Simplifying color choices-list your "go to" colors 2024
Shadcranker reply :
I've developed a "system" of sorts for basic colors that work in almost all conditions, so as to keep the bait monkey at bay.
It's very intimitating trying to have every possible shade of color in every type of bait (much less figure out a way to pack and store all the crap in your boat).
Here's what I do. Please share your ideas too:
Crankbaits:
Craw colors -in Winter / Spring time shallow and med deep models (shad raps, bandit 200's, etc.)
Shad patterns -(just go for TN shad looking most of the time)- own it in every size and depth range (this should be the staple of your cranking arsenal).
Chartreuse baits- own very few in smaller winter / spring baits. Own several in DD 14 and DD 22, for offshore summer time ledge fishing. Go to color is chart w/ blue back.
Jerkbaits / topwaters:
2 basic colors- shad or bone and a chart pattern
Rattle traps:
2 colors- red and chrome and blue
Spinnerbaits / buzzbaits:
Buy 95 % white or chart and white. Then have a small supply of spare blades and skirts to change on the lake if needed. Only other colors I buy are chart, and wh/chart/blue (except for night fishing, and that's another issue all together).
Soft Plastics: basicaly just trying ot have a dark and light color in each type. Only "third" color class would be pearl or shad color, used primarily in flukes, swimming worms, and senkos. Also, buy a jar of chart dippin dye to customize as needed.
Grubs:
Buy three basic colors- smoke, watrmelon green, and chart. This covers it all.
Tubes:
two primary colors- green (watermelon or green pumpkin) and one dark (usually black n blue or junebug).
Worms:
Two basic colors- red (red shad or red bug) and purple. Only exception would be trick worms, where you'd want some white, green, and bright colors.
Craws:
One light (green) and one dark (black based)
Jig trailers:
3 basic colors- watermelon, green pumpkin, and black / blue
Senkos:
3 basic colors:
white, watermelon, junebug or one dark
Creatures:
two colors- one green based and one dark (junebug)
Toads:
2 colors-white and green/black of some sort (my go to color is Catapila)
Finesse Worms:
3 basic colors- watermelon, green pumpkin, and junebug
Sweet Beavers:
2 colors- Watermelon and black n blue
Lizards:
Two basic colors- watermelon and pumpkin pepper
You should pick your own go to color in each basic color group (white, chart, green, and dark). Mine for instance are:
white= pearl
chart cranks= chart and blue
shad cranks= TN shad
green= watermelon
dark=junebug
What I've found is that now when the monkey grabs me, I end up buying two of the bait instead of four or five. Saves $$, confusion, and space in the boat.
With those basic colors, I feel like I could fish on any lake I need to and do fine.
KU_Bassmaster. reply :
Lipped Cranks - I like cranks with dark backs .... Probably the 3 main patterns I use are Chartreuse with black back, a shad pattern, and firetiger.
Lipless Cranks - Chrome and Blue
All Plastics - Green Pumpkin, Green Watermelon, Black
Jigs - Various shades a green, brown and black
Jerkbaits- white, baby bass, clown
Spinnerbaits/Buzzbaits - I hard EVER use them, but when I do it's usually Chartreuse and White
Over the past couple years I have really tried to simplify my color selection and am firmly starting to believe that color is way over rated.
CJ reply :
There's been alot of talk about lure colors and their effect.I still just can't simplify them.It may be a confidence thing but I think the right color selection for a paticular lake,on that day,can give you an edge.Drop-shot for example,color seems to factor in clear lakes with this technique.JMO
jdw174 reply :
Jerkbaits/lipless cranks.............Chrome/blk back
Crankbaits...............................shad color/parrot
soft plastics..............................red shad/watermelon/root beer/junebug
jigs/trailers...............................black/blue, brown/black
Anything else is like a baloney sammich.....Ok to have but not a necessity 
castaway reply :
I use Shad colored cranks and they work well,even though there are no shad in the lakes that I fish ? I think its more of having the right lure presentation than it is a color thing. Ivan
Brad_Coovert reply :
My basic colors for baits are some variation of these colors, depending on brand:
Crankbaits and topwaters:
Chrome/Blue
Gold/Black
Firetiger
Bluegill
Solid shad color
Translucent shad color
Spinnerbaits:
White
White/Chartreuse
Chartreuse/Green
Jigs:
Browns
Blacks
Greens
Whites
Soft plastics:
Watermelons
Green Pumpkins
Blacks
Purples
Pumpkins
Reds
Brad
Catt reply :
Plastics:
Cinnamon Pepper Neon/June Bug Laminated (Camouflage)
Starry Night
Junebug/Blue Tail
Black Blue
Black Neon
Watermelon Neon
Spinner Baits: White Skirt Double Gold Willow Leaf
Lipless Crank Bait:
Red Chrome
Gold/Black Back /Orange Belly
Jerk bait: Gold/Black Back /Orange Belly
Top Water: Bone
Buzz Bait: White Skirt/Gold Blade
Jig:
Black Blue
Black Neon
Bream Flashes
roadwarrior reply :
Is this too simple?
Everything dark plus a few white, white/chartreuse, silver and silver/black.
My "go-to" color is green.
ww2farmer reply :
Soft plastics: Green pumpkin, watermelon, watermelon w/red flake, red shad, pumpkin seed, june bug, black, black w/blue flake, white (two exceptions to this are: I like to use zoom bubble gum trick worms, and zoom baby bass flukes)
Spinner/buzz baits: White, Chart.+white, chart., fire tiger, and black
cranks (lipless, shallow, and diving): baby bass, bluegill, perch, firetiger, red craw,
brown craw, green craw, chrome/blue, chrome/black, gold and black
jerk baits(suspending and floating): silver/black, gold/black, perch, fire tiger, clown, baby bass
jigs: green pumpkin, brown, black/blue
top waters: baby bass, silver/black, perch, frog, fire tiger
Those would be the basic's IMHO, even though I have a million more colors ;D
.ghoti. reply :
Simple.
