must have lure colors

[Porkchop_Sandwiches]

Im working on filling my lure boxes. Im going to be using swim jigs, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits this year. Are there 2-4 go to colors for each lure that I should pick up?

[PBBrandon]

Spinnerbaits I typically run some combo of white and chartreuse, swim jigs and chatterbaits I go white, green/blue, or black and blue depending on which forage I’m trying to match

[Aaron_H]

2 hours ago, Porkchop_Sandwiches said:

Im working on filling my lure boxes. Im going to be using swim jigs, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits this year. Are there 2-4 go to colors for each lure that I should pick up?

 

Something bluegill-ish like green pumkin, something shad like white or electric shad, and something dark like black/blue will cover a wide amount of forage and water clarity/conditions, IMO.

[Porkchop_Sandwiches]

1 minute ago, Aaron_H said:

 

Something bluegill-ish like green pumkin, something shad like white or electric shad, and something dark like black/blue will cover a wide amount of forage and water clarity/conditions, IMO.

good info thank you. I dont see alot of shad in the town ponds near me, its mostly blue gill.

[king fisher]

Skirts-, white or black, 

Trailers- white, black, chartreuse, and blue.

 

[Pat Brown]

Green+White (shad) or black and blue (blue gill or crawfish) is about all ya need for any lure.

[MediumMouthBass]

6 hours ago, Porkchop_Sandwiches said:

Im going to be using swim jigs, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits this year. Are there 2-4 go to colors for each lure that I should pick up?

Swim jigs: Green pumpkin, Dirty Shad (white with green pumpkin and chartreuse), a perch or bluegill one too, along with a white or electric shad one.

Chatterbaits: Red/orange, black and blue, green pumpkin, white or dirty shad.

Spinnerbaits: White, white with chartreuse, chartreuse, and golden shiner.

 

4 hours ago, Porkchop_Sandwiches said:

I dont see alot of shad in the town ponds near me, its mostly blue gill.

Shad colored baits will work country wide, just like trout ones. Bass are opportunistic and need to eat to survive, if they see something that looks different they may think of it as an injured fish or an easy meal that stands out from everything else. The nice thing about not having shad, is more than likely the other guys fishing wont be using shad color lures. So if you are fishing pressured ponds it may give you a benefit.

[softwateronly]

For swim jigs, I've basically settled on alabama bream and crappie from dirty jigs.  Then I play around more with trailer colors, from solid darks to 2-tones with lighter bellies.  Before the weed growth comes up I lean toward crappie and 2 tones, and bream w/ solids when it's starting to get thick.

 

scott

 

[Bankbeater]

Spinnerbaits / Vibrating Jigs:

Shad color, Chartreuse, White / Chartreuse.

 

Swim Jigs:

Shad color, Green Pumpkin, Black / Blue.

[scaleface]

I generally use bright skirts in the spring and switch to less bright skirts after the spawn. Several factors play into it. Fishing pressure and water color are two major considerations.

[tander]

I try to keep it simple. Chartreuse and white or some shade of green pumpkin for all three. Works for me.

[RRocket]

Dark: Blue/Black/Purples

 

Light: White/Pearl

 

Something that mimics your local forage in color (bluegill, shiner, shad, goby etc)

[Rockhopper]

white and white

[GRiver]

On 2/17/2025 at 6:56 PM, Porkchop_Sandwiches said:

Are there 2-4 go to colors for each lure that I should pick up?

Phfffff! 2-4 colors!! Everyone told ya about the same colors, then why does everyone here (including me). Have about 15 different colors, in various weights and styles.haha

But they are right, great colors, they will catch fish.

[bait__Monkey]

THerE R aBOuT 1,000,000,000 DIfrENt coULeRS in FiSHIng IF u Dont hAVe hALF U aINT no rEEl FiSHERMan.

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

For skirted baits there are situation colors, but the vast majority of the time, I'm going to be throwing green pumpkin, shad/white base, or black.  The situational colors would be like, something bold in muddy water, like firetiger or red/orange in early spring. 

If I could only have 1 color bladed jig it would be GP.  By using different color trailers, you can give a GP skirt all kinds of different hues.

only 1 swimjig color it would be GP as well.

1 jig color it would be black or black blue.

1 buzzbait color would be black.

1 spinnerbait color it would be white or some kind of white based color.