What is the best color/lure?... No such thin

[SENKOSAM]

The questions of lure (usually brand) and color are asked frequently on fishing sites and IMO, have no answers. If a poll were taken with lures of a specific design and brand or colors for those lures, we could get a consensus of what anglers throughout the country seem to prefer and half good luck with. But even that doesn't really prove much except that people read and compare notes and once they hook a few, decide that that color or lure should be a standard in their tackle box.

Ask about color choice and you'll get 50 different opinions, none qualifying the choice by stating the water color, time of day, sky cover, rain, depth, presentation, rigging, etc. It's like making a general statement of how you won the last tournament and expecting those conditions not to change or that the plan worked today but may not tomorrow.

For instance, anglers stick by brands they feel can outcatch inferior brands or knockoffs. If partnered with an angler that excels at using that design bait (ie soft plastic worm or spinnerbait), the partner using a less expensive brand and different color may well outfish you from the back of the boat and do so consistently. IMO it's not the brand or color, but the angler's skill using his equipment that equalizes brand or color factor.

Unless I fish over 200 days a year on a few different waters, I cannot possibly know what the best of anything is seasonally or daily.

We all have favorites, but none are universally best for all waters and cover or structure types, but many are by chance and our exposure to the media, widely used and believed in.  If a color and lure type/design (regardless of brand) consistently catch fish for me on a particular body of water year after year, it's a personal dependable favorite which may work in different parts of the country.  Most likely regional favorites will produce better than my choices for local waters and the specific question that should be asked for example , 'what's your favorite color spinnerbait, in spring, when the water temp rises above 55 degrees in weeds over flats on lake X. Maybe correlations can be made to your body of water; maybe not.

FrankM

[IdahoLunkerHunter]

The best color/lure is always a preference by the fisherman. I do have to say though for a beginning fisherman, every bass fisherman says three types of lures. A chartreuse/white spinnerbait, a 5"-6" watermelon senko, and a dark colored jig. These three types and colors of lures will catch fish where ever you are. They might not produce the quantity or size of bass you want, becuase it might not be the best imitation of the bait in the body of water. I tell anyone who want's to get into bass fishing these three lures are something always to carry with you.

[Siebert Outdoors]

For the most part I agree with you.  But I also do believe in a few staple colors for certain water conditions.  For example muddy water black and for clear brown.  Every lake I've fished from MO to MI this has been pretty consistent for me.  Throw a few greens like watermelon, and green pumpkin, white and you need nothing else imo.  Those are the basic colors of natural colors in most bodies of water.

There is one thing I have not figured out yet though.  In muddy water slower presentations like plastics and jigs the majority vote is black or variations of it.  But why on reaction baits do most anglers opt for bright colors?  That is just one I cant figure out.  Can a fish really see a difference in muddy water beyond a foot.  I sure cant see the lure beyond a foot.

[Brookie]

The best lure that will catch ANY fish including bass is a spinner and a worm and I belive that.

[SENKOSAM]

From the replies, I see personal preferences that differ and in fact my go-to lures are different than all of yours. I didn't say better, just different and proven successful in my neck if the woods. I rarely use a spinnerbait or crankbait - soft plastics (grubs, sticks and worms), topwaters, tubes and jigs are primary lures for me. Secondary lures (those I have less success with for the amount of water covered) are cranks, spinnerbaits and spoons, which I still carry and use from time to time.

Colors preference? Pretty much the same choices all of you mentioned or simply, dark, bright or somewhere in between. If I say chartreuse lures have worked as well as black in muddy water, you may also have caught bass with chartreuse lures in muddy water, or not. The suggestion may prompt you to try that color and test it in murky water, which may make you a believer. Seeing someone catch fish on that color is a slam dunk. Reading about it is not so convincing.

So when I read about anyone's favorite colors or lures and the specifics of the water and light aren't included, I don't bother reading the post further. Opinions about such things are like .....well, you know... everyone has one.

If you give a scenario where that color or lure worked, it may be easier to relate to. Here's an example that allowed me a 2nd place win last Sunday:

Rocky shored reservoir with points, shallow rock flats adjacent to steep drops; water temp low 70's; spawn to postspawn; water-color tanin with clarity down to 4'; cloudy day; calm water; sonar showing baitfish schools.

