GO GREEN

The phrase “go green” may have taken on a new meaning in this day and age, but long before saving the environment came into vogue, anglers were going green—for fish, that is. Green and its derivatives have long been known for their fish-attracting ability, and if you want to catch more fish, you should be ready to go green yourself. Here are 20 ways to make it happen:

1. Fly-casting terrestrials – Mint-green is a prime color when imitating grasshoppers and caterpillars, for almost any freshwater species.
2. Trolling for albacore tuna – The Green Machine lure and similar knock-offs can’t be beat.
3. Casting jigs for stripers – If it ain’t chartreuse, it ain’t no use!
4. Deepwater jigging for weakfish – Dark green jigging spoons often draw the most strikes.
5. Flounder fishing – Use food color to dye your squid strips bright green, and you’ll get more hits in cloudy greenish water.
6. Crappie suspended in timber – They’ll chomp on two-inch light-green tube jigs rigged on eighth-ounce jig heads, jigged vertically or cast and retrieved.
7. Trolling for yellowfin tuna – A green bird trailed by three green lures is a killer in the way-back position.
8. Chain pickerel in weedbeds – Hook a shiner onto a dark green marabou jig, suspend it under a bobber, and cast it to the edge of the weedbeds to drive these fish crazy.
9. Deep water bottom fishing – Many species go nuts for jigs and bucktails finished in day-glow green.
10. Speed jigging for bluefin tunas – Use green/blue mackerel patterns, whenever sand eels are schooled in the area.
11. Ice fishing for yellow perch – Tiny mint-green teardrop glow-jigs, tipped with a minnow’s eyeball, will get the job done.
12. Surf fishing for kingfish – rigs with bright green floats catch more fish.
13. Deep-dropping for snapper – Hooks dressed with green glow sleeves out-rank plain ones, every time.
14. Drifting for fluke – “Fluke Killer” rigs with chartreuse skirts and beads are usually the number one producer.
15. Night fishing for any species – Green fluorescent lights attract the most bait.
16. Flats fishing for snook – Light green plastic shrimp from DOA and green GULP!s are choice lures.
17. Trolling surgical hoses for bluefish – Lime green is one of the most productive colors you’ll find.
18. Mackerel jigging with “Christmas Tree” rigs – Keep count, and you’ll notice the green tubes usually catch the most fish.
19. Night fishing for swordfish – Attach a green glow stick to your line 10 feet from the bait, and your success rate will go up.
20. All species – Go green environmentally-speaking, and we’ll all have more fish to catch in the long run!