How To Catch Inshore Saltwater Fish with Artificial Lures – Part Two: Choosing the Best Jig and Grub Colors

This week we’re picking up where we left off last week when we discussed choosing the best jig head weight for targeting inshore fish with artificial lures. As I stated last week, picking out the correct jig head can be a bit confusing due to the overwhelming variety of jig heads on the market. So in this article, I will further clear things up by discussing what makes a good jig head color.

The consensus amongst anglers is out. Nine out of ten anglers will tell you that color matters when fishing with soft plastic artificial lures . Scientist don’t know exactly what fish see and many studies have been done on the way fish react to color, but there is no magical color or combination of colors that will irresistibly lure fish in. Choosing the right color combination for your jig head and plastic bait mainly depends upon your fishing location and water conditions. There are two basic rules of thumb:

• When fishing in foggy or “muddy” shallow water, use bright colors.
• When fishing in clearer deeper water, use dull subdued colors.

Jigging in South Florida

In south Florida the water is pretty foggy. I find that a bright red jig head combined with a solid white plastic bait has been a proven color combination especially in the winter months. The red head adds just enough color contrast from the white grub, attracting fish to attack. Try to avoid over accentuating color combinations with too much contrast. For example; If a plastic bait already has a red, pink, or chartreuse tail, combine it with a more neutral color jig head (such as plain white, black, or brown). Below are a few more examples of successful color combinations for targeting inshore fish in south Florida and other similar fishing environments.

Successful jig and grub color combinations

• Pink grubs team up nicely with bright chartreuse jig heads.
• Chartreuse grubs combine well neutral color jig heads (such as black or brown or even dark melon).
• For fishing up rivers during shrimp runs, try using a solid white grub with a brown gold flake jig head. Add a small amount of gold flash, and that will really attract bites.

Retrieving fish with a plastic grub on a jig head is an art. It requires patience and practice, but being educated on the many versatile color choices of jig heads and plastic grubs will go a long way in refining your art form and catch you some big fish along the way!  Next week we’ll follow this series up with another article on how to catch inshore saltwater fish with artificial lures.

If you’d like guidance with this or any other fishing techniques I’ve posted about, feel free to contact me about a charter in the South Florida area. (904) 866 – 8055