I fish for them several times a week and catch quite a few each time out. Some are really brown but many others have a green hue similar to a largemouth. I think they turn more brown when they really get into the crawfish as forage. The fish I catch early in the spring are more green because they are feeding on minnows and shad. By the time August comes they are all pretty brown. I don't often catch them through the ice because I usually fish for flat fish in the weedy bays. The largemouths are another story and will take a bluegill or crappie bait and become a nuisance when trying to fill a bucket with slabs. Some days I hook over a dozen and when you are fishing with a 30" UUL ice rod without a decent drag and 3 or 4 pound test that first run can be a tackle breaker.