San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Hello folks! I know fishing is a sport of secret sauces and combos - but for those who are newer (myself included) and who want to branch out from the dark/muddy, clear/bright stereotypes of plastics. What colors / shapes / brands are we using in what time of the year / conditions?

For me the last couple weeks I've been using a lot of TRD Craws/Tubes in Molting Craw on dropshot and Texas rig. Roboworms in Margarita's Mutilator and Bold Bluegill 6in thrown in the dropshot. I've had some fun luck with the Chart/Blue Roboworms as well.

Wacky rig I'm using senkos in Bold Bluegill and Watermelon / Red Flake @ Barret with good luck. And naturalx/ shad colored hard baits to throw in for the fun of it! I've been doing this weird thing on wacky rig and throwing a dropshot weight on the actual hook with the wacky rig over it, gives it a really nice bouncing action and fish don't seem to mind the weight near the hook.

Curious to know what the great McFish is throwing!

You can never go wrong with a t-rigged 6-10” chocolate blue vein

Thanks for sharing @Hellavate. Every bass fisherman has their favorites. I agree with @camobass that a chocolate blue vein T-Rigged worm overall has been a winner for several decades. Lots of them have been made over the years(I really liked Tightline worms and of course the Delong Otay Specials always have to be mentioned) and the latest ones I have bought are by Upton baits. I have honestly caught bass on that color in every San Diego lake at one time or another. I will try to narrow down some other colors I use because I use so many that it is hard to just say a few.
It will be interesting to see what he (@McFish)says about his favorite color because they do not make it anymore. I will text him and let him do the talking.

I'm throwing roboworms in Oxblood red flake, Aaron's magic and bitchin craw. Senkos are baby bass, green pumpkin and natural shad. All my jig trailers are the same versions of something green/brown from whatever came in a mystery tackle box.

A really good fisherman told me that he tries to match the color of the lake bottom.

Here are just some of my favorites as far as colors over the last few years.....
Yamamoto Senkos:
Green Pumpkin Lg Red Flakes, Purple Pearl w Bl Flakes and Dark Pumpkin Lg Bk Flakes.
For Craw Baits:
Strike King and Googan- I mostly use the same colors in both.
California Craw and Watermelon Red Flake.
Trailers:
Keitech Fat Swing Impact Pro Blue Shiner and Bluegill Flash
Black worms:
A worm that I do not usually talk much about is made by Bass Pro Shops.
It is a 7" Black Blue Flake Ribbon Tail worm. Works wonders in stained waters.
Don't need to waste time talking about MM, MMIII, Folkestad Specials, Aarons Morning Dawn, Baby Bluegill and Midnight Roboworms just to name a few..ha ha

Fisheromen wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 8:26 am A really good fisherman told me that he tries to match the color of the lake bottom.

So I need to find lakes with purple bottoms????

Mcfish wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 9:56 am

Fisheromen wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 8:26 am A really good fisherman told me that he tries to match the color of the lake bottom.

So I need to find lakes with purple bottoms????

nope, all you need is green pumpkin...
Time to sell everything else....

Slater wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 10:13 am

Mcfish wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 9:56 am

Fisheromen wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 8:26 am A really good fisherman told me that he tries to match the color of the lake bottom.

So I need to find lakes with purple bottoms????

nope, all you need is green pumpkin...
Time to sell everything else....

Any good bass fisherman should always have that color worm in his arsenal as you proved my point.
Tight lines buddy

VinnyBass wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 12:46 pm

Slater wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 10:13 am

Mcfish wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 9:56 am

Fisheromen wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 8:26 am A really good fisherman told me that he tries to match the color of the lake bottom.

So I need to find lakes with purple bottoms????

nope, all you need is green pumpkin...
Time to sell everything else....

Any good bass fisherman should always have that color worm in his arsenal as you proved my point.
Tight lines buddy

this is where I confuse you.....
I like the lakes with the purple bottoms....

