The " green pumpkin" color in soft plastics 2024
Mobasser reply :
I have a few bags of green pumpkin color plastic baits. Last night, I took them out of my main box, and put them in a tub with other bags of plastics. I'm giving up on this color. Everyone seems to do well on it, and many recommend it, but it's not worked well for me at all. I'm sticking with my usual favorites- shades of blue, purple, grape, black, along with glitter variations of these colors.Anyone else not done we'll on green pumpkin or its variations?
roadwarrior reply :
Green Pumpkin is a staple for most guys, but any color can work. Green Pumpkin/ Red Flake is VERY
popular on the Tennessee River lakes, but I have had good luck with Okeechobee and PB&J, too. Blue/
Black Flake and Watermelon are always in my bag.
IgotWood reply :
Dude I’m with you, man!!! I don’t think I’ve ever caught a fish on green pumpkin. Plenty on different shades of green with some blues swirl, but never on straight up green pumpkin.
jbmaine reply :
Generally speaking, the waters I fish seem to respond better to different shapes than colors. I fish four lakes within minutes of each other, and I've found on one lake tubes are king, ned rigs don't get bit. Next lake over it's just the opposite. I've used a lot of soft plastics over the years, but never had the experience of "this color catches them all the time, this color, not so much."
WRB reply :
Good basic bluegill color and other bottom dwellers like molting crawdads and Darner nymphs. Adding secondary color with flakes like black, red and purple depending on water color and basses preference. Charteuse dye added to the tail ends of worms for spotted bass and jig trailer creatures helps sometimes.
Green pumpkin has been a better jig trailer color for me them a worm color.
Tom
CrankFate reply :
It’s the worst color. You’re better off with hot pink. I know other people swear by it, but in water with a lot of light green algae or a green tint, it is invisible to bass. I have seen them hear it hit the water turn to the splash and not be able to see it right in front of their eyes. Once their eyes are all greened out greens and yellows become invisible to them. Go with something super visible and fluorescent. Add silver or gold and maybe a bead to make some noise. Just what I have learned from watching the blind morons not be able to see it.
WRB reply :
Invisible to bass? it's invisible to you!
Tom
the reel ess reply :
Most times I've tried it, it hasn't worked for me. Black/blue, black and purple have worked better. I guess it's because of water color.
Catt reply :
Don't own a single lure in Green Pumpkin ????
Munkin reply :
If I could only use one color of soft plastic it would be Green Pumkin.
Allen
Catt reply :
I was just reminded by my 12 yr old grandson we had excellent results on Zoom's Ultravibe Speed Craw in green pumpkin with blue claws!
fishwizzard reply :
On 9/30/2018 at 5:54 AM, Munkin said:If I could only use one color of soft plastic it would be Green Pumkin.
Allen
I would insist on red or purple flake, but I agree.
PersicoTrotaVA reply :
On 9/30/2018 at 5:54 AM, Munkin said:If I could only use one color of soft plastic it would be Green Pumkin.
Allen
This. Especially green pumpkin magic.
volzfan59 reply :
I pretty much use three colors, with green pumpkin being my predominant color. I also occasionally use june bug and, if in really clear water, cotton candy.
When I was at BPS, and customers asked for color recommendations, that's exactly what I told them with the following caveat. Once you've picked a color, you have to give it and yourself time to develop confidence in it. I think "confidence" in a bait and/or color is extremely important. If you think green pumpkin sucks, it probably does....for you.
ratherbfishin1 reply :
I think color catches the fishermen more than the fish... then again I have about every color of every bait.
NorthernBasser reply :
I definitely use black/blue more when it comes to plastics and jigs, but that's because I fish murky/stained water more often than clear water. If I'm fishing clear water, and especially for smallies, I'm, throwing some sort of green pumpkin variation 95% of the time.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 9/30/2018 at 4:34 AM, CrankFate said:It’s the worst color. You’re better off with hot pink. I know other people swear by it, but in water with a lot of light green algae or a green tint, it is invisible to bass. I have seen them hear it hit the water turn to the splash and not be able to see it right in front of their eyes. Once their eyes are all greened out greens and yellows become invisible to them. Go with something super visible and fluorescent. Add silver or gold and maybe a bead to make some noise. Just what I have learned from watching the blind morons not be able to see it.
