I've started to get into swimbait fishing recently since fall is almost here. Problem is all I can see in stores is all these shad colors.

 

You can see where this is going. There's no shad in my local ponds and lakes, the bass only feed heavily on Bluegill and maybe frogs. I bought a pack of keitech Black and Blue for my dirty waterbodies but I need a bluegill color for the more clearer waters. (Besides GP)

 

Any recommendations? 

 

 

Have you tried the other colors. I fish several ponds with no shad and they bite the other colors. 

Just now, Derek1 said:

Have you tried the other colors. I fish several ponds with no shad and they bite the other colors. 

Yes, I have tried the Keitech white pearl belly I think at two different locations, nothing. 

Sometimes colors can be over rated. Bass are opportunistic feeders.  Special Colors often times catches more fishermen than fish.

If you look on the keitech web site they have multiple variations of sunfish and perch.

Kietech makes a bluegill flash. I bought several of these in varying sizes. Have not had a chance to test em out yet, but hey...they look good.

Oh man, don't call them paddle tails, a couple members on here ripped me a new a***ole because they are supposed to be called "boot tails", apparently.

 

I agree that exact color is not important, especially with a moving bait.  I focus more on whether to go with a general dark or light color scheme.  I do really well in clear waters on "boot tails" with a Bama Bug type of scheme; that's blue and brown.

The main one I use to imitate a bluegill is called Pro Staff Special or something like that. It is watermelon on top with a translucent orange on bottom which is on the bait on the right.

 

Allen

 

I live in eastern pa and I don't have any shad either in a lot of waters I fish.  This one has been doing pretty well for me...

I'm a fan of Ayu in the Rage line. 

 

But, if you buy shad/white colors you can make them any color you want with a few markers or dips.  

 

 

1 hour ago, JediAmoeba said:

I live in eastern pa and I don't have any shad either in a lot of waters I fish.  This one has been doing pretty well for me...

What is the colors of the jig skirt? 

Green Pumpkin or Watermelon with a touch of chartreuse on the tail is one of the best bluegill imitating colors IMO. Juvenile bluegills that bass most commonly feed on aren't very colorful.

1 hour ago, pondhopperNJ said:

What is the colors of the jig skirt? 

It's a 1/4 ounce smiling fred in Molting Craw color

Keep it simple.  If fishing clear water and wanting to imitate bluegill, throw either GP or Watermelon Candy (Great on super bright sunny days).

I use GP swing shads to imitate bluegill and it’s been working for me. 

Basstrix has perch/bluegill colors

You may have to order on line - you want a green pumpkin boot tail / paddle tail swim bait . A 3.75 - 3.8 inch length is a good place to start , I like Eco Pro Swim Shad in green pumpkin color , Keitech and Strike King also have Green Pumpkin colors - also bluegill flash is another color to try . If you have a Academy , DSG or WM near you you can find these colors and swim baits .

Cabelas bluegill swim minnow swimbait is great 3.5 and 5”

On ‎9‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 4:23 PM, Russ E said:

Sometimes colors can be over rated. Bass are opportunistic feeders.

Bingo. Few years back another angler saw me throwing a trout colored swim bait and he laughed a little as he told me that there were no trout in the lake. A few minutes later I had the last laugh. Match the hatch when you can, and when you can't, don't be afraid to throw something they haven't seen before.

On September 17, 2019 at 2:15 PM, pondhopperNJ said:

I've started to get into swimbait fishing recently since fall is almost here. Problem is all I can see in stores is all these shad colors.

 

You can see where this is going. There's no shad in my local ponds and lakes, the bass only feed heavily on Bluegill and maybe frogs. I bought a pack of keitech Black and Blue for my dirty waterbodies but I need a bluegill color for the more clearer waters. (Besides GP)

 

Any recommendations? 

 

 

Swim jigs or swimbaits?  

Everything posted to date refers to swim jigs with the exception of the Basstrix Hollow body paddle tails. Solid body paddle tails have dozens of options.

Matt Lures makes a soft bluegill paddle tail swimbaits and Huddleston has  a bluegill swimbait, both look exactly like bluegill.

Tom

I use my Sharpie collection to create colors.

Does anyone have a picture of a two to three inch bluegill? I have never seen a fry size bluegill.  I know rainbow trout that size do not look much like a rainbow that is 6 inches or more.  The rainbow fry are silver dark back with large par spots.  After they grow to roughly 5 inches they look like adult rainbow trout.  I was wondering if small bluegill, sunfish, perch and other pan fish are the same.  Most lures imitate mature bluegill.  Is there a difference in color patterns between fry and mature bait fish.  Of course many baits are as large as mature pan fish or trout and the colors I am used to seeing would be correct.  I have had good luck when bass are feeding on Bluegill with baits that have some chartreuse, and purple in them.

1 hour ago, king fisher said:

Does anyone have a picture of a two to three inch bluegill? I have never seen a fry size bluegill.  I know rainbow trout that size do not look much like a rainbow that is 6 inches or more.  The rainbow fry are silver dark back with large par spots.  After they grow to roughly 5 inches they look like adult rainbow trout.  I was wondering if small bluegill, sunfish, perch and other pan fish are the same.  Most lures imitate mature bluegill.  Is there a difference in color patterns between fry and mature bait fish.  Of course many baits are as large as mature pan fish or trout and the colors I am used to seeing would be correct.  I have had good luck when bass are feeding on Bluegill with baits that have some chartreuse, and purple in them.

looks about like an adult bluegill. there are pics all over the internet. 

3 hours ago, Russ E said:

looks about like an adult bluegill. there are pics all over the internet. 

Thanks.  Good picture.  Definitely  looks like a bluegill

Bluegill imitation for me is all about silver flash and hints of bright colors like chartreuse or orange. 

Take any color paddletail, cast to where there are bluegills, and it will be a bluegill imitator.