Lures that worked on the dozen smallies: 3" pumpkin/seed grub with bulky body on a 1/16 oz. jighead; 3.5" hula grub on 1/8 oz jighead; pearl soft stick c-rigged; pumpkin and seed 3.5" tube t-rigged and 1/8 oz bullet wt. (My partners spinnerbait and lipless crank got no hits.)

Fish caught from 2-5' down close to shore.

Will the scenario repeat itself next year? I'll get back to you. (but almost guarentee it will and also for others who encounter the same scenario!)

[roadwarrior]

Well, there are a few lures that work VERY well everywhere, most of the time. Maybe an Original Floating Rapala is not the best choice in the middle of the winter in northern states, but nine months out of the year, this particular lure will produce a few fish anywhere. In that same vein, the GYCB Senko is a consistant producer and one of the greatest baits of all time. I could say the same about the Fat Ika. Jigs? Maybe a little slower bite, but almost always productive. Gitzit, Rat-L-Trap type lures, Pop'R and blades (Silver buddy/ Cordell Gay Blade) are a few more.

Colors? "Dark" or white all of the time, chartreuse most of the time.

There are other lures (jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and topwater) that we might "prefer" to fish some days and which might be the "very best" choice on a given day, but the lures I mentioned in the first parargraph will almost ALWAYS produce a bite. These are "The Best" lures everywhere, all of the time, regardless of the weather or water conditions. I'm not sure what "The Best" color will be today, but give me a watermelon/ black flake soft plastic and a silver/black hard bait and I'll be fine. If I only get one color, make it green for everything.

[Gorgebassman]

IMHO I think color has less to do with catching fish than silhoutte of the bait or presentation for that matter. Thats not to say that color doesnt matter I tend to lean towards natural colors found in the waters I am fishing. In my home waters the crawfish tend to lean more to the reddish side as well as the shad colors ranging from white/silver to a greenish color. I feel like alot of fisherman are more caught by the colors than the fish themselves. Another factor that I feel plays alot into things is confidence in a certain bait or way of fishing I see some people on the forum that all they can talk about when it comes to catching fish is a certain bait and they have confidence in it and thats great you ask most pro's and they will tell you that confidence in a bait as well as where your fishing is very importaint in catching fish for them. Just my 2 cents!

[SENKOSAM]

Mo, you hit the nail on the head with,

  Quote

Another factor that I feel plays alot into things is confidence in a certain bait or way of fishing I see some people on the forum that all they can talk about when it comes to catching fish is a certain bait and they have confidence in it and thats great you ask most pro's and they will tell you that confidence in a bait as well as where your fishing is very importaint in catching fish for them.

I can constantly praise Yamamoto products like they are the best thing since the barbed hook, but it still comes down to confidence and knowing where and when to use a lure. None of the baits Warrior mentioned will always draw a strike on my local waters, especially not the IKA. To make a statement that includes your favorite lures means nothing to me since they may not work the best during the warm water season in NY. The members in my clubs have used Yamamoto products but don't use them 99% of the time in tournaments and some don't use them at all; they opt to catch fish on lures they have confidence in and can work structure in the shortest time period, in other words, search lures. Once they find fish, they may use the same lure or maybe a few others as long as the strike wasn't a reaction fluke.

Part of a pattern is what I refer to as the bite. It could be the jig bite, the tube bite, the hard jerk bite, the spinnerbait bite or the all-lures bite and when that bite is on, the best lure is usually that lure and few others. That successful lure or small group of lures, is worked in specific areas and is the favorite for the day because it defines part of the pattern.

When I fish tournaments or rec, I want a lure that I can cover water as fast as conditions will allow. My favorite lure or color is one that gets the most strikes that day and not necesarily the consensus color or lure of any forum unless I know specifics. That's the problem I have watching BASS tournaments on tv - more glory footage, less substance. Too bad Jerry Mcginnis is leaving because his insights on what was used, where and how, kept my attention.

[Brad_Coovert]

IMO, the best bait is the one I have tied on.  

If you're trying to narrow down a pattern on a lake, then no, "what is the best XXX?" is not a good question.

If you're a noob to a certain type of bait, then such a question will help you narrow your search for some brands to try.  If you ask 30 jig fisherman what jigs they use and 2 brands are used by the majority of them, then most likely you have found two good jig brands to try.  You can then get more specific on individual models, weights, etc.  Same goes for colors.  There are some colors that will catch bass anywhere.

