Yellow and chartruese on crank baits

[Blue Streak]

I looked at a poll somewhere about colors fishermen prefer on a crank. There were over 1300 responses and 51% said they would want some yellow or chartruese on their cranks. Thirty four per cent wanted silver/shad. I wondered if all of the respondents were bass fishermen or if some walleye guys got involved. How do you guys feel about those colors. Do you buy most of your cranks with yellow or chartruese on them somewhere?

[Goose52]

I think it depends on water clarity and forage. The lakes I fish have very clear water, there are no shad, and few craws. So, I mostly use natural colors that approximate bluegill and yellow perch. I do have some luck with yellow and chartreuse in-line spinners, but I don't buy too many cranks that are predominately those colors.

[BobP]

That sounds about right (without any walleye pollution!).  A lot of it depends on water clarity.  Here in the SE, fishermen often seek out water that has the right amount of stain - enough so the crankbait can be seen from several feet but not so clear that the bass can easily recognize it's a lure.  In those conditions, neon yellow or school bus yellow are productive base colors.  In clear water, white and silver are more natural but even then, if you look at the hottest patterns like citrus shad and sexy shad, there's quite a bit of yellow accent in them.

[Blue Streak]

When you purchase crank baits do you prefer that bait to have a splash, stripe, or bar of either of these colors? Does that define your decision no matter what the basic color is? Do your favorite cranks have a little of these colors on them?  I am just real curious about this.

[florida strain]

sometimes the chartruese can cause a reaction strike..example - if i fish an area with a black worm and the fish seems uninterested, immediately throw a a chartruese crank, the instant color change causes a reaction.i stole that example from someone by the way.. but i believe it

[flippin and pitchin]

I think chartreuse is about visibility and contrast.  It's often paired with a black, blue, copper or green back.  What we see in the package and what the color becomes in the reduced light of stained water are different. It's not a productive color in clear water for me unless it's a spinnerbait with painted blades for smallmouth.  Even that scenario requires cloudy conditions.  The color that puzzles me is red, red orange.  It's hot in many parts of the country and a dog in my region.  I don't get it. :-/

[hookset on 3]

I think it depends on water clarity and forage. The lakes I fish have very clear water, there are no shad, and few craws. So, I mostly use natural colors that approximate bluegill and yellow perch. I do have some luck with yellow and chartreuse in-line spinners, but I don't buy too many cranks that are predominately those colors.

Goose, check these out. It might change your lure arsenal.

http://livetargetlures.com/

[Goose52]

Goose, check these out. It might change your lure arsenal.

http://livetargetlures.com/

Blue Streak - gonna drift off your topic for just a second

Thanks for the tip. Yeah - that Koopers perch imitation is just great...but $11.50 for a crank is above my price range (hear that bait monkey). I did just get a couple of Rapala Jointed Shad Raps from Cabelas for only $4.50 each - one was the perch color below, the other was a "hot perch" color. $4.50 I can handle !

[Blue Streak]

Those are great baits and that is an excellent color around here. I have several of those jointed plugs but I have never been able to find that color.

[SkilletSizeBass.]

One of my favorite cranks that I do good on a small clear lake locally is a Bomber model 6a and 7a in redfire crawdad, a red/chart. color.

I like a little chart. on a crank, but I don't seem to do much on a mostly chart. colored bait. :-/

[roadwarrior]

I think it depends on water clarity and forage. The lakes I fish have very clear water, there are no shad, and few craws.

Where are you fishing? I thought all lakes in the

Mid South had threadfin shad. I assure you, crawdads

are everywhere, whether you see them or not.

[-nick-]

I fish fairly clear water, yet one of my favorite cranks to fish there is blue back with chartruese body.

[Goose52]

I think it depends on water clarity and forage. The lakes I fish have very clear water, there are no shad, and few craws.

Where are you fishing? I thought all lakes in the

Mid South had threadfin shad. I assure you, crawdads

are everywhere, whether you see them or not.

RW - I mostly fish 11 private, man-made lakes, from 4 to 201 acres. These lakes were created in the mid-70s or so, and have been stocked off and on since then. Of late, little stocking has been performed. Shad were never introduced here. As you say, there may be crawdads here, but they're not seen often. All of the lakes have some populations of bass and 'brim'. Some of the lakes also have some populations of yellow perch and channel cat. 4 or 5 of the deepest lakes have some remnant populations of walleye (very few), and rainbow trout. Grass carp were stocked in most of the lakes for weed control. It's not a native fishery, fish populations are probably lower than what you would expect for the sizes of the lakes, but there are some big fish. Probably 1/2 of the anglers fishing these lakes are catch and keep so that makes things that much tougher. :-/

[Blue Streak]

There has not been a lot of replies on here about these two colors. But sure enough on the thread about starting a crank collection there is a photo of two cranks with these colors. And it seems to me that when someone shows me their favorite or best crank one of those colors is somewhere on it. Is this something we all do  without thinking about it?

  Sure seems to be a pattern.

[Goose52]

There has not been a lot of replies on here about these two colors. But sure enough on the thread about starting a crank collection there is a photo of two cranks with these colors. And it seems to me that when someone shows me their favorite or best crank one of those colors is somewhere on it. Is this something we all do without thinking about it?

Sure seems to be a pattern.

Well, I don't buy too many lures in yellow and chartreuse, but I'll have to admit that my first bass of 2010 was caught on a SK Red Eye Shad in the color shown below   I sorta forgot about that one being mostly yellow and chartreuse - I just remembered as I lost that lure fishing it deep the other day and was just ordering another one and noticed how bright the color was  :

[kbkindle]

in my home lakes here in indiana  yellow cranks work great  there are not a lot of yellow cranks made so i have painted a few for my use as  bigo's sk cranks bandit etc.they work great for smallmouth

[Big Bait Fishing]

I fish fairly clear water, yet one of my favorite cranks to fish there is blue back with chartruese body.

if you are talking about a Norman DD22 in blue back / chartruse , i catch quite a few fish on that bait even tho it looks nothing like any baitfish  ;D

[hookset on 3]

Goose, check these out. It might change your lure arsenal.

http://livetargetlures.com/

Blue Streak - gonna drift off your topic for just a second

Thanks for the tip. Yeah - that Koopers perch imitation is just great...but $11.50 for a crank is above my price range (hear that bait monkey). I did just get a couple of Rapala Jointed Shad Raps from Cabelas for only $4.50 each - one was the perch color below, the other was a "hot perch" color. $4.50 I can handle !

Goose, I like that shad-rap color. I also do well with this Rapala:

This is the X-Rap Version,which is more translucent.

[Taylor Fishin 4 life]

its simple really if its muddy water get a bright color such as chartruse and if its clear just match the hatch

[Nine Miler]

Goose, check these out. It might change

your lure arsenal.

http://livetargetlures.com/

Blue Streak - gonna drift off your topic for just a second

Thanks for the tip. Yeah - that Koopers perch imitation is just great...but $11.50 for a crank is above my price range (hear that bait monkey). I did just get a couple of Rapala Jointed Shad Raps from Cabelas for only $4.50 each - one was the perch color below, the other was a "hot perch" color. $4.50 I can handle !

Goose, I like that shad-rap color. I also do well with this Rapala:

This is the X-Rap Version,which is more translucent.

Your link is broken, man.