What color baits for fall?

[frostyttu]

Will be fishing the next two weeks on a hydrilla lake.  What color chatterbaits, crankbaits, and worms do you recommend for October?  Water is pretty clear on this lake.

[Mobasser]

I've always liked purple and junebug colored worms. 

[Fishlegs]

If you have shad in the lake I'd go with shad/white colors. It works great for fall since that's what the fish are usually gorging themselves on. 

[Pat Brown]

Same colors I use in not fall.

 

Color is about clarity and conditions more than anything else IMHO.

 

White, black, green.  Mix in some flake if it's murky or the fish are really biting.  Dial back the flake if it's clearer or the fish are pressured.

 

Rate of fall/ size/profile/action matter a lot more 'seasonally' to me.

 

Right now you're gonna want to go small profile and slow fall for the most part with minimal action in the appendages but that's not a hard fast rule every day.  You gotta fish the conditions.

 

Later on in the winter I'll probably switch up to a much bigger profile and even less action for when the water is colder and generally muddier with less daylight/active feeding windows up shallower in cover.

 

I like white when they're keyed on baitfish of any sort regardless of clarity.  I like black variations in super bright sky conditions regardless of clarity.  I use watermelon more in the super clear water and in darker conditions and with super pressured fish when I'm gonna be dragging the bait or working it very slowly.  Basically watermelon if they will get a good look at it and usually white or black variations when fishing faster/more for reaction bites.

 

Again none of this is set in stone just guidelines.  You really gotta put time in and figure out what YOUR fish like this time of year!

[WRB]

37 minutes ago, frostyttu said:

Will be fishing the next two weeks on a hydrilla lake.  What color chatterbaits, crankbaits, and worms do you recommend for October?  Water is pretty clear on this lake.

Where are you located? primary bait fish?

Tom

[Bankbeater]

Fishing vegetation in clear water I would try and stick to natural color baits.  Greens, browns, and shad colors.  Black or blue/black depending on the light levels.

[casts_by_fly]

White or black on a topwater. Green pumpkin under the water. Shad finishes if you have a bunch of shad around 

[frostyttu]

18 hours ago, WRB said:

Where are you located? primary bait fish?

Tom

Southern Oklahoma.  Lake Elmer Thomas.

[WRB]

Smaller lake 330 acres with standard mix of LMB, crappie, red ear, green sunfish and channel cats. Shad, sunfish and crawdads should be the primary bait fish. This mix creates a wide range of color choices.

Trail and error situation depending on water color etc.

Soft plastics I prefer purple with blue neon, green pumpkin with red, purple and black flakes and smoke with silver- gold- black flake and cinnamon blue neon.

Cold water I would go with PB& J, dark green w/red flake and black.

Tom