Skirt color combinations

[bassackwards]

Guys
I am going to begin making my own skirts for spinnerbaits, jigs, and buzz baits and I was hoping someone would be willing to share the color combinations they use to make thier favorite skirts. Here are some of the colors I would like to make

Shad
Crawfish
"woops"y Shad
Green Pumpkin/char
blue/black
Bluegill

Also does anyone have tips for making a "magictail" type skirt. I perfer these so you can use a trailer hook and no trailer.

The colors are just a few I want to tinker with but I would love to here what you favorite colors are and the strands you use to make them.

[basser86]

I use two different combinations for black / blue. I either use two pads of black w/ blue tips or one pad each of black w/ blue tips and black / blue silachrome or black / blue nature scales. The silachrome adds a lot of flash to a skirt but wears off after several fish or a couple trips worth of bottom dragging or jig skipping. For Green Pumpkin, I use one pad each of green pumpkin and brown nature's edge. To make a shad color, I use one pad of either tenn. shad baitfish or clear w/ green scales and one pad of clear with silver hologram.

                                                     Hope this helps!
                                                          basser86

[SenkoSam]

Best source would be lurecraft.com or fishingskirts.com; best selection I've ever seen.

[coldfront]

quick question:

do you always use the same number strands in a skirt?  are there times/applications where you want less (more sparse) or more strands?

[bigjim5589]

I've made up my own skirts, but really don't have any set color formulas. I just go with what looks good to me. I do try to have something in mind as far as what they imitate. For example, since I fish in tidal rivers a lot around the Chesapeake Bay area, a green pumpkin, blue, and white combination is a good match for Blue crabs, and many crawfish species. I'll also add strands to pre-made skirts to get a different look, like you might do with dye on soft plastics.

coldfront, great question! Generally, I go with more strands, more bulk, which moves more water for lesser water clarity, so I make them with different numbers of strands. However, I also go with bigger hooks with more strands. For example, I would not put a 80 strand skirt on a jig with a 2/0 hook. Maybe a 6/0 hook!

The possibilities for different colors, profiles and how much water they move are nearly endless when you make your own skirts! 

[SenkoSam]

I don't match prey colors - never sure what their eating.
With jigs and spinnerbaits I figure they're reflex strike baits for the most part and occassionally I'll let them get a good look on bottom, so colors for me depend on water clarity and color, season (pre or post spawn) and bottom type (color). You don't have to go nuts if you have a few basic patterns or solid colors you have confidence in.

Other than lurecraft.com, these are my favorite colors from fishingskirts:

109b green pumpkin green / orange glitter with black barbwire print

057 pumpkin green glitter black barbwire print

234 butterscotch  (green pumpkin,amber with black bw print 

258 dark pumpkin green  (*my favorite for most environments)

337 green pumpkin / green flakes with black barbwire print (*)

065 whiskey green crystal bw

232 key lime red

335b  army green pumpkin purple and orange (dalmation spots)

206 green pumpkin blue (dalmation)

123b  green pumpkin green and orange

011b chili pepper  -  green pumpkin, watermelon and black with red glitter  (*) (LIVING IMAGE)

415 candy craw black dalmation (LIVING IMAGE)

417 clear water craw black dalmation  (LIVING IMAGE)

Just a few that I like and have used.

FrankM

(note: Lurecraft carries many of fishingskirt products and might be a bit cheaper. Both have A1 service.

[jigfish1]

Here a company with all the silicone skirt combination colors you will ever need
www.fishingskirts.com  go to living image skirts on the site

[coldfront]

very interesting site...thanks!

[bassackwards]

Thanks for the replies guys. Keep em coming.

[California Kid]

I had a bunch of Booyah jigs but the collars would slip a lot after a few fish so I took off the stock skirts and hand tied new ones to my color specifications.
1. Black/blue/purple-mainly black with blue and purple strands throughout.
2. Brown/magic craw-mainly brown with magic craw blended in.

I use living rubber for the black and brown and then use silicone for the colors. The magic craw is great it is a green pumpkin color and has a blue/pearlesence and looks great with the brown. I keep it very simple, too many colors and it makes fishing complicated.