How many potential prey species out there do you know of that are trying to be brightly colored and/or draw attention to themselves? How does a bass find anything in dirty water if they must see it?
If it was as simple as getting the bass to see it bass lures would be colored more like salmon baits.
riverbasser reply :
On 9/30/2018 at 4:34 AM, CrankFate said:Just what I have learned from watching the blind morons not be able to see it
Interesting observation. You sure your bass fishing?
As to the original post 95% of the time I'm fishing some shade or variation of green pumpkin. I have not found a more consistent color
greentrout reply :
caught a lot of bass on the green pumpkin trick worm...not as much as colors june bug and watermelon/red flake...pumpkinseed and black very little...
good fishing...
Swbass15 reply :
Green pumpkin is my go to color, usually with green and purple flake. I will use other varieties of it depending on clarity, light penetration, and time of year. On my home waters both the smallmouth and largemouth eat it well.
Jaderose reply :
On 9/30/2018 at 4:34 AM, CrankFate said:It’s the worst color. You’re better off with hot pink. I know other people swear by it, but in water with a lot of light green algae or a green tint, it is invisible to bass. I have seen them hear it hit the water turn to the splash and not be able to see it right in front of their eyes. Once their eyes are all greened out greens and yellows become invisible to them. Go with something super visible and fluorescent. Add silver or gold and maybe a bead to make some noise. Just what I have learned from watching the blind morons not be able to see it.
I used to think this too. The water I fish is green so how could fish see it. I used mostly White and Bubblegum. They worked (and still do) but I just felt like I wasn't doing as well as I could. So I tried what so many people use. Green pumpkin. NOW I throw two basic colors. Green pumpkin/blk flake (tip-dipped in JJ's) and Blue/Black flake (also JJ's dipped). My catch rate tripled. They work. At least for me. I became a believer.
cgolf reply :
I have noticed that green pumpkin really varies between manufacturers. I have good luck with green pumpkins with more green in them like Zman green pumpkin goby. The brands that have the pumpkin color dominant don’t work at all for me. Generally though I make sure to have water red in the boat in multiple styles of baits, that seems to be the go to color here regardless of water clarity.
scaleface reply :
I've had so-so results with green pumpkin . I've had more success with purples and blues .
Maggiesmaster reply :
I use three worm colors on our green stained water; red bug, crawfish & June bug. Sometimes I’ll catch fish on green pumpkin, but not often.
Junger reply :
I'll take any GY bait in green pumpkin with red flake.
Sam reply :
Green pumpkin is a staple in Virginia waters.
No idea why the color is not productive in other areas.
This is why bass fishing is such a challenging sport and that we have 100's of colors and color combinations to select among.
It is enough to drive you crazy but the Bait Monkey will love you.
Somd Fx4 reply :
That stinkin bait monkey, Gets me every time. I have mixed results with green pumpkin. I don't think I have landed a fish on straight green pumpkin. Almost always has some sort of flake in it. I switch between junebug, watermelon, black and green pumpkin.
greentrout reply :
NHBull reply :
99 % of my novice guest use GP on a wacky or neco rig and get better numbers than I do.
With the exception of orange around spawn, BB,GP,June Bug and purple is all I carry
CrankFate reply :
On 9/30/2018 at 4:42 AM, WRB said:Invisible to bass? it's invisible to you!
Tom
So it seems, but from what I’ve seen and from what I’ve read, they have pretty poor eyesight compared to people. Their eyesight is not instantly and automatically infinitely adjustable, like ours. Picture crystal clear water, 2 to 7 feet deep with round rolling rocks all completely covered in green hair algae, so that everything is green. In those conditions, the green pumpkin is transparent without polarized lenses on. The bass definitely can’t see it. And they can’t see chartreuse. Try It, you’ll see that they’ll only take colors that they can see in these conditions and greens, blues and brownish greens will not produce.
