Method For Color Selection? 2024
jacob2000 reply :
What is your method for choosing a color of any given soft plastic?
Brian6428 reply :
After a while it becomes intuitive but here are some of my general guidelines. These have a lot to do with personal confidence, too. Don't be afraid to try different or weird colors.
I mainly look at water clarity and sky conditions. On a muddy water cloudy day I will almost definitely be throwing something straight black or junebug colored. Same goes for muddy water with clear, windy skies. Muddy water with clear skies and low wind normally means green pumpkin for me, though.
In murky water I will almost always use green pumpkin, black, black/blue, or sometimes a kind of craw dad red/orange color.
I don't fish clear water so I can't comment on that.
Ultimately, don't overcomplicate it. I have tons of soft plastics, primarily use only a handful of colors, and still catch plenty of fish. Honestly for my fishing I could simplify it down to just green pumpkin plastics and black plastics and be just fine.
MIbassangler30 reply :
I'll pick up where Brian left off since I fish clear water almost exclusively. On overcast days I'll throw a darker muted color without a lot of flash because the sun isn't reflecting off the scales of forage. This is mainly green pumpkin black flake, maybe dip the tail in a little JJ's depending on how I'm feeling. Bluebird sky's and I'm throwing something more reflective; this is mainly watermelon red flake or watermelon candy, almost always dipping the tail in some JJ's. These are just the go to colors, there are many other variations and experimentations that tend to happen depending on the day and my mood. For instance I used a lot of Reins soft plastics last year; The Bubbling Shaker in bluegill that is a light blue color and the Fat Rockvibe shad in go pro blue. Both of these were very successful and it really makes no sense to me on why they were. Experiment, and like Brian said, trust your intuition. But if you're on a budget and just want the best chances of catching some numbers, try the above suggestions. Hope this helps and tight lines!
Wayne P. reply :
Color makes no difference to the fish. Pick colors you "feel/think" may work.
sprint61 reply :
I agree with this IMO presentation is much more important. I fell like if you make a bass mad enough it will bite anything eventually.On 4/5/2015 at 5:41 PM, Wayne P. said:Color makes no difference to the fish. Pick colors you "feel/think" may work.
Catt reply :
Back in the early 70s I attended a seminar & one of the guest speakers was Tom Mann. Someone asked why he made his worms in so many different colors; he answered "To catch the fisherman, a bass has never put a penny in my pocket"!
My color selection is quite complicated; as I walk the aisles at Wal-Mart, Academy, Dick's, Gander Mountain, or Bass Pro Shops, I'll see a color that appeals to me & I buy it.
When I get to the lake I'll take into consideration water clarity, sky conditions, weather, & season. I open my tackle box; select a color I like & throw it...the bass tell me if I selected right or wrong.
Sometimes color matters, sometimes color does not matter, & sometimes it's a constant change.
Mike L reply :
I've never seen or heard of any creature that swims, borrows, hops, skips or jumps in any depth, color or temperature of water anywhere on the planet that
it's natural color is hot pink, bubblegum or sparkly iridescent.
But hey, that's just me.
Me
scaleface reply :
Especially fishing in waters with heavy pressure , If I'm not catching fish I change often. I know that the places I'm fishing have bass that are seeing my lures. Only a small percentage actually hit it. I'll change lures , brands , retrieves , actions and "colors" . Sometimes I get it right sometimes I dont .
RoLo reply :
Just the other day, my wife took a hard look at the color array in my tackle box.
She summed it up in 2 words: "Pretty Boring". Yeah, it's basically a sea of green pumpkin,
black & blue & watermelon seed.
My wife uses a Color-C-Lector (and though I never ask), and always tells me what the Color-C-Lector says.
Oh sure, she catches more fish than me, but I still think my lure colors are prettier than hers 
Roger
roadwarrior reply :
Of course there are times when color is critical, but generally, your favorite color will work just fine.
Djf3864 reply :
Greens and Browns mostly in clear water and black blue in non-clear water.
Match my trailers to the jig/skirt color, not much to it really.
RanndomUndead reply :
Ive been picking up a strange trend with colors this year...
Atleast with my crankbaits, my whites, blues, etc (sexy shad, bluegill) catch more, but smaller fish.
Where as my reds have caught nothing under 2 lbs, most 3+
Never noticed this before in previous years...maybe its just strange luck, cant say for sure.
Its shallow water though, wouldnt be the first time ive been surprised because of it haha
bigbill reply :
At night the freshwater eels are at the shoreline. They run from a dark gray to black.
This is why a black colored worm is so hot.
Black
Black Shad
Red
Red Shad
Green
Green Shad
Purple
Purple fire tail
Purple red tail
Purple yellow tail
Purple Chartruese tail
Electric Blue
Blue
Blue Fire tail
Blue red tail
Blue Chartruese tail.
Etc.
Bass do not see colors like we do. They are limited to seeing certain colors at certain conditions.
bigbill reply :
On 4/6/2015 at 4:26 AM, Sean W said:Ive been picking up a strange trend with colors this year...
