Colors: A breakdown based on technique.

[Munkin]

So I see where people are asking about favorite colors for specific baits. What I would like to do is expand on this based on the bait and specific situation.

 

Soft plastics= To me soft plastics generally fall into two categories; bottom bumping and up in the water column. So my bottom baits will be natural in color. Baits I fish in the column are a different color based on the current conditions. The darker the water the more I need the bait to stand out with the inverse being the clearer the water the more translucent I want the bait.

 

Crankbaits = Since these perform better in stained to muddy water I need bait color and rattles to reflect this. There are only a few cranks that I have that work in clear water so I rarely throw them in these conditions. Water clarity and fishing pressure dictate what I use here but if I could only throw one color it would be chartreuse with a dark back. Rattling baits work great in muddy water but may not work as well in areas with heavy fishing pressure like everywhere in the state of Maryland.

 

More to follow

 

Allen

[Derek1]

Great start, I like where this could be going. 

[jbsoonerfan]

So many variables. I catch them on green, blue, black, watermelon, red, white, etc. on soft plastics. Crankbaits, I catch them on chart, red, chrome, blue, etc. Each body of water is different and there is literally no rule to go by.

BTW, same goes for spinnerbaits, frogs, chatterbaits, etc. IMO you need to know the body of water. It's hard for one person who fishes in Michigan to tell someone who fishes in Texas what they need to be doing.

[papajoe222]

What color soft plastics I use for bottom presentations are based on two things, the clarity of the water and how dark or light the bottom is.  I fish, almost exclusively, clear to slightly stained water, so I stick with the more natural colors, but I'll go with lighter color if the bottom is gravel or sand. Watermelon seed or baby bass. o If the bottom is muck, I go with something that is a stark contrast like white/chartreuse or anything with a chartreuse tail.

[jimmyjoe]

7 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

. It's hard for one person who fishes in Michigan to tell someone who fishes in Texas what they need to be doing.

 

   Are you kidding? ?  Some places, you can go 90-120 miles and be in another world!  

   Being on this forum has taught me two things:

   1) Some things are common to all bass fishermen everywhere.

   2) Some things are so different that you might as well not even mention them.

 

   The problem is figuring out which is which.   jj

[a1712]

7 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

So many variables. I catch them on green, blue, black, watermelon, red, white, etc. on soft plastics. Crankbaits, I catch them on chart, red, chrome, blue, etc. Each body of water is different and there is literally no rule to go by.

BTW, same goes for spinnerbaits, frogs, chatterbaits, etc. IMO you need to know the body of water. It's hard for one person who fishes in Michigan to tell someone who fishes in Texas what they need to be doing.

Best analogy ever. The same with seasonal, it's a boat load different from fall on Erie to fall on The Big O, but everyone speaks as its universal. Brian.

[Cgolf]

One color for me with crankbaits that initially defies logic is firetiger. It is a great color regardless of water clarity. Thinking about it though it does make some sense because our forage base up here includes gill and perch, which those colors are loosely represented in firetiger.

 

As far as plastics go on clear water, on overcast and/or windy days where light penetration is poor water red works best, and when relatively flat and sunny smoke red or smoke purple work best. Best I can figure is looking at a gill under different light conditions this makes some sense.

 

That is about as far as I go thinking about color.

[king fisher]

With crankbaits I use 

1.Chart. and black

2 Some type of Shad

3. Chrome or Gold

4. Orange or Red craw color

Usually start with Chart. and Black.  Use craw color if predominate prey is crayfish.

 

Worms.

1. June bug

2. Green Pumpkin

Use June bug 90% of the time.

 

Jigs.

1. Black and blue

2. Green pumpkin

3. Brown and orange.

Black and Blue most of the time.

 

Creature baits and craws.

1. Black and blue

2.Brown, orange red.

Toss up.

 

Swim Baits, single and on A rig.

1. Clear gray, white.

2. White, chat.

Always some type of shad.

