I looked back at my fishing log, such as it is, and realized I caught most of my Bass using soft plastics with glitter. Mostly Candy Bug or Junebug. I fish in murky to muddy water. Admittedly, I mostly fish with plastics with glitter. So, do you guys think the glitter catches fish or fishermen?
Under some conditions it definitely can help catch fish. I've seen it many times. There may be conditions under which it might be counterproductive, depending on which message the bass got that morning from Bass Central. I don't remember encountering that situation, though.
I have really tried to catch them platics with no glitter, with no luck and immediately started catchin on ones with glitter when I changed.. May be a confidence issue.
I'm not saying glitter doesnt make a difference at times . I dont think I used any glitter this past year . I used blue and some sort of purple shad color the most . I cant keep up with all the names they give plastics .
I feel like it can be an advantage at times. I have caught a lot of fish on worms with red flake. I have also done quite well on blue and purple flake when trying to imitate bluegill. Orange seems to be loved by the small mouth guys but i have not ever used it. It is an accent just like adding a blade to a swim bait. Its not going to have them jumping in the boat but it can help make a change if the conditions are right for that change. My old fishing partner was in love with black flake and said it added depth but still natural. I like it most on clear days...
I think it's more of a confidence thing but I know that glitter makes me think I will catch more fish so hey....all my big fish last year came off junebug or black/blue flake.
The first times I saw glitter in plastics was back in the early 70s, it was fire & ice. Laughed the first time I saw it, tried it, & been using glitter ever since.
The only solid color plastics that ever catch fish for me iis white or dark grape. All other plastics I own have some type of glitter (or flake) I think it makes them look more natural. Not much in life is one color....
To answer your question, fishermen definitely catch the fish. The fish can hammer anything you throw at them, but if you can't set the hook properly you won't catch the fish. However, glitter or flake does help. How well it helps depends on what the fish want.
I don't think color --including glitter-- matters that much, most of the time, but I can think of two good reasons for color to matter somewhat, sometimes... and possibly to matter a lot, occasionally: visibility and mimicking forage patterns. When glitter catches light, it may contribute to both of these by providing a visible flash of a color that may resemble scales of something bass like to eat.
In most cases, I find that solids and glitters tend to be interchangeable....but weirdly, in one of the lakes I fish, the bass really, really seem to prefer plastics with green flecks of glitter. In that lake, green glitter outperforms other glitter and solid colors, which are fine producers in the other places I fish. I don't know why this is yet, but as long as that's what works, I'm going to stick with it.
Otherwise, I love "candy" and "magic" varieties of colors for glitter, which cover all the bases for me.
My hottest color in senko type baits has either gold or red glitter.
In worms it’s the opposite the two tone Shad colors or solid black, reds work. I think it’s a toss up what works to the water condition and the sunlite too.
For a majority of my senko fishing I use green pumpkin and green pumpkin purple flake. I can't count the amount of times when one didn't work he other one would. Call it dumb luck but I'm a believer in that a slight change can make all the difference in the world. I've had luck with blue red and purple flake, along with candy color lures with multiple flakes. If I were to choose one though Id choose flake over no flake.
I make all of my own plastics. I put some type of flake/glitter in everything except PB&J. I even add a bit of black flake to bubble gum just to make it less monotonous.
IMHO
Its's conditions, location, presentation, size then color.
Glitter on plastic is like if a ribbon tail is thin or fat, elongated or short and stubby.
Or if a creature bait has 4 or 8 appendages.
Too much for my simple mind to add to the list of considerations to decide what to throw where, when and how.
Do I have some? sure.
Were they successful? Yeah I guess.
But I can't remember if I thought the glitter made all the difference.
Maybe it did but I know for sure I didn't use it only because it had it.
Just another opinion
Mike
The 1st glitter soft plastics I recall were Smitty worms back in the 60's. Jim Smith started his hand pour soft plastics for salt water Calico bass angler making his Kelp Critter in root beer with red flakes. Smitty's worms are legendary out west with his smoke salt & pepper worms.
I don't know many soft plastic bass anglers who don't use worms or creatures with flakes, they are the standard like water melon or green pumpkin red flake.
