What Colors Are Best For Bream?

[Gill Fisher]

Well, since I wasn't able to generate any activity with either of my previous questions, I'll try a pretty basic one. I hope that someone will answer this time. Here's the quetion. What colors of soft plastic baits have you found to be the most effective for Bream. The water is Hartwell is so clear, that I wonder if using natural colors of nymph and minnow soft plastics would be the best colors?

Thank

GF

[91tiger]

I dont use a ton of soft plastics when casting lures for bream like I do for crappie. I don't think there are that many people that target bream in hartwell which probably explains the lack of replies. But when things do get slow on other species I do keep an ultralight in the boat to mess with bream or crappie. For bream I have always used a 1/16 oz Roostertail. They will hit about any color, white with chrome blade, chartreuse, brown with a copper or gold blade, firetiger, and the rainbow trout colored one all do real good for me. Cast it out near the bank, especially near any cover. Let it sink a little and reel it back just fast enough to make sure the blade is turning. You will catch all kinds of stuff on that ultralight rig like that. Hybrids love a white and chrome blade roostertail in the late fall and early winter.

[palmettoex57@bellsouth.net]

I have been using plastic crickets in brown and black with good success. The minnow lures have not done as well. However, just as the other reply, rooster tails in any color can trigger a strike. You can also cover a lot more ground that way.

[FishinGrandpa]

@Gill Fisher I am going to suggest something just a little off topic that works much better for me than soft plastics. I would suggest you pick up some fly's and give them a try. If you don't have a fly rod to use try an ultralight spinning rod with 4lb or 6lb test line and use a small bobber a couple of foot above the fly to help with casting. They make clear plastic bobbers you can buy to keep from spooking the fish as much too. All fly's work well but obviously some better than others as you "match the hatch" or match something that looks most natural for the area you are fishing. In addition if you go this route it is also lots of fun to try what I call topwater/floating flies or even better fly poppers. No matter how your fishing it is always fun to see almost anything slurped right off the top of the water...
flypopper.jpg
You can usually get all the cheap flies you need from Wally World. I hope you will give this idea a try. In my experience you will get more action than soft plastics or spinners.

Good Luck,
FG

[Gill Fisher]

Thanks, FishinGrandpa, for your reply. I love to fly fish and have been tying bream flies all my life. I, too, am a "Fishing Grandpa," so I've been tying for a long time. In addition to poppers, I have found that foam flies can be very effective. Also flies tied from deer hair which floats, especially if it's trimmed. A couple of other flies that I've had a lot of luck with are a bead head Red Fox Squirrel Nymph, a Swamp Monster, and a Predator. I was thinking about soft plastics for when the fish go deep. I've tried fishing with flies from the bank at our place across the lake from the Tugaloo State Park, but all I ever catch are dinks. The fish of any size must be farther out and deeper. Would love to meet up with you at some point and compare notes.

Take care

GF

[BassWrangler]

You guys have inspired me to break out the ole fly rod this weekend. Too often I get caught up in all the bass fishing stuff and never really think of the fun of fly fishing. Hopefully I can find some takers to bend the tip of my limer old fly rod. TTYL.