 

 

Spinner bait

Some combination of Black, purple, chart. white, grey, red, yellow, silver, gold, 

To many colors to list.

Start with whatever worked last time.

 

Top water

1. Bone

2. Black

3. Chart

Low light black, mid day bone, chart. when I feel like it.

 

These are the colors that work on the lakes I have experience on.  If I go to a new lake I start with light colors in clear water, and dark colors in dark water.  Once I find out what the bass are eating I may switch. On my home lake I start the day with bright bold colors, then switch to more natural colors if those don't work.

     I have a larger variety of colors, of the lures I fish most.  Most of the time I fish Crankbaits or Spinnerbaits.  If one color of spinnerbait or crankbait doesn't work, I will try another color.  I rarely fish a worm, when I do if June Bug worm doesn't work, I will either try another lure, or go home. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BrianMDTX]

It’s a mystery at times. My far-and-away best color for a Senko is #956 (watermelon w/copper flake/orange w/red flake). Doesn’t matter if it’s a wacky rig or a weightless Texas rig. 
 

For a full-size worm on a Texas rig? It’s a Mann’s Jelly Worm in Blackberry (basically black with a hint of dark purple). 
 

Same water. Doesn’t seem to matter. But those two colors always produce. 

[Catt]

5 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

Being on this forum has taught me two things:

   1) Some things are common to all bass fishermen everywhere.

   2) Some things are so different that you might as well not even mention them.

 

   The problem is figuring out which is which.   jj

 

Best advice ever! ?

 

Colors this year were simple 

Plastics 

Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worm, White Pearl with the tail dipped in Chartreuse Garlic.

Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw, White Pearl with the claws dipped in Chartreuse Garlic.

Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worm, Watermelon Neon with the tail dipped in Chartreuse Garlic.

Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw, Watermelon Neon, with the claws dipped in Chartreuse Garlic.

 

Spinnerbait 

Stanley's Wedge+ 1/4 oz white, gold willowleaf back, nickel colaradio front

 

Frog

Stanley's Ribbit, Blk Neon Red Prl, Lily Pad

 

That's pretty much it!

Edited November 23, 2021 by Catt
Operator Error

[TOXIC]

If, I had a favorite color for every situation, I would have 10,000 baits in my boat.  What my 40 years on the water has taught me is to find the colors that work in ALL water types, seasons, and clarity.  There will always be some oddball colors for specific situations but for the most part I have around 10 colors for everything, cranks, plastics, etc.  IMHO we have a tendency to waaaaaay overthink colors but the bait manufacturers certainly like it.  That being said, you better have confidence in whatever color you are throwing or I can guarantee it won’t work.?

[WRB]

I make 5 hair jig colors based on what the bass want.

1. Anywhere Anytime = Black back-purple middle-redfish brown belly. Trailers; black or reddish brown or purple.

2. Spring Craw= brown back- green center- light brown belly.

Trailer is brown.

3. Shad= Black/green back-chartreuse/white center, white belly. Trailer is white.

4. Fritz= brown back-chartreuse/red center, chartreuse belly.

Trailers reddish brown. (Smallmouth jig).

5. Midnight= Black back- Blue center- Black/blue belly.

Trailer is black at night or winter blue daytime.

All the above are buck tail hair and trailers are pork rind.

Soft plastics; 

Senko’s, #301 & 330

Worms, Oxblood w/ red flake, MM111, Peoples, Baby Bass, purple thunder. Baitball, water melon Candy and Smallmouth Spl.

Crank baits, Redish brown crawdad and ghost pearl white.

Structure spoons, black back shad, chartreuse Shad, pearl white.

Top water, Wood Sammy pearl white Shad, Michael baby bass.

This currently makes up all my lures.

Tom

[PressuredFishing]

I  choose color based on whatever looks the best for a certain water color, clarity, temperature, forage, and aggression of the bass.

[MickD]

17 hours ago, Munkin said:

only a few cranks that I have that work in clear water

Try Rapala DT series, Smash color.  One of Ike's special colors.