With a few rare exceptions, any color can be applied to any plug, spoon or TNT. We never discontinue a color unless we can no longer get the supplies or particular paints for that pattern. If you’ve got an old favorite Tomic color that you want matched, send us a good picture of it (or better yet, send it to us and we’ll return it with the closest possible match).
A fun twist on colors has recently become popular, and that’s to apply the pattern upside down. If the traditional color calls for a green back and a sliver belly, the upside down color would have a green belly and a silver back. We’ll make any pattern “upside down”. We use the code “UD” to identify this, so a 727ud would be 727 color applied upside down.
We use numbers for our color system. The color number of a plug will usually be stamped on the nose, or on the belly if the nose is black.
These are some general number rules (keep in mind rules are meant to be broken – so there’s the odd exception).
The 400 series have metallic scale pattern inserts inside the clear lure (400 to 449’s are silver, 450 to 499’s are gold). There are some additional scale inserts outside the 400’s and they are 386, 393-399 and 801.
The 600 series are on glow.
The 900 series have metallic solid pattern inserts inside the clear lure (900’s are chrome, 950’s are gold).
There are two other kinds of inserts, the iridescent and the plaid. Since the plaid and iridescent patterns are relatively new, most of the time they are used to modify an existing color and we identify them with letters after the number.
For example, here’s a picture of color 28 applied to an iridescent insert (color 28 is just a pearl body with red nose, red eye splash and yellow eye).In our number system this one is called 028ii which means to us “do the 28 color on an iridescent insert body, not the body 28 normally comes on”. If we had used a UV purple body instead of a clear body, this would be called a 28uvbii (color 28 on a uv body with iridescent insert). The UV bodies are opening up a whole new world of pattern possibilities. The UV body and looks virtually the same as a clear body in regular light, but reacts to to UV light but shining blue/purple.
This color 493 uses a plaid insert in a UV body. Often plaid inserts are a modification of an existing color. For instance, 94pi would be color 94 on a plaid insert (not the customary pearl body for a 94). 94uvbpi would be color 94 on a plaid insert that is inside a UV body. The possibilities for new and exiting colors are endless.
When making a plug, here are the body options we start with for the classic or tubby:
pearl
white
glow
clear
UV
silver scale insert (in either clear body or UV body)
brass scale insert (in either clear body or UV body)
chrome insert (in either clear body or UV body)
gold insert (in either clear body or UV body)
iridescent insert (in either clear body or UV body)
plaid insert (in either clear body or UV body).
When a standard 3 digit color has been modified, we add letters to identify the modification like this:
ab = actual brass – this is a metalized body, not a metallic insert (or painting on spoon with transparent paint so the polished nickel shows through the colors
ac = actual chrome – this is a metalized body, not a metallic insert
bi = brass scale metallic insert inside a clear body
bgs = black gold scale – this is a center stripe on the back of the plug with black scale pattern first, then gold scale pattern on top of that
ch = chrome insert – chrome metallic insert inside a clear body
cs = chartreuse stripe – this is side stripes of chartreuse
cus = custom color
cu = custom color
dc = duracoat – a spoon treatment allowing transparent paint directly on the polished nickel
fe = fire eye – fluorescent red eye instead of regular eye color
g = glow
gi = gold scale metallic insert inside a clear body
ii = iridescent insert – an iridescent insert inside a clear body
ins = some sort of insert body was used
nn = natural nose – the nose is not painted, it’s left with whatever paint lands there from the other colors
pi = plaid insert – metallic plaid insert (sometimes called disco pattern) inside a clear body
ps = pink stripe
re = red eye splash – this is a splotch of red behind the eye
rs = red stripe – red side stripes
si = silver scale insert inside a clear body
ud = upside down
uv = Ultraviolet – this pattern has some ultraviolet properties added, usually clear UV paint over back
uvb = Ultraviolet body – the plug body itself is ultraviolet – it’s clear plastic but reacts to black light. UVB is often used with metallic inserts inside (so uvbii would mean an iridescent insert inside a uv body)
w = wide – the center stripe is wider than the original pattern
50/50 lures – these lures are different colors on each side. Half the time color A will be painted on the right side (color B on the left) and half the time color A will be painted on the left side (color B on the right). So, if you order 6, 3 will be one way and 3 will be the other.
If you can’t find the color you’re looking for among our pictures, we’re working on it. If there are some pictures missing you’d like to see – just email us and we’ll add the photo ASAP if we can. If you’d like more of a color you have and you can’t find it in the color chart, we can generally reproduce the color if you send us a picture or the lure to match.
See many of our color pictures in the colors gallery.