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]

They look nice Rick....I like the blend of pink and olive....

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

So as the weather began to present more challenges in the area of water temperatures and lower river levels......we jumped out there and made a few more trips in late November and this is how it wound up......

I got a lead on fishing spoons under a float so I tipped them just like the jigs and had pretty good results....

I was pleasantly surprised with our success in November.....Grass Shrimp tipped on pink was working great......I had one more trip in November and that was on my Birthday....Here's how it went....

I used the micro spider on my birthday trip...

A nice late Fall specimen....

Even some decent Coppernose cooperated...

Big fish of my Birthday trip......That was it for November 2012....December still to come...

[Roy Pendergraft]

Thanks for all your info and for freely sharing with us.  I live in Covington, LA and fish Bayou Lacombe and the Tchefuncte River when fishing freshwater.  I fish out of a 16' Jon boat with a 50 Johnson as well as out of a kayak.  As you know, both Lacombe and the lower Tchefuncte (Rice Fields) is brackish water.  I never use bait, just plastic.  Primary colors have always been variations of green, black, white, blue, but I am going to make a move to some pink as I start my fishing in the next couple of weeks.  I will post and let all know how I do.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

I'm glad you enjoyed it Roy and I look forward to your posts. Many places I fished in the rice fields are now posted, some of the best Goggle-Eye (Warmouth) perch fishing was on a fly back there. Don't know if the gator hunters are getting back there, significant amount of gators the last time I visited as well. I imagine all these waterways are pretty muddy right now with all the recent rains. I was down last March for eight days and we had thunderstorms on seven of them, you just work around it, not much else you can do.....Ate some good boiled crawfish and had a couple good ole fish frys...Good luck in 2013 and I look forward to your posts!

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

These are my new pink Gronaw Grass Shrimp for 2013....Can't wait!

The same jigs in chrome as well.......

Tooty has also worked with me closely and he has created some great bugs in pink.....the Cotton Candy bug was hot last season and it has the rubber legs added for this season....Look out Bluegill!

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

HEY JEFFREY , JIMS LOOK GREAT AND THERE WILL BE A NEW SAYING IN N.C. THIS YEAR " THERE AUGHTA BE A LAW" like old Al used to say about fishing in Iowa....... NOW THERE IS A LAW out in Iowa and coming to a town near you real soon !!!!!

[Rick King]

Jeffery - good lookin bugs from your buddies............

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

No surprise the pink jigs will be productive once again in the Albemarle/Pamlico estuary.......

The Crappie were active yesterday when the pink was splashed...

The bass were loving it too...

All this fishing has been under a float on a telescopic pole...

The exciting thing is I have good supplies of old reliables and also some new experimentals in pink also....

[Steve Totten]

I know this is an older post but I'm going to make some pink scuds for the BG in my area, it's not brackish water but I'll give it a try.  My maternal grandfather told me I'd learn a lot more with my mouth shut and ears open, he was right.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

I'm almost certain they would work for you Steve....grass shrimp populations are good in Florida and it has worked for years in the Carolina coastal regions and Louisiana for me.....Let us see them when you get them done....Thanks in advance!

[Allen Morgan]

I may have to tie up some scuds in pink myself!!!

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Looking forward to seeing your work already Allen!