The Phenomenon of the color PINK in Brackish Waters for Sunfish......

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

As an active member of Bigbluegill.com the last several years, I have learned a lot and shared many ideas that have proven successful for Sunfish in the waters I fish. Prior to becoming a member I had several secrets that remained in my pocket and only my closest fishing buddies had ever even shared in this success. This isn't to say others weren't fishing the same baits in a similar style and catching fish or using baits of their choice and finding similar success.  I was a young kid with numerous anglers in my extended family and I learned early from my grandpa Foster Abney, who always told me to listen when I got around fishermen and think about things that might help me or work where I was fishing.  I was fortunate to be pretty close with an Uncle on my mother's side of the family that lived one town over in Southeastern Louisiana. He grew up and lived near the banks of the Tcefuncte River in the small town of Madisonville, Louisiana and only fished two bodies of water during his eighty plus year life.  A fact that many folks close to him never knew is he fished live grass shrimp for some 60 to 70 years and I couldn't begin to tell you how many Bluegill, Shellcracker, Warmouth and Crappie that he caught over the years.   One Thanksgiving day in the early 1970s as our 100 member family assembled in Folsom, Louisiana for the best dinners we ever ate, Uncle Kenny walked out to an acre pond that was dug on the family farm to stock with fish for the 20 plus grandkids in the Sharp family.  I was there casting a beetle spin when he asked if I had a scoop net with me. I did and we went over to some grass beds near the shore and made a quick scoop and filled a bucket up with little crustaceans called Grass Shrimp. He said put a cork and a bream hook on there and let me show you something. I eagerly followed his instructions and a few moments later we were pulling out big bluegill one after another.  This went on for quite some time and my Uncle explained if you ever run out of Grass Shrimp "Jeffie" and can't find more, take a pink soft plastic jig and fish that in the same areas. He explained that I wouldn't be disappointed and don't be afraid to tip the hook with a worm, grasshopper or a cricket if you have some.  I went home armed with the advice and went through seven or eight tackle boxes my dad and I had but no pink in any of them. I couldn't believe it but surely I'll find some the next time at the bait shop.  A few short days later my dad and I visited the local bait shop and I rushed the fishing tackle, both shelves and found two packs of little curly tails that had a mix of white and pink, they were mine and I was excited to let Uncle Kenny know I had found some and was eager to try them as soon as I could. His only clue was Pink was the best match for live grass shrimp in our brackish waters. He explained saltwater anglers have realized it for some time but freshwater fishermen have failed to make the correlation and they are truly missing out. In the weeks ahead I will go into detail how I fish these jigs and hopefull answer many of the questions I have received about the mystery of pink.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

This is what I catch 9 months out of the year in my brackish waters in Northeast North Carolina....hundreds of pound class gills on pink...

[paul sach]

Excellent subject matter on the color pink Jeff .... The water I fish is brackish also here in south Florida ....there is a nymph that I've always had good success with called a "pink squirrel " panfish aggressively attack this color nymph ....
Paul

[paul sach]

Btw ..trout magnet mini and standard size jigs are offered in a shade of pink ...

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Understand......I fish them also and plan to talk about them as well Paul.....

[Robert Morris]

Jeff, I like the jig you caught this fish on.  I would like info on where to purchase this lure in pink or other colors as well.

 

Robert

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

I added a picture of this bait and there will be many great looking "proven" jigs that will be featured in this discussion in the coming weeks.....I don't classify a jig as proven until  a hundred gills have been caught on them....just a random number I chose to differentiate between the baits......

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Here is a nice Flier on the same Curly Tail jig....color is more important than the brand Robert...use what you can find.....Honey Hole is just a personal preference to me based on availability locally........

[John Kenney]

I have alot of luck on pink also. Very nice fish.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Thanks John.....I could throw everything else away and keep the pink stuff......it's that good in our tidal waters!

[Tony Livingston]

I'm also well stocked with pink jigs, although oftentimes I prefer red.......

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

Great discussion on the color Pink Jeffrey!!!!!!!!Don't know if we have grass shrimp here or not and will check it out buddy!

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

As this discussion matures in the weeks ahead Tooty the Silent Stingers will get some air time also....hopefully by the end of the year a few folks will be convinced that may not have tried them yet......