Ice Fishing Colors: Choosing the Right Jig & Plastic for Every Condition
Update: 2025-11-13
Description
On Episode 206 of the Fish House Nation Podcast, presented by Catch Cover, hosts Chris Larsen and Al Escobedo dive deep into one of the most talked-about—and debated—topics in ice fishing: color selection.
Whether you’re walking the aisles of the St. Paul Ice Show or stocking up at your favorite retailer, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the wall of plastics, jigs, glow baits, metallic finishes, and UV patterns. So what colors actually matter? And when?
Chris and Al break it all down with a mix of practical strategy and real-world experience. They discuss how factors like water clarity, sunlight, depth, and fish behavior dictate color choice—and why confidence colors still play a massive role.
You’ll hear Al’s go-to lineup (gold, white, black, red, pink), when to lean on natural tones, why metallics shine in darker water, and how UV-brightened plastics can trigger panfish. Chris shares his favorites for clear water—including his “Dr. Pepper” color obsession—and the duo explores how pairing plastics with jig heads creates effective color combinations.
They also cover:
🎣 When color actually doesn’t matter as much as you think
🎣 The role of cadence, profile, and location vs. lure color
🎣 Hard-bait color selection and why metallics mimic livebait so well
🎣 Why it’s okay to experiment far outside the “rules”
Whether you keep your jig box minimal or (like Al) treat it as an art collection, this episode will help you choose smarter—and fish more confidently—this winter.
For more ice fishing content, guides, and gear tips, visit CatchCover.com.
Whether you’re walking the aisles of the St. Paul Ice Show or stocking up at your favorite retailer, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the wall of plastics, jigs, glow baits, metallic finishes, and UV patterns. So what colors actually matter? And when?
Chris and Al break it all down with a mix of practical strategy and real-world experience. They discuss how factors like water clarity, sunlight, depth, and fish behavior dictate color choice—and why confidence colors still play a massive role.
You’ll hear Al’s go-to lineup (gold, white, black, red, pink), when to lean on natural tones, why metallics shine in darker water, and how UV-brightened plastics can trigger panfish. Chris shares his favorites for clear water—including his “Dr. Pepper” color obsession—and the duo explores how pairing plastics with jig heads creates effective color combinations.
They also cover:
🎣 When color actually doesn’t matter as much as you think
🎣 The role of cadence, profile, and location vs. lure color
🎣 Hard-bait color selection and why metallics mimic livebait so well
🎣 Why it’s okay to experiment far outside the “rules”
Whether you keep your jig box minimal or (like Al) treat it as an art collection, this episode will help you choose smarter—and fish more confidently—this winter.
For more ice fishing content, guides, and gear tips, visit CatchCover.com.
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