Rules of color?

[Andrew Coleman]

i'm not quite sure what color lure to use. so could som1 tell me the basics of lure color? much appreciated

[Catt]

There are no rules in color or lure selection  

[Jeff C.]

Catt,,

come on now..

just how many Bass have you ever caught ????????????????

: ;D : ;D

800 a year or so ...maybe..

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Brian has some good advice,,

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but,, Catt also know his stuff !!!

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I like a lot of dark stuff , greens,, browns,, black/ blue.

But can not get a pattern figured out on what to use when.,.

just have a good asst. ready !!

Jeff

[roadwarrior]

There are no rules in color or lure selection

Wrong...

"Dark" or white, and sometimes something else.

:

[BassFishingMachine]

What brian said pretty much covers it. Also, black at night, and dark colors in overcast conditions.

[Catt]

The title of the topic was Rules of Color; my answer is there are none  

[Wayne P.]

I agree with Catt. Colors are far more important to the angler than they are to the fish. Example, some will suggest that in clear water to use subtle or natural colors and those same anglers will tell you to use a bright color like pink, white, yellow, or orange for the same fish in the same water in the spring when the fish are shallow.

[Other.]

I agree with the "No rules of color" I mean there are basics such as Natural color for clear water, for stained and muddy waters bright colors such as chartreuse works better since it is more visible. However during spawning time I am out there in very very clear water throwing pinks, reds, and chartreuse because I feel as spawning female bass get more aggressive to brighter colors then they would a natural color. Bright or dark I would of caught her either way  

[BassFishingMachine]

The basic rule I follow is the color that the fish can see most easily in any given condition is the color im most likely going to choose. That is why when you have dark/highly stained water a light color, like chartruese etc, will stick out more then a flashy silver. Therefore the chartruese is the choice, same with how on over cast conditions a dark black lure will sometimes do the trick, cause the silhouette effect it causes. Now in sunny conditions and fairly clear/ lightly stained water, the flashy silver is the color to go with, because its going to reflect off the sun and stand out. Throwing a silver rapala, in muddy waters on a overcast day is pretty silly imo, so I say there are some color choice basics that are worth looking into. Just my honest opinion.

[Catt]

There are no rules so use what you want to but when in doubt start with what Brain stated  

[skillet]

 You'll probably get as many replies as asking "best line" so I'll muddy the water more. IMHO I like more natural colors just lighter or darker (kind of like what RW said). I think presentation is more important...

                               As Ever,

                                skillet

BTW now all the members that love chartruse or electric blue can send me hate mail ;D

[RoLo]

The basic rule when it comes to color, imo, is to choose the color that the fish can see most easily,

BINGO!

If you can do that one thing, you're already ahead of 95% of all fishermen.

Incidentally, I'm a member of the 95% group

Roger

[Guest avid]

A rule of thumb that i use is dark colors if the water is stained, and light if it's clear.   But then again I have favorite colors for certain lures regardless of conditions.  

senko's = dark, especially watermelon/blk

crankbaits....some chartreuse somewhere.

jerkbaits.....some gold on em....an orange belly is nice.

ratltrap...chrom/blue...

topwaters.....light like white with a contrasting color in it somewhere.

worms....junebug

flukes and sluggo's......tenn shad

finesse worms.....pumpkin seed.

jigs....black/blue

I could go on....see my sig line....avid likes baits

but in all honesty I could fish nothing but the above and still catch plenty

good luck and have fun

avid

[Shadcranker]

My rule is keep it simple.

I try to buy two basic colors in most soft plastics:

Watermelon

Black n blue

This really simplifies things. You can cover clear to muddy water with these, and with a jar or two of dippin dye, I can always add a touch of chart or red if needed.

Only exception is in shad imitating plastics, like flukes, and I use pearl white 99% of the time.

Colors can be very intimidating, and you will go crazy chasing the color spectrum.

With CB's buy three basic patterns: shad, craw, and chartreuse / blue. I buy the reds and craw patterns only in shallow to mid depth baits/

In rattle baits, chrome / blue and red are all you need.

Spinnerbaits- white, white / chartr, and chart skirts.

Good luck, and don't feel like you have to buy every variation of green plastic made.

[.dsaavedra.]

i agree with everything that everyone has said.

another factor that i consider is depth. the farther down your lure is the less light penetration (darker water) there is. it might be a pretty clear lake, but at the bottom of deep water there probably isnt much visibility. so when i fish deep water i use dark colors with sparkles to reflect any light for added visibility. the darker the color the stronger the silouette, and the easier it is to see. my favorite color for deep water is junebug, its very dark color, and its loaded with sparkles to reflect any light.

the shallower your lure is the more visibility there will be. when i fish shallow (usually fish shallow with a crank) i will use shad colors. i am very productive with shad colored cranks in 3-6 foot of water. if im using soft plastics in shallow water, i will usually pick a smoke/red flake trick stick because it mimics a small minnow very well.

[Raul]

i'm not quite sure what color lure to use. so could som1 tell me the basics of lure color? much appreciated

Rule No 1: Any color is fine

Rule No 2: Any color is fine

Rule No 3: Any color is fine

[ba7ss3in]

let the fish tell you, they make the rule. That's why the Bait Monkey is a fish. Just joking

[Sam]

Guys, I wish there were some rules to follow when selecting bait colors, other than picking out the colors we like best.

When fishing on the Historic James River my friend kills them with Cherry Seed plastic worms.

On the same river another friend murdered them with Mocassin Blue plastic worms.

Go figure?

[detroit1]

Any color you want. If someone giggles at your color choice, outcatch them and maybe they'll think twice next time...