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]

You betcha Sleepy.....family time is important any way you can get it but fishing just makes it priceless for me.....I've had one of my best years ever so It's fun to look back and reflect on the good times and good eats......My next chapter on June will include some bed pictures and emphasis on multiple locations during nesting, an important factor to sustained superior big bluegill fishing. Glad you are enjoying it!

[paul sach]

Awesome photos Jeff ....can't wait til next session ..I have a question for you ..do you ever
Use snap swivels ?

Paul

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Not very often Paul but on a few deep water rigs I occasionally use one.....I would be more hesitant the clearer the water I  was fishing......Shallow under  a float, I tie my rigs on directly.....It boils down to personal preference Paul.....

[paul sach]

Jeff... Which knot is your favorite ?

Paul

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

95% of the time I use a Hangman's knot and a few baits I like a Rapala knot to maximize the action of a particular bait....I included diagrams of both...

[paul sach]

Thanks Jeff..I noticed going back to your pics that you tie directly
To the lure or jig ....to maximize the action of the bait ....great stuff I'm really getting an education here on Panfishing .... Also those Gills are tremendous in size, there are some good size fish here in Florida, but they are small in comparison to the ones in your picture ..

Paul

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Thanks for the kind words Paul and give a few of these things a try where you fish in Florida and let me know how it goes.....I know there is some solid Coppernose down there too.....Grass Shrimp are everywhere in Florida also and that's big when you find a good population of shrimp the same place will hold some solid gills....I check the fish I clean here and I know what they eat.....I clean gills with dozens of shrimp in their stomachs......

[paul sach]

I m going to get some grass shrimp immitations ASAP ...I believe Dicks sporting goods here carries them ..started fishing with pink trout magnet jigs already ..caught a few gills and shellcrackers ..going to check out the area for grass shrimp tho ..many thanks again ...
Paul

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

More than anything I am eager to find some grass shrimp. But I love your 'pink world' connection.

[Vince Fusco]

Those Gronaw grass shrimp were killers here in our clear waters too. Their slow fall, made them to much for the gills, and other fish to resist. I have got to try duplicating them soon on the tying table. I have caught fish on them tipped and just not tipped. 

[Jim Gronaw]

Wow, Vince...cool that you had success with the shrimp patterns in clear water, something I just can't seem to pull off in my clearer lakes around home. Although the aggressive hybrid sunfish will readily take them in the skinny water that is clear.

I think anything reasonably close to the color and size of the grass shrimp will likely catch fish, especially during the warmer weather. A 1/ 32 nd oz jighead seems to be the best all around size for the bluegills and it gets other gamefish as well. I like the body color of this new option I tied today...

But I like the filament jigs too...

Like I say...I don't know that exact duplication, rather than just a good representation, of the abundant grass shrimp is all that is needed to get on the fish. You do not have to be a master tyer to make these...they are among the easiest jigs to tie and fish, and that's the real beauty of it all.

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

NIce simple ties Jim and am going to try some jigs myself this winter when time permits and see if I can make a decent looking jig.