Wooden bass plugs (crankbaits) were covered with glitter back in the 40's.
Tom
Oh yeah - absolutely critical
Check out a craft store sometime for their glitter options. You'll find over 50 different colors, half a dozen different sizes, then you need the right type: craft glitter, poly glitter, hybrid glitter, glitter snow, or glitter fragments. Then don't forget to choose the right finish/flash: metallic, pearlescent, fluorescent, iridescent, or holographic. That alone is 7500 possible different combinations, and we haven't even began considering the base color of your plastic we're adding this glitter to. I can assure you somewhere in that mix is a color to suit every basses preference no matter where you fish Just don't leave home without the right combination in your tacklebox.
Please note sarcasm: If it works for you or seems to make a difference, great ???? I've got my favorites, too. I just don't stray too far off that path with my selections.
When you consider that the color of the translucent soft plastic can change the glitter color depending on color mix. Green flakes covered with amber translucent plastic look blue for example but the fakes very close to the surface appear green. Multiple colors give the soft plastic a living creature look.
Tom
I like glitter ! Does that count ?
Oh, what the hell, I also like pearlescent ( “shad” )
but I also like plain.
Junebug has been historically excellent colors for plastics.
In fact, Junebug is my go to color and a BASS Northern Open on the Historic James River a few years ago had the winner using Watermelon Candy plastics.
On 1/4/2018 at 4:15 AM, WRB said:The 1st glitter soft plastics I recall were Smitty worms back in the 60's. Jim Smith started his hand pour soft plastics for salt water Calico bass angler making his Kelp Critter in root beer with red flakes. Smitty's worms are legendary out west with his smoke salt & pepper worms.
I don't know many soft plastic bass anglers who don't use worms or creatures with flakes, they are the standard like water melon or green pumpkin red flake.
Wooden bass plugs (crankbaits) were covered with glitter back in the 40's.
Tom
Tom, Norman lures have glitter on their surface.
Check out the Little and Deep Little N's.
Happy New Year!
On 1/4/2018 at 8:07 PM, Sam said:Junebug has been historically excellent colors for plastics.
In fact, Junebug is my go to color and a BASS Northern Open on the Historic James River a few years ago had the winner using Watermelon Candy plastics.
I use 2 colors for the most part, Junebug in stained/muddy and Green Pumpkin in clear/partly stained.
It's especially effective on festive days like Mardi Gras, and New Years Day. But in all seriousness, I think in clear water where the glitter catches the sunlight, in can help. At other times, it doesn't matter that much. Like color, sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't.
I think it helps. I don't fish much clear water. I've noticed its unusual to find a watermelon or green pumpkin worm without glitter. I've also noticed that a lure that looks a particular way to me will look different to me when viewed through water.
On the other hand, a company that has green pumpkin worms with 4 different glitter options is just trying to sell 4X as many of the same worm. Case in point: Zoom Finesse worm in green pumpkin/orange glitter or red glitter. I have a hard time telling the difference, so I put them in the same bag.
On 1/5/2018 at 4:08 AM, the reel ess said:On the other hand, a company that has green pumpkin worms with 4 different glitter options is just trying to sell 4X as many of the same worm. Case in point: Zoom
Zoom's million Trick Worm colors kill me. Like I know I "need" maybe 3-4, but I am up to like 8 now and every time I seen them on sale I end up with another one.
On 1/5/2018 at 4:48 AM, fishwizzard said:Zoom's million Trick Worm colors kill me. Like I know I "need" maybe 3-4, but I am up to like 8 now and every time I seen them on sale I end up with another one.
LOL. I just checked my bag. Between the Trick Worms and Finesse Worms I have 8 colors as well. And several of them are very similar.
On 1/5/2018 at 4:48 AM, fishwizzard said:Zoom's million Trick Worm colors kill me. Like I know I "need" maybe 3-4, but I am up to like 8 now and every time I seen them on sale I end up with another one.
The Bait Monkey loves you.
Zoom has some really amazing colors and at three bucks or so, it's hard not to give in. It's just the Trick Worms that get me, I can walk away from most other lures and only buy what I "need", but those worms just call out to me.
I am a firm believer in glitter, I have seen enough flashing baitfish to want a little sparkle.