Russ E reply :
On 10/1/2018 at 9:27 AM, CrankFate said:So it seems, but from what I’ve seen and from what I’ve read, they have pretty poor eyesight compared to people. Their eyesight is not instantly and automatically infinitely adjustable, like ours. Picture crystal clear water, 2 to 7 feet deep with round rolling rocks all completely covered in green hair algae, so that everything is green. In those conditions, the green pumpkin is transparent without polarized lenses on. The bass definitely can’t see it. And they can’t see chartreuse. Try It, you’ll see that they’ll only take colors that they can see in these conditions and greens, blues and brownish greens will not produce.
If this were true, bass would starve to death. Most things a bass eat are a neutral color.
crayfish and bait fish don't turn a bright color, so bass can find them easier.
I catch bass on green pumpkin baits in clear, green, and murky water. they can find it just fine.
the conditions you describe are ideal for using a green pumpkin bait.
Looking for the big one reply :
On 10/1/2018 at 9:27 AM, CrankFate said:So it seems, but from what I’ve seen and from what I’ve read, they have pretty poor eyesight compared to people. Their eyesight is not instantly and automatically infinitely adjustable, like ours. Picture crystal clear water, 2 to 7 feet deep with round rolling rocks all completely covered in green hair algae, so that everything is green. In those conditions, the green pumpkin is transparent without polarized lenses on. The bass definitely can’t see it. And they can’t see chartreuse. Try It, you’ll see that they’ll only take colors that they can see in these conditions and greens, blues and brownish greens will not produce.
I think that your experience has conditioned you to think this, but I don't truly think that the bass cannot see the bait. I've caught bass at night on a new moon where I couldn't see me hand in front of my face. Bass can detect lures without using sight. I think it's possible that the bass didn't want to commit to your GP worm, possibly because they've been conditioned to that color scheme and something like a white or pink is bright and obtrusive and they react to it.
GP is my personal favorite color across many different situations, but I experiment and find that often times color isn't as important as the presentation itself.
Bankbeater reply :
The smaller crawfish in my home waters are close to a green pumpkin color. I think that's why I have good luck with that color in certain ponds.
Arlo Smithereen reply :
On 9/30/2018 at 4:34 AM, CrankFate said:It’s the worst color. You’re better off with hot pink. I know other people swear by it, but in water with a lot of light green algae or a green tint, it is invisible to bass. I have seen them hear it hit the water turn to the splash and not be able to see it right in front of their eyes. Once their eyes are all greened out greens and yellows become invisible to them. Go with something super visible and fluorescent. Add silver or gold and maybe a bead to make some noise. Just what I have learned from watching the blind morons not be able to see it.
once their eyes are all 'greened out'?? ????
tholmes reply :
Green Pumpkin, while not my most productive color, is still one that I carry and use. It ranks behind tequila sunrise/red shad, black and June bug, but is still in the arsenal. I seem to have better results with jigs in GP than soft plastics, especially early in the season. I catch enough bass on GP that it keeps its place in my tackle box.
Tom
NYWayfarer reply :
Green Pumpkin is my go to color.
I feel your pain though as most people on these forums swear by watermelon colored baits and I have not been able to get them to work for me.
Chris186 reply :
I will only buy something in green pumpkin when watermelonseed or watermelon/red flake isn't available. Other than that I like black and blue and big texan.
WRB reply :
It's a big mistake thinking a fishes eye sight is anything like a humans. Bass have excellent eye sight and other senses to help find prey under water that is trying to hide from them. Predators like bass eat live prey that has also evolved in the same eccosystems and have developed camouflaged coloration to blend into cover and structure to help them survive.
What I have learned from over 60 years of bass fishing is matching the forage coloration is very important but is only 1 factor. Prey that behaves injured and looks like the prey the bass care targeting at that is a food source.
If you are using a green pumpkin color lure in lakes where bass are targeting Threadfin Shad for example it doesn't look a Shad unless it has a contrasting pearl white belly. Using green pumpkin is lakes with bluegill adding charteuse high lights adds contrast to help stand the lure out and look natural increases strike ratio.
