You can’t go wrong with the conventional wisdom of darker-colored baits for dim days and/or stained water and brighter colors (or at least bright, reflective flecks) on sunny days.
However, when punching thick mats FLW Tour pro J.T. Kenney finds most of his strikes occur as soon as his bait penetrates the grass, so color plays a minimal role in these reaction bites.
That being said, presentations in more-open grass scenarios can benefit from a little more color-conscious approach.
Options are many, but Bassmaster Elite Series pro Dennis Tietje considers bream-mimicking patterns a good fallback.
“On colors you get a double dip by staying with green pumpkin and watermelon because not only are those fish eating crawfish, but they’re also transitioning to bream that time of year, he said. “Green pumpkin and watermelon really imitate a bream.”
As Tietje pointed out, bluegill present a wide range of hues, so experimenting beyond those two basic colors is a good bet. Observation, he said, is your best tool.
“You really have to look at your bream in your areas and match your bait color appropriately,” he said.
Brightly colored braid helps anglers notice subtle strikes while flipping and pitching, but it’s also pretty obvious to fish. So avoid spooking your quarry by coloring the last 6 feet of your line black with a permanent marker.
