Crankbait bottom colors

[bigbill]

Have you ever noticed what crankbait bottom color works better than the others?

I have noticed my crankbaits and topwater lures with the orange bottoms seem to be better fish catchers. Even my orange spook is a hot color too. Ever notice this?

[Team9nine]

Had a friend who was a custom crankbait maker test this out thoroughly on our local waters. Made absolutely no difference. Action (as best we could determine) was much more important than color. Color pattern, regardless of order or alignment, was insignificant. As always, YMMV, but I put little faith in it outside of what "looks good" to me and makes me happy 

[clh121787]

Most fish/amphibians have white bellys. That's how I roll. I try to dredge bottom with my cranks don't think they get a good look anyway

[IndianaFinesse]

Nope, and I only use two different crank bait colors. Some chartreuse variant for more stained water, and shad for clear.  

[Spankey]

8 hours ago, clh121787 said:

Most fish/amphibians have white bellys. That's how I roll. I try to dredge bottom with my cranks don't think they get a good look anyway

+PLUS+ on that. In my belief it not like they don't see it but the hit is reactionary. Not much thought process on the fishes part. Very possible the reaction to a shape or color of one over another is more. 

 

But I'm no fish biologist. Just my opinion. 

8 hours ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Nope, and I only use two different crank bait colors. Some chartreuse variant for more stained water, and shad for clear.  

+PLUS+

[NHBull]

I really don't think it matters so I don't pay for fancy paint jobs.

Wide wobble or narrow wobble matters more.

 

The main food sorse on my lake is crawl, so when in doubt, I lean towards those colors

[scaleface]

It seems to me   that crankbait color can make a huge  difference in shallow water   . I dont know about the orange belly but I have caught plenty on an orange belly . I have  have days  where bluegill patterned baits out fished shad colors by a big margin and vice versa .  

 

 Rapala Fat Rap in perch has the orange belly  .hint 

[bigbill]

Small bluegills and sunfish is the main diet of the bigger bass next to crawfish. I find my bomber size 5 fat A in redapplecraw with the orange bottom is one of my best producers, there's a baby bass with the orange bottom that's offered too. I buy any hardbait that has the orange bottom. The other colors work too but I go with the orange bottom first. I once purchased a discounted orange spook on a whim. I tossed it one morning and I was on the bass bite for a while. I'm a firm believer that colors matter. Don't limit yourself to just certain colors. I fish in small bodies of water if it works for me it has to work in larger bodies to water.

 

if your not catching anything change what color your using. I toss different baits, colors and sizes till I get action. Don't stay with one bait the whole time for nothing. I find it funny I was on a bass feeding frenzy where they only hit the rebel big claw crawfish crankbait and nothing else worked, I'm catching bass after bass. A guy walks by with only a spinnerbaits and caught nothing. He says to me your having a good night? Vary your baits when it's slow.

 

i like to see everyone catch fish. I'm no pro I'm a nut who loves bass fishing.

 

this is for the younger fisherman who are limited to small ponds. Remember everything we learn at one body of water applies to every body of water. It's your skills and knowledge of fishing that you learned that stays with you the rest of your life. It's not luck in fishing it's skill.

[Bulletman20XD]

Look at near any fish, in fresh or salt water---all are a lighter color on bottom than on top. This is to help conceal the fish from predators and prey. Now look at most store bought cranks--lighter on bottom right. They may also place another contrasting color on the bottom and/or sides. I say store bought because many custom painted baits can be either way. Manufacturers don't just throw paint on baits without testing them. Since cranks have been around the light on bottom darker on top paint jobs have been around--Why? Because it has been proven to work.

[Brett's_daddy]

I would think if there were any baits where color other than on the bottom would make a difference it would be something like crankbaits and jerkbaits where the entire bait is fished below the surface and the bass would see it from all angles conceivably. I mean topwater baits color doesn't matter so much as the fish are generally just seeing the bottoms of the baits as they don't submerge beneath the waters surface. Maybe I'm off-base here but in my line of thinking if there were ever any baits where overall color schemes would matter it would be cranks and jerks.

[papajoe222]

I'm always reminding myself that bass are sight feeders first. IMO  the presentation makes color choice more important.  If you're targeting submerged vegetation, or brush, especially in shallow water, YES I  prefer an orange belly. During pre-spawn it's a killer color.  If you're bouncing it off the bottom kicking up silt or gravel, the fish isn't going to see its underside, so NO.  I proved that to myself using a clear unpainted crank in gin clear water..  When it was on the bottom, I caught fish.  On the dive or upswing, nothing.  Got the same results fishing it in timber, nothing.