It's to the angler to present the lure so it behaves injured and stands out from prey the bass hunting.
Tom
Russ E reply :
sometimes I think color is over rated.
according to studies, bass don't see the blue spectrum well.
when I was an engineer, I was programming operator interfaces screens for robotic welding lines.
we often used a yellow or green background with blue, and red alarm banners.
one of our machine operators was partially color blind. He could not see the blue spectrum.
He could not tell much difference from the colors blue, purple, and green.
a blue banner would blend into the green background.
interestingly, if the blue banner was flashing on and off, he could distinguish it from the green background.
this got me thinking about bass fishing (as nearly everything in life does).
Maybe Bass home in on movement, more than color.
BASSnRacks reply :
hands down my most productive color!
HeyCoach reply :
Last summer I caught dozens on a weightless rigged GP/GW laminate Senko every time I went out. I had to buy several packs from Walmart as the summer progressed.
Oxblood red finesse worms also worked very well for me last year.
Mobasser reply :
On 10/1/2018 at 11:30 PM, WRB said:It's a big mistake thinking a fishes eye sight is anything like a humans. Bass have excellent eye sight and other senses to help find prey under water that is trying to hide from them. Predators like bass eat live prey that has also evolved in the same eccosystems and have developed camouflaged coloration to blend into cover and structure to help them survive.
What I have learned from over 60 years of bass fishing is matching the forage coloration is very important but is only 1 factor. Prey that behaves injured and looks like the prey the bass care targeting at that is a food source.
If you are using a green pumpkin color lure in lakes where bass are targeting Threadfin Shad for example it doesn't look a Shad unless it has a contrasting pearl white belly. Using green pumpkin is lakes with bluegill adding charteuse high lights adds contrast to help stand the lure out and look natural increases strike ratio.
It's to the angler to present the lure so it behaves injured and stands out from prey the bass hunting.
Tom
Tom, green pumpkin hasn't worked for me, but I'm not saying it's no good. As you said, bass are a predator, and they feed on the easiest thing they can. Whatever color, and action along with depth and speed can trigger a strike. I do believe color is important, along with all the other factors. Always pays to carry a few shades of plastics, from light to darker.So many factors in drawing strikes, especially from larger bass, and it all happens in seconds.
WRB reply :
Getting into any color regarding fishing of various types opens up a can of worms.
I have trout fished with flys, lures and bait and trout anglers are anal about matching the hatch believing trout have microscopic vision. Off shore tuna and marlin anglers have their beliefs, both predators have big eyes and hunt prey in gin clear water. The color of live bait darker verses lighter greens makes a big difference with both tuna and Marlin, yet some angers believe these fish are color blind.
Green pumpkin reminds me of the 70's era motor oil and the 80's era green Winnie, every soft plastic maker had a different color, no standard shade. Color shades are nearly impossible to define. Bill Murphy in his book In Pursuit of Giant Bass discusses the color white. Bill was a dental technician that needed to match teeth under various lighting conditions so the crown or replacement tooth looked the same as the other teeth.
What Bill references is the same shade of white changes under different light source and the same shade of white paint from different suppliers looks different under light source.
What is important to this topic is bass react differently to 1 supplier of white verses another when painted onto the same lure, the bass apparently can see the difference and we can't.
This is why I say the color topic is a complex topic and we don't know how bass brain interprets the color spectrum.
Tom
Jaderose reply :
On 10/1/2018 at 9:27 AM, CrankFate said:So it seems, but from what I’ve seen and from what I’ve read, they have pretty poor eyesight compared to people. Their eyesight is not instantly and automatically infinitely adjustable, like ours. Picture crystal clear water, 2 to 7 feet deep with round rolling rocks all completely covered in green hair algae, so that everything is green. In those conditions, the green pumpkin is transparent without polarized lenses on. The bass definitely can’t see it. And they can’t see chartreuse. Try It, you’ll see that they’ll only take colors that they can see in these conditions and greens, blues and brownish greens will not produce.