Atleast with my crankbaits, my whites, blues, etc (sexy shad, bluegill) catch more, but smaller fish.
Where as my reds have caught nothing under 2 lbs, most 3+
Never noticed this before in previous years...maybe its just strange luck, cant say for sure.
Its shallow water though, wouldnt be the first time ive been surprised because of it haha
Your learning about colors. Congrats.
bigbill reply :
Match the trailers to the skirt color true. I use the mister twister 4" split double tail grubs as spinnerbait trailers.On 4/6/2015 at 2:59 AM, Djf3864 said:Greens and Browns mostly in clear water and black blue in non-clear water.
Match my trailers to the jig/skirt color, not much to it really.
Hot Chartruese spinnerbaits with a chartruese trailer.
Stained water/muddy water
White blue tinted spinnerbait skirt with a white trailer. Clear water
Rule of thumb.
Clear water
Natural colored smaller baits fished fast.
Stained water
Brighter color medium sized baits fished slower.
Muddy water
Brightest color, largest sized baits fish slowest.
WRB reply :
The logical method to select soft plastic colors is finding something that matches the hatch; baitfish and crawdads in general.
Where I do most of my bass fishing soft plastic color is second to depth followed by size; depth, color, size. The first part of the puzzle is how to present the soft plastic and where. Location, location , location the 3 primary factors in bass fishing.
Lakes that don't see a lot of quality bass anglers and have low traffic in general the bass are easy to catch. Lakes where I fish for the most part are deep structure with heavy angler pressure and color can be critical and usually closely held information due to tournaments.
No one color holds up long or all day, common to use 2 to 3 different color combinations during a 6 to 8 hour time period on the water. Start out with what worked the last time out, change as needed until you figure out what the bass are eating at the time. Most anglers visiting our SoCal lake have a very difficult time until they learn color matters.
Tom
halochef reply :
my 2 cents, does any one use a "color c lector"? i have one and it also reads HOH temp and PH. it suggests a color depending if the HOH is clear-stained-muddy. has a long cord for the probe 35 ft if not deeper.
chelboed reply :
So I've read now that in murky/muddy water, you should use black. Someone else said bright/chartreuse.
Conflicting info.
WRB reply :
Black with a bright chartreuse tail!On 4/6/2015 at 5:28 AM, chelboed said:So I've read now that in murky/muddy water, you should use black. Someone else said bright/chartreuse.
Conflicting info.
When bass and write can read we will know what they see, until then it's trail and error method called fishing.
Tom
Joedodge reply :
It really ca be simplified so much. I got crazy about it at first till I realized.......if the fish are feeding.....they are feeding. I have run I to really Clearwater occasions where I could watch 1 pound bass come out and look at a color worm and then change to a known good color in that lake and they'd kill it! But for the most part black/blue laminate, green pumpkin, watermelon red will get Ya really far!
bigbill reply :
I have four of them. The COLOR C LECTOR picks the color it's the early one. The COMBO C LECTOR has the water temperature, the PH besides the color picking. I have no clue how it worked with some of the solid colored lures at first. I read that KVD Has one on his boat for the tough days. We all know who KVD is??On 4/6/2015 at 5:18 AM, halochef said:my 2 cents, does any one use a "color c lector"? i have one and it also reads HOH temp and PH. it suggests a color depending if the HOH is clear-stained-muddy. has a long cord for the probe 35 ft if not deeper.
Spike-it offers a new high tech color c lector. I haven't purchased one yet I'd like to get one and test it.
I don't have a crystal ball but being into bass fishing heavy I like to figure out why the fish aren't biting. I throw my ritual of baits, try different presentations yet I know the fish are there. I figured you can have a different water condition in the same water column. It can read clear on the upper part yet down below be stained or muddy. Here I'm throwing smaller natural colors for nothing. I put on a firetiger and I'm on fish. When in doubt throw a firetiger.
It could be the difference between success or going home a beaten fisherman.
It's funny in the exact same spot a red amber gold flake senkos on a c rig is killing them. Try a few days later the red amber catches nothing but the electric blue senkos is killing them.
Now tell me the bass cannot see colors?
On a tough day don't give up "change colors"!!!!!
bigbill reply :
On 4/6/2015 at 5:28 AM, chelboed said:So I've read now that in murky/muddy water, you should use black. Someone else said bright/chartreuse.
Conflicting info.
Stop, relax, try different baits looking for a pattern. Try different colors for the color of the day. Try different presentations.
The bass will let you know when you get it right.
Everyone has good advice here sometimes we take things as a rule. There are no rules. When it's a tough day break the rules, break the norm try every color you would think of throwing. You will find a nitch.
DocNsanE reply :
Clear water, blue bird skies, I like a smoky purple color like ozark smoke in the yum dinger.
In general, clear water, I like greens and browns.
Lower light conditions or murkier water I like black with some blue or chartreuse and some junebug
But I liked bigbill's comment: you just have to keep trying different presentations, including colors, until you figure out what the bass wants on a given day.