Ischial Callosity Reservoir is in Norcal.

The brown/blue stripe does seem to work all over...in my limited experience.

VinnyBass wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 7:27 am Thanks for sharing @Hellavate. Every bass fisherman has their favorites. I agree with @camobass that a chocolate blue vein T-Rigged worm overall has been a winner for several decades. Lots of them have been made over the years(I really liked Tightline worms and of course the Delong Otay Specials always have to be mentioned) and the latest ones I have bought are by Upton baits. I have honestly caught bass on that color in every San Diego lake at one time or another. I will try to narrow down some other colors I use because I use so many that it is hard to just say a few.
It will be interesting to see what he (@McFish)says about his favorite color because they do not make it anymore. I will text him and let him do the talking.

No thank you Vinny! Still keeping an eye out for you on Murray during the week! I'm always down in Cowels Bay smashing those tulies down there.

Was seeing more and more stuff in the barret forum about spots or help getting on stuff. And dropshot seems to always kill for me! So was wanting to generate some information for the readers out there.

Mostly just drag and dropping the DS after tucking her up in some tulies.

I’m just messing around (the thing about McFish)because I know there’s times when a certain color works and then sometimes they discontinue that color. That’s why I try to stock up on baits in certain colors.Lately I’ve not been hitting the Tuleys. I’ve been just out in the middle of the lake or out off a few points looking for balls of shad. My favorite area to hit the tulles is Del Cerro Bay or San Carlos arm. I hardly ever go into Cowles Bay that’s why I probably never see you. And with the water going down I actually have not done too well in the tulles this year as much so that’s why I’ve been doing other things.
Tight lines to you and shout out to me if you see me.

I remember back when guys would swear the fish were so dialed in they’d say “they’re only eating choc/blue vein with red flake. Regular chocolate blue won’t get bit”. I loved tight line worms. When I first started shore pounding as a kid, it was The Worm Store hand pours and Magic Worms

My favorite worm for the last 15 years, Robo's Christmas/Purple/Wienie! Between that and the MMs, I can normally get on some kind of pattern. I use to only throw C/P/W at the clear lakes, but it has also worked for me at El Cap and Sutherland. Vinny insists they've discontinued the color..but I think he's just trying to make me angry!

StinkyPinky23 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 6:23 pm I remember back when guys would swear the fish were so dialed in they’d say “they’re only eating choc/blue vein with red flake. Regular chocolate blue won’t get bit”. I loved tight line worms. When I first started shore pounding as a kid, it was The Worm Store hand pours and Magic Worms

I loved the Worm Store. I was there almost every week hanging around and talking to Ron Cramer. Of course I was buying all types of reapers and plastic worms too. It was a great place to hang out……lots of great memories and really sad when it closed. I actually still have a Worm Store shirt in the back bedroom closet but doubt if I can fit in it anymore…ha ha.

I'm thinking Vinny's garage has way more worms than the Worm Store ever had! Please do not look in my garage!

Mcfish wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 7:15 pm I'm thinking Vinny's garage has way more worms than the Worm Store ever had! Please do not look in my garage!

I do have a few of your favorite color worms laying around and when you completely run out of the few you
may have, I will be willing to maybe sell you a few for a nice reasonable price...ha ha

VinnyBass wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 7:49 pm

Mcfish wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 7:15 pm I'm thinking Vinny's garage has way more worms than the Worm Store ever had! Please do not look in my garage!

I do have a few of your favorite color worms laying around and when you completely run out of the few you
may have, I will be willing to maybe sell you a few for a nice reasonable price...ha ha

You're holding my worms for ransom???

No, I’m actually providing a service for you. When things get tough and you run out of those special color worms, I’ll be the guy helping you. And based on the size of your huge man cave, big house and brand new truck, my prices will be fairly reasonable. You’ll forget about what you paid for them once you’re catching fish like crazy on them.