Outdoors: Purple passion hits tackle shops

''The Color Purple'' starring Oprah Winfrey was a popular movie some years back, and currently the color purple appears to be playing to good audiences in tackle shops. You might recall as many do that in last year's trophy striped bass season purple suddenly came on strong as the color for stripers of the Chesapeake - no one could figure out why, and tackle shops were caught unaware. They couldn't get enough of them to meet demand.

If you're shopping for new baits this year, I'd suggest you pick up a few Sassy Shads, big ones, of that color for pre-season catch-and-release fishing, no guarantees...