Walk The Dog Colors

[Chanceb]

I am new to the walk the dog technique and topwater fishing altogether. All I usually use is a black buzzbait in the evenings, however this season I want to learn the walk the dog to add another technique. What are some good, basic, versitile colors to start with. Also what is the best reel gear ratio to use for them.

[Felix77]

Black and a shad color (white belly).

[skeetercraig]

bone , anything with a white belly with some orange on it

[Darren.]

bone , anything with a white belly with some orange on it

Curious on this, that you focused on the bottom. Seems to me the top paint job is for the fisherman since the bass is looking UP. Am I off here?

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Curious on this, that you focused on the bottom. Seems to me the top paint job is for the fisherman since the bass is looking UP. Am I off here?

To my understanding this is not necessarily true. I've heard (and always assumed it's true that) they can see the sides and top reflected when it splashes in the water.

[Darren.]

To my understanding this is not necessarily true. I've heard (and always assumed it's true that) they can see the sides and top reflected when it splashes in the water.

S'pose there's truth to that. As I was typing the first reply I thought about being submerged in a swimming pool, looking up, seeing whatever toy floating on top. I see the sides to a certain degree. Granted, human eyes aren't bass eyes, but it stands to reason I was off on my original reply. Still curious, tho...

[Jigfishn10]

Most if not all dog walkers have a "roll" when retrieved, meaning they will turn on their side when retrieved, so IMHO a bass will see color. I know bone color works well, so the theory of a bass can only see the belly of the lure (bone) has to be the ticket...who cares! The lure rolls and sometimes bass don't always hit a bone colored lure. So put the odds back in your favor:

 

I start out with this:

Clear water/Clear Sky - Bone or drab/natural colored lure or a chrome/highly reflective lure in the sun

Clear water/Cloudy Sky - Bright colors or dark colored lures

Clear or cloudy & murky water - dark colored lures

 

After that, I break the rules, which, in my experience has worked.

[fstr385]

I use heddon spooks in red/white, golden shiner, and silver/black. Need a chart color too but havent gotten it yet.

[11justin22]

Black, clear, or shad color.

[iabass8]

Curious on this, that you focused on the bottom. Seems to me the top paint job is for the fisherman since the bass is looking UP. Am I off here?

I read an article a while back somewhere that I couldn't find that was about top water colors and patterns. It went in to a little detail but not a lot on how bass can see the reflection of the sides and top of the lure through reflection. Whether it's true or not is beyond me but one of my most productive top water walk the dog style bait colors is in a clown pattern /w an orange hue belly that seems to out fish bone with the same bottom.

[Bluebasser86]

Black, clear, or shad color.

X2, black shore minnow, bone, and clear to be exact.

[bmlum415]

The color that is is a must have for me is the Florida bass by heddon, I have 4 spooks that color in my box, it's the go to color for me. One trip I went out and caught 8 bass on a super spook and the smallest was 4 1/2 lbs and largest was 7 lb, caught them all in 45 minutes too during the fall

[papajoe222]

I have good results using three basic colors. Bone, White with red head, and the G finish. There was a time when the only color I threw was bone as I'd worn the finish off part of the lure and removed it off the remainder leaving it 'naked'  Now be honest, what female in her right mind can resist a naked, cigar shaped thingy dancing around?  Notice I didn't even mention the red head.   

[Chanceb]

Thankk you all I will definately get a bone colored lure and a darker colored one. What is a good gear ratio to throw them with?

[38 Super Fan]

I don't find gear ratio to be a huge deal for them, anything in the 6 or faster range should work fine.

[thehooligan]

My go to is a sammy 85 in the ms shad color. Its got the olive back with orange belly. Ill throw that on sunny or cloudy days and that lure produces !!

[livetofish28]

white and any frog colors work for me

[11justin22]

X2, black shore minnow, bone, and clear to be exact.

Haha yeah I was being a little vague but those are the exact colors I use with black shore being my favorite

[0119]

Super Spook Jr. in Flitter Sah, it has large thick chunks of glitter and a clearish bottom, olive back.  ALso if you fish any tannic stained water the gold side, black back, orange belly kills them, gold in tannic water always.