What Colors and When to Use Them!

[adclem]

I have read, searched and read some more and watched tv shows and shows on the internet.  Now I want to hear what everybody else thinks.

So what colors does everyone use in the following conditions:

Clear water?

Slightly dirty water?

Stained water?

Thanks,

[Mottfia]

The things that you should remember is that lure color becomes more important as the water clears and less important as the water gets muddier. My color selection is highly based on prey in clear water but it leans farther toward contrasting or brighter colors as the water stains.

What you have read should make for a great starting point. Don't get too hung up on color though. There are much more important things.

Mottfia

[adclem]

Thanks for the input.  As a engineer I tend to always over think things and as my wife says make things more complicated then they need to be.

Thanks,

[Mottfia]

Haha I do the same thing, but the more you ask the more you learn. Just get out there and apply the information. Good luck brother

Mottfia

[Simp]

Clear water?

Well let me point out one thing that can go against the conventional wisdom of lighter colors in clear water. Right now we have a ton of sunfish running around by grass. They are Black and blue with a glowing chartreuse tail. So a black and blue jig with a Okeechobee colored Rage Craw with it's ends dipped in chartreuse JJ's has been killer. So in clear water I like to think forage not necessarily lighter colors. BTW right now we have about 7ft visibility in most places.

[FishDontLikeMe1301600221]

I have read, searched and read some more and watched tv shows and shows on the internet. Now I want to hear what everybody else thinks.

So what colors does everyone use in the following conditions:

Clear water?

Slightly dirty water?

Stained water?

Thanks,

anything white has ALWAYS been a top producer for me dont matter the water type or condition,just always seems to be a color they jump on for me.

[Bass Bass Bass]

Darker Colors in darker water or low light otherwise you will not go wrong throwing soft baits in watermelon green or green pumpkin color shades.  

Personally I think all of the color selections are designed to catch fisherman not fish.    

[Uncle Leo]

This is a bit ironic. I just thought about this over the weekend. Normally you would fish natural colors, Green Pumpkin and such in clear water. Darker colors such as June Bug in stained water. I have had more luck fishing out of the norm this year. Give them what they want.

[Koop]

I don't know if this is consistent everywhere but I actually keep a chart of water clarity and times of day with what lure is working. So far it has proven consistent in the lake that I fish primarily. I suggest keeping a chart like this as it makes it very easy to just flip to a similar day and usually proves results.

For example, clear water on a sunny day with no clouds, northern will destroy a fire tiger husky jerk... this has proven consistent every single time. Where as on clear days in the evening (primarily spring) walleye have been destroying silver or silver/blue husky jerks and wont touch the FT color,  during the day large mouth have been destroying more natural color (baby bass / perch) DT4/6's, and I have yet to catch a black bass on a husky jerk during the day. This is all just speculation on my part and is probably lake dependent somewhat.