papajoe222 Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Some guys 'stumble' upon that color while switching colors when they weren't catching anything. Some just started using a color because someone recommended it, or they saw or read about it being used successfully. I become confident in a color the same way I do in a technique or a lure type. That is, I limit myself to using only that color, technique, lure, etc. on a particular outing. When it comes to color, it's always been a challenge as there are so many different lure styles and many colors are only available in soft plastics, or on hard baits, so I take it one step farther and concentrate on a given color in a certain type of lure. Take sexy shad colored cranks for example. I never threw anything that remotely resembled that color pattern on a crank in my life, but after all the hoopla it was getting a while back I decided to give it a shot. I set out mid afternoon with three different cranks in that color and left everything else locked up. By sunset I had determined that, despite my reluctance to accept it, that color combination would catch bass in the clear water that I frequent. So how do or did you gain confidence in a color? By accident, trial and error, recommendation, or, like me, by letting it prove itself? 1 Quote
Ozark_Basser Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Really a combination of all of those. I've been making a lot of jigs lately, and in my mind, as long as there is black and green pumpkin somewhere in the mix, I have loads of confidence in it. Quote
gr8outdoorz Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 I always choose my colors depending on the water clarity/color. In the clear lakes I fish, I just choose the colors that best represent the forage. With the plethora of colors on the market, I try to keep it as simple as I can. IMO, color is not as high on the list as some other aspects. Once fish are found, I focus on size & action first. Color comes last. Quote
plumworm Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Great question. Answer a little harder. Darn, having fished a whole lot of the Bassmaster top 100 lakes over the years, I now have plastic boxes with labels with lakes rather than colors.ie: Rayburn, sourgrape and PBJ lizards and trick worms. Tablerock, smoke 4in. grubs and purple back jerks. Ky.Lake, pumpkin majic zoom lizards and green pumpkin shakeyhead worms. Big "O", White spinnerbaits and junebug worms. Toho, I never figured it out but caught my PB on a white 1/4 oz. spinnerbait. ( 7-14) Guntersville it was an E-caliber ex5 in royal shad and a chart/white spinnerbait. Bay of Green Bay (home waters) Motoroil 4 in. grub, tube. I was a marshal when the elites were on Green Bay two summers ago and paired with Greg Vinson. Really nice guy but all he did was fish a 3" senko (ya 3") an a dropshot for 8 hours. All day I wanted to yell at him to throw a tube or a grub. ( you can't do that as a marshal) He didn't make the cut. Mississippi River, my favorite place to fish is al about shad. Spring, summer, and more so in the fall so shad colored anything will work. Wow, what a rant. Quote
Super User ww2farmer Posted February 10, 2015 Super User Posted February 10, 2015 It's pretty simple..................where there are bass, and if those bass are biting, they will bite YOUR favorite color(s). If they are not biting, going through the rainbow of colors won't matter much. "BUT....BUT...BUT I was throwing june bug for two hours then switched to watermelon and I got bit" Chances are Einstein, you would have gotten bit had you kept throwing junebug, you just happened to have watermelon on WHEN THEY STARTED BITING AGAIN. Out of the 1000's of bass I caught last year, how many do I think bit because of my lure color.............probably 3. Why do I have more colors than I need then? Or why aren't my lures all one color...................well, that's just plain boring. When I am feeling a little naughty, I will often switch to black and blue from green pumpkin...........my god, yes, even in clear water. And I'll keep on catching...............if they are biting. As for the original ?, how did I gain confidence in my favorite color...........well I used it, it worked, and has worked year after year. Pretty ground breaking stuff. 1 Quote
Super User RoLo Posted February 10, 2015 Super User Posted February 10, 2015 Success builds confidence, but rare is the day that I would hang my hat on color. Lure color is the caboose in my train of thought. A change in lure depth would be first, lure speed and cadence would be next, then a change in lure type. That failing, the Talon is lifted and we're off to the next waypoint. Color gets very little love on our boat Roger 2 Quote
reelnmn Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 I often let my coanglers choose the color I throw. It just doesn't matter that much to me. However, my confidence is increased when using plastics colored black/blue in dirty water or shades of green pumpkin/watermelon in clearer water. My first instinct when not getting bit isn't I'm throwing the wrong color but I'm in the wrong place/wrong time. Multiple times last year coanglers outfished me though and it was difficult not to wonder if color or presentation was the key. In the end I chalk it up to differing techniques and pure chance. Quote
Super User Sam Posted February 10, 2015 Super User Posted February 10, 2015 "So how do or did you gain confidence in a color?" Experience on the water. 1 Quote
Super User Fishes in trees Posted February 10, 2015 Super User Posted February 10, 2015 I am firmly in the trial and error camp. One of the virtue of owning LOTS of different soft plastics is that you own lots of different colors. Start with a color decision based on past experience, secchi disc reading, whatever. Fish it for a while. If you have indifferent results, choose a different color and repeat. That is my strategy, anyway. Quote
