Rap colors vs conditions

A quesiton that I should know the answer to, but obviously I don’t. What color raps produce better for sunny days and the same question for cloudy overcast days? Is it sunny days bright raps (silver, bronze) and cloudy days firetiger and bright colors??

Thanks for any info.

Honestly, you just have to experiment depending on the day. What I like is to run is dark lures on dark days and bright(clown) type lure on days when the sun is shining. But if that doesn’t work switch and try the other. Also matching the size and color of your lure is important this time of year. That shad are starting to get bigger and you need to try to match there color and size.

Thanks Has, I’ll give it whirl. I’ll be out tonight, unless I get blown off by the 35 mph gusts predicted for today.

I’m the first one to admit that I don’t know noth’en about fishing…but last year on the croix blue was a (notice I didn’t say only) hot color. I never had to change…although I did, I went bigger blue patterns.

This year, it seems that what works one day may not work the next. I agree with HAS…change is the key.

When the water is real dirty I use the bright colors-firetiger, chartause, clown. And when the water is cleaner I use the natural colors- perch, blue, shad, gold. Sometimes it is best to experiment. I usually start with a bright color on one rod and a natural color on the other to see what they want.

Gator Hunter

When you are running two, are you using boards?? I tried running two the other night, one in my hand, and the other in a rod holder. Once I made bottom contact on both, it seemed that I was always snagging up with one. I’d stop, get the snag out and try again. Is there a secret to running two?? And how do you know when you have a fish on the rod that is not in your hand?? I am running a console with the left rod holder easily within reach.

Ritt, I run two rods (no boards) with 3 – ways or bottom bouncers. Once I make contact with the bottom…(3 times to ensure I am on the bottom) I crank the one that will be in the holder about 3 to 4 cranks. But this really depends on the area you’re going to be fishing. If you’re starting in 28 feet and know you are going shallower, sometimes I make adjustments right away…sometimes as I’m trolling.
I would recomment a second rod holder. If you don’t stop your boat when you have a fish on the rod in the holder, you’re taking a big chance of hooking another fish or worse a snag and losing the rod to the Croix!

I’m guessing you are fishing the rod in the holder too deep by your question. Although you should see some lure action in your rod tip while trolling, you will know when a fish is on. But if you are bouncing it along the bottom, it’s going to look like a fish is on…all the time.

In a nut shell…keep your lure as close to the bottom as you can…without bumping it.

There maybe other thought on this out there too, but that’s the way I run them.

Brian

Thanks Brian, I’ll give that a shot tonight. So you don’t have the raps “digging” into the bottom, you run them just above the bottom. Hmmm, I’ve been plowing the lure into the bottom to ensure that I’m down there. Maybe thats one of the things I’m doing wrong. Do you get the lure to “plow”, then crank up until your just hovering above the bottom?? I was out last night and boated a few decent fish just north of prescott. Seems 3mph was the ticket.

To answer that question…yes! You’re experiancing the problems of “plowing” with the rod in the holder. I would plow the rod in my hand. It’s a lot less running around…unless you have a fish on. You might even find the lure that’s running higher gets more fish than plowing.

Are you using floating or a diving crank. I know some folks are having luck right now using deep divers without any weight and others using the 3 ways with floaters. I would imagine if you were to use a diver with a 3 way, you would be having the same problems.

I hope to get out today too. Let me know how you did and I’ll do the same.

Ps…if you are catching fish…you aren’t doing anything wrong…

And I’m glad it 3 mph, my trolling motor is in for repair. I’m going to be trolling with the 90! But HAS does it all the time and a ton of fish have seen the inside of his boat…so it can be done!

Brian,
If you get going to fast, throw her in nuetral for awhile. Otherwise throw out a drift sock off the back and that’ll do it. Have fun, walleyes are starting to go.

Hey Brian thanks for the help. I picked up some new tilting rod holders yesterday and some some more dt 16’s. I love those new raps, you don’t have to let out so much line to get them babies down there. Last night I put both rods in the holders, put the motor in gear and started releasing line from both rods at the same time. Depending on the depth, I would count (outloud) the number of seconds the line was free spooling. After a couple runs at it, I finally got to the point where I was dang near right on the depth with my counting. If one or both rods would starting plowing, I would crank her up some and continue on my way. Seemed to work. I put some nice fish in the boat and only had a few minor human errors. Speed over 3mph was the going rate. Started the late afternoon with more natural colors, as the sun was going down, went to more silver shiny baits. Then I got myself in a tangled messed and called it a night. Any ideas on how to get a rats nest out of a baitcaster spooled with fireline?? I don’t want to cut $11 worth of line off because I got cocky and tried to set the world record for casting.

Believe it or not, I should be able to get it out. Due to wire/cable pulling experience I’ve got an uncanny ability to work with backlashes, provided it’s a superline. I can meet you somewhere in Hastings on Wed. or Thur. evening. Send me pm to let me know when and where.

Stillakid, I might have to take you up on that offer. But I’m going to give it one more shot tonight. I’ll send you a pm in the morning on how I came out.