Colors

[NinHendo]

Hey guys, new to bass fishing and I've done some research on here but no one can really agree on what colors to use. I want to just see if i have this right so far: Clear water = natural baitfish/craw colors. Semi-Merky water = chartreuse colors. Merky water/Night = black/dark colors (to create silhouette.)  Now, just from common sense fishing, I understand the natural colors for clear water and dark colors when dark or merky water, but can someone shed a little more light on when the chartreuse or fire tiger need to be used? Thanks guys. 

[bigfruits]

smallmouth!

[Big Bait Fishing]

2 hours ago, NinHendo said:

Hey guys, new to bass fishing and I've done some research on here but no one can really agree on what colors to use. I want to just see if i have this right so far: Clear water = natural baitfish/craw colors. Semi-Merky water = chartreuse colors. Merky water/Night = black/dark colors (to create silhouette.)  Now, just from common sense fishing, I understand the natural colors for clear water and dark colors when dark or merky water, but can someone shed a little more light on when the chartreuse or fire tiger need to be used? Thanks guys. 

i don't use firetiger but i imagine it would cause a little color flash in the water , something to get noticed in stained water ,

[Bluebasser86]

I use firetiger in stained to dirty water most of the time.

Don't get too hung up on color. The right bait in the right place at the right time is going to be a much bigger factor than the color of bait you're throwing. I'd highly suggest keeping it simple while you're learning. 

[Catt]

16 hours ago, NinHendo said:

Hey guys, new to bass fishing and I've done some research on here but no one can really agree on what colors to use. I want to just see if i have this right so far: Clear water = natural baitfish/craw colors. Semi-Merky water = chartreuse colors. Merky water/Night = black/dark colors (to create silhouette.)  Now, just from common sense fishing, I understand the natural colors for clear water and dark colors when dark or merky water, but can someone shed a little more light on when the chartreuse or fire tiger need to be used? Thanks guys. 

Let me see if I got this right

Natural baitfish/craw colors will not work in merky water or at night?

Black/dark colors will not work in clear water?

Huh!

[scaleface]

I fish stained water most of  the time  .and use both bright and more natural lures about fifty / fifty .

["hamma"]

Color "can" play a role, but more important is what Bluebasser stated. If it comes down to the nitty gritty of the color scale. Keep in mind colors change the deeper you run the lure.

 Many firetiger crankbaits that run deep, are typically that  color to appear whitish at proper running depths

[primetime]

When in doubt, Throw green pumpkin, firetiger is basically just a chartreuse bait with some orange, so having a color with some chart or orange in it is good in stained water or around bluegills.

I used to buy tons of colors, now I stick to a few colors and I have caught fish on Junebug or purple worms in every color water, same with black, same with firetiger (I rarely use it, it seems to bright for my taste, I hate all the orange.)

[Catt]

1 hour ago, primetime said:

same with firetiger (I rarely use it, it seems to bright for my taste, I hate all the orange.)

That's it right there!

We make color choices based on what we like!

Fire Tiger works in off colored water because that's what we throw in off colored water.

We claim Fire Tiger works because it represents Bluegill...do Bluegill not live in clear water?

[NinHendo]

Good advice guys. This is the kind of feedback i'm looking for!

[NinHendo]

6 hours ago, Catt said:

Let me see if I got this right

Natural baitfish/craw colors will not work in merky water or at night?

Black/dark colors will not work in clear water?

Huh!

I'm new brother. I don't bass fish. That's why I'm asking you guys..

[Catt]

18 minutes ago, NinHendo said:

I'm new brother. I don't bass fish. That's why I'm asking you guys..

I know that's why I'm answering

Everyone is going to give you the " standard " color chart & when they do ask yourself a few simple questions.

[WRB]

Unless you are a bass looking at colors the rest of us humans don't know what colors look like to a bass. Color preferences can and do change hourly on some lakes and don't seem to matter on other lakes, both with similar water clarity. What matters is what works and to determine that it's a trail and error process.

KIS keep it simple sounds like the best concept until it doesn't work.

Hard baits like crank baits are not easy to keep it simple. You want a colors similar to the primary baitfish where you fish like Threadfin Shad, baby bass, fire tiger that represents perch and a crawdad color.

Soft plastics are another story and can represent a wider variety of critters so more choices that seem to never end. Popular soft plastics are green pumpkin with red flake, black with blue flake, dark purple with green flake, amber or oxblood with red flake and smoke with black-silver-gold flake covers most conditions.

Spinner baits and chatter baits you can get by with white/chartruese with gold and silver blades.

Surface lures bone works nearly everywhere.

Don't get too hung up on water clarity the bass find a way to eat prey that are nearly camouflage to their surrounds, the bass will find your lure, getting them to strike it is another matter.

Tom

[Robert Riley]

I generally stick to baitfish colors in clear, add some chartreuse for stained and then get those high contrast patterns (Old Glory, Chart Black Back are my two). I only use the craw patterns if I see crawfish, and if I do, I match the colors as best I can. 

But like most have said, moving baits are often taken by purely instinctual reactions, so color is only as important as you want it to be. 

Interestingly enough, our academic sponsor at the University of Illinois is actually working on a project about reactions to different color groups (the fishies reaction, not ours haha).  

[Catt]

Zoom offers over 350 colors, Rat-l-Trap offers 100, & Bill Norman offers 75

You can bet every single color is someone's favorite!

[Molay1292]

8 hours ago, "hamma" said:

Color "can" play a role, but more important is what Bluebasser stated. If it comes down to the nitty gritty of the color scale. Keep in mind colors change the deeper you run the lure.

 Many firetiger crankbaits that run deep, are typically that  color to appear whitish at proper running depths

for something to reflect as white it must be struck with all wavelengths of light, something that probably will not happen in most fishing waters especially at any depth.   Fire tiger color typically uses greens and purples two of the shortest wavelength colors that the human eye can see and will  have the best opportunity to reflect their color at depth.