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Over the last couple of years we have been experimenting with Powerbait and appropriate colour selection conducive to a maximum yield from Lake Jindabyne. Were always fishing for a feed, be it yak or land based. Achieving the Grand slam (One of each species available) or bagging out individually or as a group, the goal has always been to return home with a salmonoid bounty. Being as prolific as they are you would think this to be an easy feat, and some days it is.
Certain times of the year require some attitude adjustment when it comes to relying on those confidence colours you have developed overtime. The same can be said for bait selection, be it scrub worms, bardi grubs or other natural baits. Even current reports spelling out what was used and when can be off the mark on the day you decide to attend. Weather, moon phase, barometer all with have some effect on your outcome.
If you struggle to land Trout on a regular basis from a bank, rather than dismiss the trip as a 'Bad day' try focusing on the one area you have the most control of, the choice of colour selection. If you chat to the old guard or any seasoned Trout angler about lure colours a number of theories and discussions crop up, especially when you add natural or flashy pattern choices into the mix. Similarly gaining confidence with Powerbait colour selection is all about taking notice on what works and when.
There have even been complex gadgets created to help anglers learn what colour offerings to throw, take the Colour-C-Lector® for instance. This handheld device shows which colours fish see best at any depth and degree of water clarity, allowing you to choose the correct colour with confidence, regardless of species. The creators spent more than nine years establishing a range of 26 colours that fish could distinguish best under different degrees of water clarity and varying levels of light penetration.
Now the thing about fishing with Powerbait is while it sounds complicated it's the techniques simple virtues that makes it so deadly. No colour selectors, no hard and fast rules and the correct presentation provides an easy learning curve. If you really want to master the art you can move beyond the chuck and chance approach quite quickly by cycling colours. A great way to experiment is fish with a friend or two with your quota of rods out and distribute a broad range of offerings.
The Gulp range of artificial bait is definitely softer than Powerbait, particularly the 'Chunky Cheese' variant. It seems to omit a stronger smell underwater (And above, yuck) than traditional Powerbait and may at first seem simply too pliable to stay on your hook. The Gulp products also have additional additives like extra glitter particles and possibly attracting enzymes, giving you even more of a reason to become acquainted.
In summarising, back in the day many reports mention the old sherbet or chartreuse nuggets, and for a very good reason. While not strictly readably available these days they are two great colours to fashion additional purchases from, with popular variants Orange Pulp (Gulp), Orange Twist (Powerbait), Lime Twist (Powerbait) and Chunky Chart (Gulp) some of the most common available.
While you could just grab a jar or two and head off for the day the small amount required per presentation to the fish makes it feasible to continually stock up on alternatives. The choices may seem confusing at first but a great way to start is to buy a Plano box suitable for carrying multiple jars and start building up a collection of differing colours. While the ranges available in Australia may have expanded my 8 year old A-Mart trout nuggets have still been known to catch fish.
As a general rule of thumb, green in the weed, brown on the bed.
