[BareKnuckleJigs]

Oh the Good Ol' Days...

[ctom]

I've had some unreal luck fishing a small shrimp-like bait, not in the flesh or pink color like so many shrimp baits come as, but an almost too thin watermelon green. The bait is one I get from a custom maker and is an ice bait...lots of legs. I think of it as a mini-shrimp. And fish like it right on the bottom and it does best in a sandy element. I hear your description of your shrimp and color BKJ and I think of this bait only that thin green.

[BareKnuckleJigs]

You'd have to see it to understand the description, as I think I didn't do too well describing the color.  Of the last several years, I won't shoot a Shrimp in such a color.  My Shrimp now on ON TIME, much more Natural/Accurate.

EDIT - I also added a few other aspects of our Shrimp into that has-been color, which didn't/don't need to be there.

[mrex]

Pearl shrimp with a chartreuse tail is hard to beat.


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[efishnc]

I really liked your informative story.   

After 50 years of trying to eliminate all the different ways how not to catch fish - I'm beginning to think this concept might have some merit. 

Yes & yes...

BKJ - you are one of the best "talkers"  I know, whether telling a real story or just spittin' out some Cajun grunts, your posts are consistently some of my favorites.

pjmcla - we all struggle at times (my avatar is proof of that), but the honesty and humor of your clincher really made me snort as I read it... glad I wasn't drinking at that moment.