Super User smalljaw67 Posted February 10, 2015 Super User Posted February 10, 2015 Most of the time it was by accident but I also like to experiment. I was doing well with smallmouth about 10 maybe 12 years ago and we were using Yum Craw Bugs, well me and my buddy had green pumpkin Craw Bugs we got at discount that was old stock from a small tackle store. My buddy was set, he had 2 bags left while I only had 1/2 of a bag so we stopped at a shop and I got 2 new bags of green pumpkin craw bugs for our trip, well when I ran out of the old ones I put a new one on and I stopped catching fish while my buddy was still getting them, what was the deal here? Well I compared my new bugs to my buddy's and it seems my green pumpkin was darker, the old bags the color had faded or Yum made the color different but that day was an eye opener, it made me aware that the smallmouth can see shade differences and it has helped me, now when I make a green pumpkin jig I will use 3 different shades in one jig and they seem to work and I now have confidence in that. Quote
Super User scaleface Posted February 10, 2015 Super User Posted February 10, 2015 When I first started bass fishing , I changed lures a lot. It was exciting and I wanted to know each ones strengths.Some colors have just worked well for me and I stick with them. I have tried Sexy Shad but it hasnt caught a lot , yet. . I would say it was by trial and error. If I had a Deep Wee R in Sexy Shad then It would probably be successful lol. Quote
riverbasser13 Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 I usually like to keep it pretty simple (green pumpkins, whites, black n blue. But sometimes I hit the water just to experiment and try something new I picked up from the sale bin. Interesting how colors can change from region to region and so forth. Usually if they aren't biting I either switch colors or retrieves, then a different lure, but really I have no set plan I just check out the conditions and make and educated guess. Quote
wytstang Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Trail and error for me, if it's producing more bites then the other colors and the color is the only difference then that's the color I'm going to throw more and "know" I'm going to catch them with. I don't choose a color right away as it needs to be consistent before it's my go to. Do bass care what color it is vs action? no clue but I feel better with it so I focus more and that's what counts. Quote
Super User Felix77 Posted February 10, 2015 Super User Posted February 10, 2015 There is nothing like time on the water to learn and gain confidence. IMO they are NOT one and the same ... Learning - Take the time on the water with a particular lure and focus your efforts on what you are doing. You many not catch fish initially but you are learning how to work that bait. Maybe it feels different as you vary the retrieve. Maybe at a certain rod position you feel bottom more ... whatever it is you are learning how to work the bait. Confidence - If you are paying attention and get around fish you will eventually catch something. If you then repeat what you did and catch more confidence will eventually begin to build. What you did that day/time/place worked. The next time out it might be a different variation but when you catch again the cycle of confidence begins. Colors is only a portion of the equation and can make a difference at times. Presentation is more important normally. Be creative, be persistent and have fun. Good luck Quote
Super User Senko lover Posted February 10, 2015 Super User Posted February 10, 2015 How do you gain confidence in what color to throw? Use some colors, have success with them, find some favorites, and throw them. 1 Quote
bassguytom Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 I have the most confidence in Black/blue and green pumpkin. I have all kinds of colors but I have the most confidence in these colors because this is what I catch the most fish on. I'm not that smart. Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted February 10, 2015 Super User Posted February 10, 2015 http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/150339-im-my-own-worst-enemy/#entry1688895 I'm the guy who likes to experiment with baits to see what will get bit. I especially like to do it when the bite is on. Meaning, when the fish are obviously eating a bait well, I will cut that one right off and try baits that have yet to prove themselves. Whether it's just a color change or even an entirely different bait, I want to test it's effectiveness and there's no better time than when I know the bass are there and eating. Now the possible drawback to this is I'm probably missing a few bits while I'm switching back & forth and retying baits every 5 minutes. But on the other hand, these times have afforded the opportunity to gain confidence in a few baits that on another day might be "The Bait". Of Course, then the whole deal might start all over again. A-Jay Quote
upstateSCbassin Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Darker colors for darker water and cloudy skies White or natural colors for clear water Quote
Super User Catt Posted February 10, 2015 Super User Posted February 10, 2015 My color selection is extremely complex & complicated! I go to the tackle shop, see a color I like, buy it, take it to the lake, if it catches I keep it, if it don't catch I'll try it a couple more times then it's gone. For 25-30 years I threw a Gene Larew 7 1/2" Salty Ring Worm in Cinnamon Pepper Neon Junebug Laminated (Camo). That worm accounted for 75% of my double digit bass & 80% of my tournament winnings. Was it the worm? Was it the color? Hell if I know! I know it was part of the equation I didn't have to think about! I have experienced many situations where color indeed made all the difference in the world. One tournament I won was with a 1/2 oz spinnerbait, double Colorado blades painted chartreuse with a Pink & Chartreuse skirt! 1 Quote
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