Red!

Today’s post has been brought to you by the number ZERO and the color RED.

Anyone help me on when RED is a good color to use? In over ten years of tying streamers and jigs, I have found that RED is never my go-to color, no matter what I’m fishing for. It may even be the case that the only time I’ve had success fishing [red]RED[/red] is when I use it as an accent color on white hair jigs and streamers.

My Royal Coachmans do not work as well without the red floss on the body. I also used a lot of red buck tails fishing Northerns and Muskie. I guess I have to admit though that even then red was never my go to color. Caught some fish but never produced as well as the black.

I’ve had many instances when fishing for pike that yellow, white, black, chartruese……………..were too common or the fish were just bored with those popular colors. Typically from July to Sept. I can put on a flourescent red grub/twister tail and get instant action. Sometimes the smallies have jumped on that as well. Sometimes a matching spin blade improves it but red cranks, red bucktails, and red hooks just don’t do beans for me. Only flourescent red grubs or the old Daredevile seem to do anything.

When I bobber fish during the winter and summer I always tie on a plain red hook. I think they are far more productive than any other color and I have never had real good luck with a jig under a bobber.

I wouldn’t call red my goto color…that’s perch or shad!
But I did a test on the Croix a couple Falls ago. Every time I caught a eye/sauger I changed colors of my Wally Diver. I found out every color I had worked including red! Maybe Saugers aren’t picky?

I do love red and white (Flu-Flu’s)for crappies.

I do like red Gamagatzu hooks for tying spinner rigs. Perhaps it was because they were the first color out?

I have the same problem with black and also orange. I know people swear by them for the river but I end up with the big goose egg and end up switching back to my goto’s.

Later,

Ferny.

Twelve years ago I got smoked by a guy using a red & white mini tube jig for crappies. It has been one of my four favorite color patterns for Crappies. Walleyes on the river at times love all strawberry red tube jigs. Also Red & White tube jigs can be hot for walleyes, +++ try them for Largemouth on the river in the late fall. {John}

Fishing the Des Moines River in central Iowa, red is a go to color in the fall for walleyes. A red sparkle or red bloodline (Motor oil) works very well. Also the red walleye divers work good. Winter time seems to be the best for this color.

geeez thats weird….. when I fished the des moines river, any color worked… as long as it was chartrues with an orange head!… no kiddin.. that outfished anything else so bad I quit trying…..
but… I have ALSO tried the red walley Diver…. after a tip by someone who nailed a 13.5 hawg walleye in the spring on pool 4…. and sure enough.. there are TIMES!…
and another tip I had but did not try was clear with red glitter shad bodies…. on pool 4 again… and yet another tip… a red jig head was rumored to be very hot in the pool 9 and 10 area… I had limited success with it on pool 4….. sooooooooo… guess what…? I wouldnt rule red out!… afterall how many people USE it? sometimes its the different look that catches the fish……. and red IS different….

Thanks, guys. Sounds like for most people, RED is something they also carry “Just in case” for those times when the go-to isn’t going so hot.

Appreciate all the responses.

You are correct in that chartruese with an orange head is great on the Des Moines. We have noticed that we seem to catch the bigger fish on the red sparkle. The Des Moines River used to be such a great fishery but low water for the last number of years has really changed the river. We used to catch a number of 10’s during the late fall, but it has been several years since I have caught one over 7 lbs.