There is simply nothing about this paragraph that is true. You say "try it"...I and a whole bunch of others on here do....every single time we go fishing. This isn't a personal attack on you, I'm just afraid you are very misguided.
Choporoz reply :
On 10/1/2018 at 11:49 PM, BASSnRacks said:hands down my most productive color!
Mine too. However....GP (with flake variants) is the color that I throw more than twice as often as any other....so, there's that
Fishingmickey reply :
A 10" green pumpkin Berkley power worm bit down to 8" texas rigged on a Gamakatsu 5/0 round bend hook with a 1/4 oz slip sinker is money.
FM
BASSnRacks reply :
On 10/2/2018 at 4:16 AM, Choporoz said:Mine too. However....GP (with flake variants) is the color that I throw more than twice as often as any other....so, there's that
I throw the same! I've had much success on basic Gp but do very well with black,red, blue. and various metal flakes mixed in.
Mobasser reply :
Like I said in my original thread, GP hasn't worked that well for me. It's works very good for others. I have caught bass on GP red flake and a couple of other variants.If it's working good for you, by all means keep using it.Personally, I've done better at other colors, so I'll stay with them. Also, have others have said, bass are predators who use sight, sound, and vibration to catch prey. They can see much better than than we think. That's why almost any color could possibly work on any given day. We develop our faves by experience, and having confidence in what's worked for us.As many have said, color in bass lures is a complex subject, and warrants discussion.I respect everyone's choice- but green pumpkin is not mine
WRB reply :
This a better cabin fever topic IMO.
Does anyone remember the hot color before green pumpkin?
Not long ago and just before green pumpkin watermelon w/red flake was considered the hot color. Before watermelon /red flake June bug and red Shad or tequila sunrise ruled the rost for soft plastics. The color that hasn't faded over the past 10 years is black w/blue and still right near or is on top of the popularity charts.
My personal top bass catching soft plastic color is purple and not popular nation wide but very popular out west where I fish.
The bottom line is you can't catch bass on something you don't use and you will never know if it's the basses preferred choice is unless you fish with it.
Tom
fishwizzard reply :
On 10/2/2018 at 6:14 AM, WRB said:
My personal top bass catching soft plastic color is purple and not popular nation wide but very popular out west where I fish.
The only purple plastic I use is a 6' Robo in MM3, but I am starting to think it is the only DS plastic I really need to carry. I'm sure it's confirmation bias at this point, but I swear it catches them at least 3:1 vs every other color I have tried.
Mobasser reply :
On 10/2/2018 at 6:46 AM, fishwizzard said:The only purple plastic I use is a 6' Robo in MM3, but I am starting to think it is the only DS plastic I really need to carry. I'm sure it's confirmation bias at this point, but I swear it catches them at least 3:1 vs every other color I have tried.
I like roboworms also.Mm3 and the grape/purple Folkstead special are both very good. Great baits
Russ E reply :
Here in Eastern Kansas we have shallow and stained lowland reservoirs and lakes.On most waters 2 to 3 foot visibility is considered pretty clear. When I stated in an earlier post that color is sometimes over rated, it was relative to these conditions.
On most of the waters I fish, I think bass see a dark silhouette, more than a defined color. Green pumpkin, black/blue, or purple, probably looks about the same in these conditions.
I may be wrong, but that comes from my experience.
On clear highland reservoirs, I am sure color is more important.
CrankFate reply :
On 10/2/2018 at 3:48 AM, Jaderose said:There is simply nothing about this paragraph that is true. You say "try it"...I and a whole bunch of others on here do....every single time we go fishing. This isn't a personal attack on you, I'm just afraid you are very misguided.
Misguided, definitely. I think it has to do with whether or not the water is dark or stained. If it’s clear and bright, it’s more noticeable.
On 10/1/2018 at 7:41 PM, Arlo Smithereen said:once their eyes are all 'greened out'?? ????
Yes. Even human eyes get greened out. Bass eyes adapt much more slowly to these changes. And humans rarely find themselves in small spaces surrounded by a single very bright color.
