RayburnGuy Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Hey guys, I thought this question had been asked before, but I couldn't find it with a search of the archives. Found the one about color patterns for cranks, but no luck with top water baits. Anyway, if you wouldn't mind sharing your favorite colors for top waters I would appreciate it. I've got a walking bait waiting to be painted and I'm drawing a blank. Most of the water it will be fished in has about 2 to 4 feet of visibility. Pictures would be a plus if you don't mind sharing. thanks guys, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking 56 Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Simple pattern Ben, black with orange belly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtx Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 The water vis is the same here. So for me i like Baby bass or pearl white belly/ ayu back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybait Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Rainbow Trout is one of the favorites here due to 1) Trout plants on local resevoirs, and 2)natural Steelhead run, but that's on the Calif. Delta. Baby Bass is always good too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JunebugsCustoms Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Baby Bass, Black/Chrome, Frog, Black/white, and Bone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/media/gallery/category_8/tn_gallery_28195_8_281561.jpg I painted this, for a friend at work, after seeing bass blow up on dragonflies this past summer. Yesterday, he asked if i would paint more of them for him, he caught several fish with it on his first trip so I guess it worked. I hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 (edited) Thanks guys. Not sure why, but for some reason I was drawing a blank when trying to come up with a color scheme. Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate the help. Ben Edited January 3, 2014 by RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brent R Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Ben around my neck of the woods i fish a lot of top water with no paint at all..that's if the bait is plastic. It works good when you have a little clear water...good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 ben. how about a frog with a split yellow belly. the old dying flutter frog. up here in Canada its a decades proven topwater color Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougarftd Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Bone with orange belly...you're welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Ben, My 2 cents..you can't beat a Frog or Shad pattern...Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 I like a yellowish bone, with red gills and a chart. feathered tail for first thing, and a clear/silver for once the sun comes up. I use silver flashabou in the tail. Since the bait is seen from below, I think the action is more important than the color scheme. Here's three I posted in the gallery: http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/index.php?/gallery/image/5484-5-inch-gliderwalkers/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Thanks for your input guys. Not sure why I'm hung up and can't make a decision. Maybe I need to have a few shots of gin and tonic and just sit down and fire up the airbrush. Woodie if I remember correctly they made a couple different frog patterns for the Dying Flutter. Are you talking about the one with the solid yellow belly, dark green back with black markings on the back? Mark those are some nice looking baits. I haven't painted a bone color in a while. Clear/silver is out. I keep painting baits with transparent paint, but you still can't see through the wood. Don't know what I'm doing wrong. Thanks again everyone. Ya'll have been a great help. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 ben yes that's the one. if your really stumped like I get also. google up the old antique lure colors on the net. that,ll get the juices flowin... wishin I could paint t-day but were into a canadien deep freeze here. heaters cant keep my shop above 50 degrees.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robalo01 Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 The best top water color for bass... All Black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JunebugsCustoms Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Robala is correct. Because allblack throws the best silhouette, it is easiest to see from below against the daylight from above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogAddict Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 (edited) I like firetiger with an orange belly or shad with a white belly. But in some cases, black is the best. Funny how we all focus on the rest of the bait when the belly color and the action is what's important. Here's a quick pic of one I just painted. Edited January 3, 2014 by FrogAddict Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 I do that also Woodie and that's actually what I finally did with this bait. Of course I had to try to do something a little different as far as what colors were put together. Not 100% sure I like what I came up with, but holding off on an opinion until the fish tell me what they think. If the fish don't like it the paint manufacturers haven't quit making paint yet so I still have alternatives. I fish a lot of black baits. Everything from soft plastics to top waters and everything in between. Black neon is a favorite of mine. I've also seen times when a clear top water would out fish everything else in the boat. Mostly on clear, sunny days. From what I could tell about it in the tub it's going to have a great walking action so maybe the color won't be the determining factor on whether it gets bit or not. I was actually a little surprised at how well it walked for a 3" bait. It also had a fair amount of glide to it when it was twitched slowly. There will definitely be more of these built and will most likely return to the more traditional color patterns. I appreciate everyone's help. It definitely putt me to thinking and got me out of the ditch. Thanks guys. Ben p.s. I'll post a pic when it comes off the lure turner so ya'll can make fun of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 (edited) Here's the pic of the walker. I was going to leave it entirely bone colored at first, but thought it needed some contrast. First tried transparent tan, but there wasn't enough color difference in the tan and the bone to be noticeable. Then mixed some copper in with the tan and that was better, but it still didn't seem quite right so I sprayed some transparent brown over the tan/copper layer to darken it a little more. Hard to tell from the picture, but laid down some red along the contour of the head for gills and sprayed a little fluorescent chartreuse on the belly. Finished it off with some small gold flake. I wanted the paint scheme to be something a little different and I think that part was accomplished whether it will get bit or not. If the bass turn their noses up at it I haven't run out of paint yet. Edited January 4, 2014 by RayburnGuy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassguy Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Ben I like the paint scheme. Nice scale pattern too! Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Thanks Jerry. This was my first time using that particular style of netting. It's a shower loofah, but I'm thinking it may not be made from the same stuff a lot of the other guys are using. It's extremely "stretchy" and slippery which makes getting all the scales the same size all but impossible. It's made out of some kind of plastic and you can't even get close to it with a heat gun or it will melt. I finally had to use a trick Gene (Lincoya) told me about. (thanks Gene....your trick with the spray adhesive kept me from throwing an oilfield fit) After laying the netting out flat I sprayed it with 3M adhesive and then placed the netting on the bait. I ended up usomg a separate piece of netting for each side of the bait because it made aligning the scale pattern easier. Another problem was trying to dry the paint after each coat. I had to hold the heat gun at least a foot away from the bait to keep the netting from melting. It's like most everything else that requires skill. Once you do it a few times it starts to get easier. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinman13 Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 U could also try a clear bait with some shad green on the back with black speck on the shoulders, red gills. I have a popper with that kind of set up and I have caught a lot of bass on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinman13 Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Very nice, I honestly think it will catch fish. Is this bait wood or plastic? Do u carve your own baits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Thanks Thinman. They are wood and I do carve my own. I figured out fairly early that I would never be an airbrush "artist" and since I've always worked with my hands decided to try building a few baits just to see if I could. Now I enjoy building them even more than painting. There's an endless number of variables that dictate how a lure is going to act and it's fun to see what one can come up with when designing and building a bait. It's enough to keep you up at night and sometimes it does just that. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinman13 Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Hey I daydream all the time, Sometimes I daydream to much and forget what I'm doing, I got a lathe for Christmas so here comes the fun. I got a scroll saw for my birthday. So I am set at least part of the way. The imagination is the key component. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