That's the great thing about this forum, there are a ton of great people here that have taken a lot of guesswork out of fishing if you're new to the sport.

Brad

 

[roadwarrior]

I too am a member of the NY Bass Forum. Many (most) of the seasoned tournament fishermen complain that the guys that are winning most of the local tournaments aren't even "real" fishermen, they no nothing about "fishing" they are just "Senko" guys. Well, duh...

The Fat Ika could be the #1 bait in NY, but very few people throw it. I don't think the lure is effective in moving water because current negates the action. In still water, it's THE BOMB! This bait will attract both largemouth and smallmouth anywhere they live...guaranteed!

ALL of the baits I mentioned will CONSISTANTLY draw a srike in your water and ANY water in the world were bass live. The "warm water season" in New York is what the southern part of the country considers spring and fall. Bass in northern states tend to be MUCH more aggressive than those found in southern states because, I think, their feeding season is shorter. If there was ever an argument for fishing bigger baits to reduce the small bass bite, it would certainly apply to northern waters.

Yes confidence is VERY helpful, but it doesn't necessarily get the job done. You have to FIRST find the fish! "Can't catch 'em if they ain't there", regardless of your attitude.  Confidence does not replace skill and practice. Attitude is great, but there is sooooo much more involved in being successful.

With regard to "covering water fast," that's more about style. I NEVER fish fast. When I'm fast, I'm still stopped. I fish THOROUGHLY, never quickly, but that's not everyones's game, it's preference. I'm patient and EXPECT fish to be where they are suppose to be...That doesn't always work out.

So, different strokes for different folks, but regarding lures: No compromise- Every lure I suggested will catch bass, most of the time, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD where bass live. Some colors will work better on some lakes, on different days and at other times of year, but "Dark" and white ALWAYS work.

[PondHunter]

My  personal favorites, whether I am fishing ponds,lakes or streams, for largemoth, smallmouth, or spotted bass, always comes back to two  simple lures. A 4 inch black worm with a curlytail on a black jighead, or a translucent grub on a black jighead w/yellow eye always produce for me. Varying the retrieve is the only difference I use with these two lures.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

It's funny but for stick baits in particular, brand or color are 2 of the things that don't mean much to me.  I don't see the need to make sure it's a GYCB bait or to make sure it's watermelon or pumpkin in color.  Granted, these are my favorite colors for our clear water but merthiolate works in there too

RW- The floating Rapala,....now you're bringing back some memories!!  This was the first bait I ever used that made me realize color wasn't such a big deal.  For 2 years, it HAD to be the Perch color but when I ran out one day, I threw on the silver/black.  I had one of my best Rapala days ever.  So I tried gold/black.  Same thing.  Great day.  I wasn't stuck on "Perch" any more.

Sure, it's always best to try and match what is in a particular body of water but if you can't, this is no reason to stay home!!!!

[rbrick]

I use a different approach.I buy all my lures in the color white.It is a great bass catching color itself.But

if I want to change colors I carry a bunch of permanent markers and get creative.

[SENKOSAM]

KVD covers water fast with his trolling motor on high, but don't mistake boat speed for a non-finesse presentation. He can work a shakey worm from a distance, allow it to jiggle down to the proper depth and make his next cast before he even gets to the target! It takes a lot of practice and sensitivity to detect a strike from a moving boat, but KVD and other pros are prime examples that it can be done, resulting in more casts to more productive spots in less time. I personally think rerigging Yamamoto's heavy/soft products is a waste of time and money and I have used better alternatives than the IKA.

The topic is about people asking everyone their favorite lures/ colors question, not about me asking for them in this post. It's nice to compare notes and mention favorite lures you like, but the opinion is too nonspecific for many anglers that are specific in the areas they target and in the presentations they target them with. If I state that I have had success with a Hula Grub, I may mention brand or color, but mostly I want to confer the info about where and how the lure succeeded to catch fish, not for example, " Arkie pumpkin Hula grubs are my favorite color/lure". So what!

If you think of the times that you fished with someone and they outfished you with a particular lure, what questions would go through your mind? what mental notes would you keep for future reference? I would find out what depth the fish were caught in; I would observe how fast the lure was worked and how many rod twitches were used if any; I would note water color, weeds in the target areas, bottom composition from the sonar and a slew of other pertinent info before I went out and tried to master that lure.

Specifics increase specialization and versatility; blind loyalty to a brand or lure style may be justified, but not in my experience.