DIRTY WATER COLOR CHOICES

By Lance Valentine

If you’re an avid angler one thing is certain; at some time, you will be faced with fishing in dirty water. While dirty water can make fishing tough, making the right adjustments can help you catch as many fish as you can in dirty water. Lure color is one of the factors that is important every day but becomes much more important in dirty water. Over the past 30+ years of fishing I have seen a few color combos that produce better in dirty water conditions.

Jig fishing in dirty river water can really be difficult, since fish have a limited sight window and a limited time to see a jig go by so brighter colors, especially on the jig head, is important. For jig heads in dirty water I like chartreuse, orange and glow either as solid colors or in combination, and Firetiger is always a great choice. Don’t be afraid to be “too bright” with your jig color. For plastic bodies, I like to go dark. Colors like black, green pumpkin, camo and watermelon/red are all favorites of mine. The contrast between the bright jig head and the dark body also makes the presentation stand out more. For a little extra “dash” of color try dark bodies with bright (chartreuse, orange, red) tails.

Read More "CATCHING MORE FISH IN DIRTY WATER”

Trolling crawler harnesses in dirty water can be more productive with a few minor color adjustments. Bead combinations should always have contrast, but it becomes more important in dirty water. Some of my favorites bead combos for dirty water are chartreuse/black, chartreuse/orange, orange/black and yellow/dark brown. When it comes to blade color, I like copper in dirty water with a splash of color. Adding a little orange, red, chartreuse or green to the front or back of the blade with paint or tape add a little contrast and makes it easier for fish to see your blade. If the water is really dirty, a small drop of glow paint is my go-to option.

Crankbaits can be great dirty water fish catchers, especially ones that make a low frequency “THUD” sound. Dirty water calls for certain colors/combinations to keep the lure as visible as possible to the walleye. An all-time favorite in dirty is Firetiger. The combination of the 3 colors walleyes see best (fluorescent orange, chartreuse and green) catches fish every day, everywhere. Other combos I like in dirty water are Purple Demon (dark purple body/pink belly), Lights Out (black body/pink dots and head), Raspberry Dolphin (Copper body/purple head/pink belly), LV Frog (black body/flo green dots) and JLOW (solid orange body).

Read More "DIRTY WATER SCENT AND SOUND”

Most days lure color is not that important of a factor for fishing success, but as the water gets dirtier choosing colors and color combos that stay “visible” to walleye is critical. Try some of these dirty water color tips next time your faced with tough conditions and see how you do!