crankbait colors

[burgey]

im from northern wisconsin and have been looking into buy some crankbaits. The only colors that bps and others have are all shad colors. i have never seen a shad in my life and i doubt the bass here have either. what are some good non-shad colors to imitate bluegill and other natural forage of the north?

[Grey Wolf]

What makes you think that they won't bite a shad colored bait ?

[pitchin1]

Try crawfish patterns, there's other places than BPS if they don't have what your looking for.

[Leever]

Whether or not a bass will bite a lure does not solely rest on its color.  It depends a lot on the action, shape and retrieve.  So even if there are not any shad where you fish, a shad colored lure could still produce.  Bass have the same instinct to strike whether in WI or in FL or TX, IMO.

[torsten329]

baby bass colors, blue gill colors, whatever kind of forage there is... just match it.

[WVBassHunter]

I agree with above...

Even the ol firetiger works for me from time to time!

[TrippyJai]

Many of the lakes up here don't have shad in them and I'll still throw a shad colour bait without hesitation. I'm not the best crankbait fisherman out there, but I believe colour is the least important part of choosing a crankbait. Although sometimes colour could mean all the difference between a hot day on the water or no fish.

Do what makes you confidence... nothing is written in stone and everyone is from a different place.

[b.wedlund]

I fish mostly in Wisconsin and Minnesota and agree that I have never seen a shad up this way.  I will typically throw bluegill, yellow perch, baby bass or firetiger, but I really agree with what others have saying that color is about the last consideration I have when picking a crankbait.

[Zilch]

I fish all over the place and my take on color is that I like to carry 2 colors of a particular lure I've chosen for the day. I will carry something in a natural color (silver/black, gold/black, perch) and something very bright (firetiger).

I've fished perch colored lures in ponds/lakes with 0 perch population and done just fine.  So, I'd say just pick a couple colors that you feel confident in and just spend the time to try to learn how the lure works.

[HoggBoss]

I fish all over the place and my take on color is that I like to carry 2 colors of a particular lure I've chosen for the day. I will carry something in a natural color (silver/black, gold/black, perch) and something very bright (firetiger).

I agree.  I carry two.  One natural (even if it's a representation of a species not present) and one bright one.  I like Rapalas, so I have a parrot pattern in each of the DT's, and usually a gold foil color.  Which one I use depends on light levels and water clarity.