Lure Colors

[GitRDoneIke23]

I'm tyring to simplify everything. I'm looking for 5-6 core colors for each kind of bait. If you could list your top colors for each type (Crankbaits, Worms, Spinnerbaits, Topwaters, Jigs, etc.......) I sure would appreciate it. I already have a few that peform good, but I'm just wondering what ya'll use the most.

Thank's!!

-Ike

[Brian_Reeves]

I'm doing the same thing.  This is my tacklebox goal:

Crankbait colors:  Firetiger, Chrome/Black, Chrome/Blue, Craw, Baby Bass

Spinnerbait Colors:  White, Chartruse, White/Chartruse, Black

Soft Plastic Colors:  Green Pumpkin, Red Shad, Watermelonseed, Black/blue, Watermelon Red, White

[GitRDoneIke23]

Hey Brian,

Do you use jigs? If so, what colors are your favs???

Thank's!

-Ike

[Bassboy15]

Hey Brian,

Do you use jigs? If so, what colors are your favs???

Thank's!

-Ike

Black and Blue is all ya need!

[Bass XL]

Jigs: Black & Blue and any combinations of brown.

[Namistia]

I'm doing the same thing.  This is my tacklebox goal:

Crankbait colors:  Firetiger, Chrome/Black, Chrome/Blue, Craw, Baby Bass

Spinnerbait Colors:  White, Chartruse, White/Chartruse, Black

Soft Plastic Colors:  Green Pumpkin, Red Shad, Watermelonseed, Black/blue, Watermelon Red, White

co-sign.  But add Junebug to the soft plastics.

[S I G M A]

Cranks: Crayfish, shad, perch

Spinnerbaits: Crayfish, white/chart, firetiger

Soft plastics: Watermelon with sparkles, green pumpkin, red shad

Jigs: blue and black

[SimonDM17]

I have no confidence in crayfish cranks, so my colors would be:

spinner/buzz:  white or black, blades silver and/or gold

jigs: black or black/blue, trailers black, black/blue or grn pumpkin

cranks:  black/white, perch,  or bluegill.  One exception is the olive x-rap.

plastics:  black, white, watermelon red, green pumpkin, black/blue

[Sam]

GiterDone, you have asked a very simple question with a very complex answer.

I sincerely wish it was as simple as to what colors to throw and we all will catch bass, or whatever fish we are hunting. But that is never the case.

After reading books, magazines and other publications; after viewing DVDs and videos on fishing; after attending seminars and the great Bassmaster University series; after fishing lakes, rivers and ponds, all I can say is Good Luck.

Brian Reeves listed the most popular colors that are used and I use them, too. Brian's list is excellent so you may want to follow it for starters.

But what happens when someone says that a Salad Bar Bandit crankbait is a killer on the James River this weekend?  We all run out and buy Salad Bar crankbaits even though when we throw them the fish ignore them.

May I suggest that in order for you to have a good color selection you set up the colors by the clarity of the water and then the time of year?  This will give you at least 12 selections.

Then, you can add lakes, rivers and ponds to your selections.  Of course, you will have duplications, but at least you are ready to roll.

And one more item to consider. Some baits work better on some bodies of water than others. For instance, when Kerr is high and the water is in the bushes, spinnerbaits are killers.  When the Kerr water is low, you may have to fish plastics or crankbaits to find the fish.

And at Bobcat's Tackle Shop by Kerr they had a "Special Color Creature Bait" from Gary Yamamoto that was supposed to be the right bait for Kerr.  I threw it on a Carolina rig and caught three.  And that's all.  I thought I was going to have a fish on after every cast.

And the funny thing about the trip was that I caught some bass throwing a Taco Salad crankbait as suggested to me by one of the guys on the Forum.

Right now I have heard that Tequila Sunrise is a great presentation on the Chickahominy River. Although I plan to fish the Chick later this month, I will bring a package of the Zoom Tequila Sunrise worms just in case nothing else is working.

So it is always good to have the standard colors as Brian has suggested with you at all times.

But you will find yourself adding other colors to your arsnel as the years go by and driving yourself crazy like the rest of us trying to figure out which color those dumb fish want.  ;D

Now, what shape plastic worms are the best????      

[Brian_Reeves]

I use jigs.  Any color is fine as long as it's solid black or watermelon/chartruse.

I don't put much stock in colors.  I keep it very, very simple.  The more I fish, the more simple that list gets.  I'm colorblind, so I can't tell what I'm throwing half the time anyway.  Why over-complicate matters?

I've seen too many lure colors win on the same bodies of water to really put stock in color selection.  I think the basics tend to be the most consistant.  Sure, there are days when a certain flake or shade will catch more fish, but more times than not, what I use will work.  Besides, if you have too many colors to work through in one day, what good is it?

[GitRDoneIke23]

I use jigs. Any color is fine as long as it's solid black or watermelon/chartruse.

I don't put much stock in colors. I keep it very, very simple. The more I fish, the more simple that list gets. I'm colorblind, so I can't tell what I'm throwing half the time anyway. Why over-complicate matters?

I've seen too many lure colors win on the same bodies of water to really put stock in color selection. I think the basics tend to be the most consistant. Sure, there are days when a certain flake or shade will catch more fish, but more times than not, what I use will work. Besides, if you have too many colors to work through in one day, what good is it?

Exactly! I'm just looking for a few Basic colors. and then maybe a few more depending on where I'm fishing.

Sam- VERY helpfull post!! Thank's!

Thank's ya'll!

-Ike