Gene has a video on choosing colors that could help:
bigbill reply :
At dusk and low light conditions go to brighter colors.
jbsoonerfan reply :
As long as its green pumpkin, color doesn't matter 
chelboed reply :
Seems like green pumpkin is pretty popular. I use it most of the time on stick worms.
For myself...clear water gets natural colors like a gizzard shad live target lipless. Stained gets more generics like blue chrome red eye shad. Murky water gets less reflective stronger colors like white, fire tiger, etc.
With worms, I go natural to green pumpkin...black in murky water.
Tube jigs with jig spinners / beetle spins...Brown with brown flake, black with yellow stripes, orange and brown...Murky water will get white / neon green / yellow
Mepps: sunny-silver / overcast-gold / murky-fire tiger / dark it late evening-black
If I'm doing it wrong, lemme know. The bite is slow right now...so I'm using smaller baits.
SoFlaBassAddict reply :
I've got three basic colors of lures in the boat.
White
Green
Black
If I think the fish are chasing shad/shiners, I'll throw something in the white family. Otherwise it's the darker the water gets the darker I go.
I don't think I've used anything but a black and blue colored plastic for the last few trips.
KISS theory:
Keep It Simple Stupid
BrownBear reply :
lol, ok when I first read "color c lector" I thought it was a joke thing, after I saw it twice in this same thread I googled it. It's a real thing that cost me money to tell me what color to fish with...lol, no thanks. I will stick with the experienced folks advice on the forums. Might as well mount a color wheel and spin it. ha!
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
Just pick green pumpkin.
WRB reply :
If you research the late Dr Loren Hill who invented the Color-C-Lector you will have a better understanding of what this device is. You may not agree with using a device that helps you, it was based on research by a very good bass angler and biologist. The Color-C-Lector was a hot item in 1984 when it came out and changed how we selected soft plastic worm colors.
Tom
buzzed bait reply :
about 75% of my plastics are green pumpkin. maybe 15% is black and the rest is whatever was on sale. i don't put too much stock into the color. last week i caught 3 fish on 3 different colors of a baby d bomb in the same pond within about 25 minutes of each other. leads me to believe that A. when they're feeding, it doesn't matter B. when you have the right presentation, lure, conditions, color is irrelevant
scaleface reply :
I still have some Rebel Deep Wee Rs new in box that were made to go along with the Color C Lector. One is red and one is green and another lure by Cordell . Dont remember what that one is .
J Francho reply :
I follow Willy Nilly's lead.
bigbill reply :
Tom your correct but one must read some of Dr Loren Hill's ten years of research in the bass with colors. Like I said KVD Has one in his boat for tough days. We can all miss something on a tough day.On 4/7/2015 at 1:59 AM, WRB said:If you research the late Dr Loren Hill who invented the Color-C-Lector you will have a better understanding of what this device is. You may not agree with using a device that helps you, it was based on research by a very good bass angler and biologist. The Color-C-Lector was a hot item in 1984 when it came out and changed how we selected soft plastic worm colors.
Tom
The bass can't see all the colors all the time. There limited sometimes on what colors they can see. The light conditions, the water condition, the plant life, the change in the light can all influence on what colors the bass can see. I've had days were it's limited to one color they could see. Other days any color worked. But there were more days were the bass were limited color wise.
None of us know everything we always learn something new wether it's here or when we're fishing. Keep an open mind and learn.
bigbill reply :
In the early morning from dark to twilite or day lite to dusk. The basses eyes adjust faster to the change in the light conditions than the sunfishes eyes do. This is why there is a feeding frenzy at these two times.
During the late afternoon I'm throwing a joesfly 1/4oz silver blade, black fly called a blacknat. I was on the bass bite fish after fish.As the daylite became dusk the bite shut down. I put on a joesfly firetiger apache 1/4oz. I landed a few more bass before darkness set in. This experience taught me the bass shut down because they couldn't see the silver/black lure. But the firetiger color they could see.
When I was a kid in the early 60's in the low light I put a white 4" pork trailer on a hook and casted it in the shallows. I seen it being pulled every which way. Everything was about dark but that white pork trailer I could see perfectly.
Sometimes I question what the rules are? Are there rules?
I don't think there are any color boundaries when it comes to bass fishing.
Don't limit your colors when it comes to bass fishing.
Bankbeater reply :
Usually natural colors in clear water with clear skies, but not always. Some of the best fish I have caught have been in clear water with clear skies using a black/blue jig.
rosshilk reply :
You only need a few colors green pumpkin, Watermelon, Junebug, and Blacks. Any of these can be enhanced with some color like watermelon red candy or green pumpkin with some flake. I base the rest on water clarity if the water is muddy with very little visibility I will stick to dark bulky baits that I can create vibration with. If the waters are clear I use my green pumpkin or watermelon and downsize some on the baits.
bigbill reply :
The reddish senkos and the Amber red flake stick 0's are my go too's.
The electric blue flake ACE is my backup. For senkos type plastics.
Josh Smith reply :
Murky ---> Clear
Dark ---> Bright
Josh
SouthernBassin reply :
Dark colors for muddy water and light colors for clear water
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