Clear lures

[Senkosam]

Years ago I decided to try a Roger's clear deep dive crankbait and was surprised that it caught bass. But recently, I put together a few reasons for a clear baits success that has nothing to do with color or it's absence.

Subsurface lures displace water and, according to research marine biologists, can be felt by the lateral line and amplified by it's air sac. If the lure has a pronounce action, so much the better for easier detection.

If rattles or bb's are included, they can be felt and heard. Supposedly the lateral line can detect object size, direction and speed of movement. It reminds me of the enemy aircraft silhouettes used during WW2 by civil defense watchers, to determine which type of bomber was entering their airspace. No details, just outline.

Maybe a lure in muddy water or on a moonless night, is nothing more than a sonic silhouette. (As far as I know, bass night vision hasn't been comparable to a cat's.) I'll bet if you make certain styles of baits in clear plastic or plastic of a light tint or a little tiny glitter, they would be as effective as translucent or opaque lures much of the time.

We think of finesse meaning small and delicate, worked slowly and methodically. Colorlessness might be considered a finesse characteristic. Clear-with-flake is nothing more than clear%pepper, when the lure is seen by a fish looking up at it. When I send samples out, I'll include some sample clear sticks with tiny glitter.

I've observed that clear with a medium amount of glitter produces a laminated effect. The same lure viewed against a darker or solid background, with the light source above, is almost solid color appearing.

Laminar

solid color / same stick

(*the colors are marigold, lime and kelly green)

Sam

[siebler_custom_baits]

Let me tell you a clear soft jerkbait is often awsome here. ONly thing as compaired to something with pearl is you cant see it as well when it is being worked.

[Senkosam]

CJ, I've found that the flash is the most visible thing in the water, in clear plastic. I think your right about totally clear, but pearl also has a great flash affect.

The two sticks on top are the same, except that when viewed from different angles, look totally different in color and flash.

Clear plastic was poured half way up the cavity, some flakes sprinkled in the middle and then covered the rest of the way with clear plastic. Clear plastic is a magnifier, so when viewed from the top, shows glitter 2x it's size. When viewed from the side, only a thin line is seen.

(The stick at the bottom consists of clear plastic and floured salt to give it a milky appearance, showing the opacity of salt in clear plastic. It may turn out to be an interesting laminate - salt/clear with flake.)

[GB GONE]

Sam:

Clear baits definitely have their place. I know guys that use a real light smoke purple with purple/silver/black flake for the table rock shad look.

They catch the crap out of them in any plastic (stick, worm, lizard, etc.) bait poured that way Arkansas shiner is a similar story.

We could probably take a page from the hard baits guys and pour clear baits with flake that imitate the colors of baits they paint but just use glitter combos. Gives me some ideas...

Good info Sam.

Jim

[nova]

A while ago I had a customer order a couple hundred completely clear(no glitter at all) flukes from me. I thought he was nuts, silly me.

[Senkosam]

pour clear baits with flake that imitate the colors of baits they paint but just use glitter combos.

Zoom and Riverside have done just that but only in laminate form, using pearl and opaque layers. Others have followed, but those two companies perfected the process. Riverside's firetiger consisted of emeral green dye with a small amount of pearl, yam yellow with pearl and a florescent orange belly. The green had black flakes.

I came close enough last year and caught fish with my fire tiger laminate.

Using only glitter may not produce the same effect as that of a crankbait pattern, but then again the handpourer is looking for a different effect using soft plastic.

[GB GONE]

Hey Sam:

Where do you get that floured salt?? Been looking for some and I have heard others mention it.

Jim

[Senkosam]

Plain ol' table salt ground with a $10-coffee bean grinder, (which doubles to grind my Dunk'n Donuts beans ).

Sam

[Fish_N_Fool]

I use an old upright blender with a clear container on top that I got from the goodwill for $3 . It works great and is ez to pour out of. it only takes about 3 mins to make it a powder. put about a cup of salt in a at a time too much makes it over heat, to little makes it fog in the air.

[RobShaw]

The #1 color of choice for night fishing is usually BLACK. Same concept here.

Ive won several tournaments over the years with a clear torpedo worked on the surface on bright sunny days. Ive always believed that the silhoutte and water movement/sound can often times be more important than actual color. I also believe that there are many times when you would NOT want to have a natural looking color. It may bring too close attention to your ARTIFICIAL lure!

Ive been pouring baits for over 10 years now. While I can make just about any color (veins/hi lite/laminates/etc) the colors that i routinely pour for my own use are basic whites, darks, greens, and browns.

I think the best thing i like about Tackle Underground are the pics. Some of the baits Ive seen here are truly works of art!

Im also a huge fan of Big Z and Robert Jones. The imagination and quality workmanship of these 2 individuals are without equal!