On 10/1/2018 at 10:28 AM, Looking for the big one said:I think that your experience has conditioned you to think this, but I don't truly think that the bass cannot see the bait. I've caught bass at night on a new moon where I couldn't see me hand in front of my face. Bass can detect lures without using sight. I think it's possible that the bass didn't want to commit to your GP worm, possibly because they've been conditioned to that color scheme and something like a white or pink is bright and obtrusive and they react to it.
GP is my personal favorite color across many different situations, but I experiment and find that often times color isn't as important as the presentation itself.
I know that’s how it seems. And that’s why they’ll go for a strange color, but I can see them not able to see it.
On 10/1/2018 at 10:21 AM, Russ E said:If this were true, bass would starve to death. Most things a bass eat are a neutral color.
crayfish and bait fish don't turn a bright color, so bass can find them easier.
I catch bass on green pumpkin baits in clear, green, and murky water. they can find it just fine.
the conditions you describe are ideal for using a green pumpkin bait.
Try completely crazy different colors when you think this, if only to prove me wrong.
HeyCoach reply :
So, do y’all just have a green, a dark, and a bright color of your plastics?
I’m trying to think. I have white, tequila sunrise, oxblood red, GP, junebug, and black with red flakes in Trick Worms, plus about 5 more colors with different flakes. Let’s not talk about the dozen different Senko colors. It looks like Rembrandt threw up in my tray.
How do you dial in on color besides the magical color chart?
NittyGrittyBoy reply :
I carry 2 main colors, watermelon red & June bug red. (My main producers)
I have a couple other colors, merthiolate, red shad, elecric blue.
If the water is clearish I'll start with watermelon, if it's muddy/stained I throw June bug. Before I change color I change presentation or bait(worm/craw/lizard). I really try to keep it simple and not overcomplicate it with more colors than a bag of melted Skittles.
I know everyone is different but that's my approach @HeyCoach
Gundog reply :
On 10/30/2018 at 9:57 AM, HeyCoach said:
How do you dial in on color besides the magical color chart?
First I dial in on lure size and then might change color. Size can be a big factor in the quality/quantity of fish you catch. Most of the time if I change color its only because I ran out of the other color I was using.
tander reply :
I have 2 colors in my boat, green pumpkin and junebug, I figure one will work.
RHuff reply :
On 9/29/2018 at 9:47 PM, Mobasser said:I have a few bags of green pumpkin color plastic baits. Last night, I took them out of my main box, and put them in a tub with other bags of plastics. I'm giving up on this color. Everyone seems to do well on it, and many recommend it, but it's not worked well for me at all. I'm sticking with my usual favorites- shades of blue, purple, grape, black, along with glitter variations of these colors.Anyone else not done we'll on green pumpkin or its variations?
I have found that associating colors with different seasons also helps. For example, in late winter/early spring a black and blue does well. In prespawn, spawn/spring through summer a green pumpkin does well and in the fall, a brown/tan does well.
thinkingredneck reply :
Depends on water clarity, I think. In murky water I do better with Junebug or Candybug. Green Pumpkin is "fair" for me. I think the greens and earth tones do better in clear water. A couple weeks ago I caught them every cast nearly with white , yellow, Merthiolate and purple with flame tail. Would not touch junebug or candybug. Go figure. Makes it fun.
TOXIC reply :
I will tell you that color number 297 Green Pumpkin/Black Fleck is Yamamoto's top selling color in all of their plastics. Why? Because it works in the most varied water colors. I have personally caught fish in black tannic water in florida, gin clear water on Lake St Clair and solid mud color on the Potomac with 297. It's easy to see why it is the top seller. That's not to say that some other colors won't get bit better in different situations but 297 will always produce.
TBAG reply :
I use GP quite a bit but also have luck with Watermelon and Black /Blue.
I really haven't paid attention (I should) to what produces the most.
GReb reply :
GP is my top producing Senko color. It is also my favorite lizard color in the spring.
Black/silver Culprit has consistently been my top producing worm for 15 years
Anything dark green, watermelon, brown, purple, or black is pretty solid for me.
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