Plastics, dark
Spinnerbaits, white
Cranks, natural
That's all folks.
Cheers,
GK
Dan: reply :
I usually like to keep it simple with a dark color, a light color and then maybe an in between. then if I feel like it, i'll experiment with a red/blue/etc...
Fish Man reply :
plastics:tequilla sunrise,pumpkin,watermelon gold flake
spinnerbaits:chartruese,gold shiner
in line spinners:frog,gold shiner,yellow
cranks:baby bass,gold shiner
topwater:baby bass,bull frog
buzzbait:chartruese
i love my greens,golds,an yellows ;D
Raul reply :
Any color is fine ----> as long as it is black
But, hey, who can resist all those pretty colors the manufactures have on their baits ? not me, I 'm a sucker for brightly colored baits.
KenDammit28 reply :
lol, I thought it was funny that the topic is "simplifying" colors and then the posts have 40 different things listed for colors. Not pickin on you guys, just got a chuckle out of it.
Simple colors
Green, Black, White, Blue
everything I own and use is some sort of combination of those 4 colors with the odd red flake or something like that in soft plastics(I don't count those as "colors", so to speak)
All my crankbaits are patterned after things like crawdads, bluegill, bass(I only own 5)...my topwaters are mostly bullfrog(green) with some yellow, or they are black or white.
the oddest colored thing I own is a red spinnerbait and that ain't too odd.
Raul reply :
Hey Ken, you 've got to be more specific, "red" spinnerbait doesn 't tell us anything ..... what hue of red ?
KenDammit28 reply :
well, its a little bit of a crimson color with gold sparkles in it and the skirt has a "scale" pattern on some of the strands and some are also that shiny plastic type(forget the name of the material at the moment).
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
man you been lookin in my tackle boxes but you didnt see my PEARL WHITE grubsQuoteI've developed a "system" of sorts for basic colors that work in almost all conditions, so as to keep the bait monkey at bay.It's very intimitating trying to have every possible shade of color in every type of bait (much less figure out a way to pack and store all the crap in your boat).
Here's what I do. Please share your ideas too:
Crankbaits:
Craw colors -in Winter / Spring time shallow and med deep models (shad raps, bandit 200's, etc.)
Shad patterns -(just go for TN shad looking most of the time)- own it in every size and depth range (this should be the staple of your cranking arsenal).
Chartreuse baits- own very few in smaller winter / spring baits. Own several in DD 14 and DD 22, for offshore summer time ledge fishing. Go to color is chart w/ blue back.
Jerkbaits / topwaters:
2 basic colors- shad or bone and a chart pattern
Rattle traps:
2 colors- red and chrome and blue
Spinnerbaits / buzzbaits:
Buy 95 % white or chart and white. Then have a small supply of spare blades and skirts to change on the lake if needed. Only other colors I buy are chart, and wh/chart/blue (except for night fishing, and that's another issue all together).
Soft Plastics: basicaly just trying ot have a dark and light color in each type. Only "third" color class would be pearl or shad color, used primarily in flukes, swimming worms, and senkos. Also, buy a jar of chart dippin dye to customize as needed.
Grubs:
Buy three basic colors- smoke, watrmelon green, and chart. This covers it all.
Tubes:
two primary colors- green (watermelon or green pumpkin) and one dark (usually black n blue or junebug).
Worms:
Two basic colors- red (red shad or red bug) and purple. Only exception would be trick worms, where you'd want some white, green, and bright colors.
Craws:
One light (green) and one dark (black based)
Jig trailers:
3 basic colors- watermelon, green pumpkin, and black / blue
Senkos:
3 basic colors:
white, watermelon, junebug or one dark
Creatures:
two colors- one green based and one dark (junebug)
Toads:
2 colors-white and green/black of some sort (my go to color is Catapila)
Finesse Worms:
3 basic colors- watermelon, green pumpkin, and junebug
Sweet Beavers:
2 colors- Watermelon and black n blue
Lizards:
Two basic colors- watermelon and pumpkin pepper
You should pick your own go to color in each basic color group (white, chart, green, and dark). Mine for instance are:
white= pearl
chart cranks= chart and blue
shad cranks= TN shad
green= watermelon
dark=junebug
What I've found is that now when the monkey grabs me, I end up buying two of the bait instead of four or five. Saves $$, confusion, and space in the boat.
With those basic colors, I feel like I could fish on any lake I need to and do fine.
roadwarrior reply :
Quotelol, I thought it was funny that the topic is "simplifying" colors and then the posts have 40 different things listed for colors. Not pickin on you guys, just got a chuckle out of it.Simple colors
Green, Black, White, Blue
everything I own and use is some sort of combination of those 4 colors with the odd red flake or something like that in soft plastics(I don't count those as "colors", so to speak)
All my crankbaits are patterned after things like crawdads, bluegill, bass(I only own 5)...my topwaters are mostly bullfrog(green) with some yellow, or they are black or white.
the oddest colored thing I own is a red spinnerbait and that ain't too odd.
You left out chartreuse and silver, otherwise I agree!
Alpster reply :
My philosophy is that fish don't have a color chart and my baits of all types are some shade of black/gray, white/silver or chartruse/green. I think that fish respond more to contrast, flash and sillouettes than specific colors. JMHO
Ronnie
Bassn Blvd reply :
Worms: Only 3 colors I use. Period. Watermelon seed, june bug and red shad
Traps. Chrome with black top or with a blue top. Period.
Cranks: Shad color or brim color. Period
Topwater plugs: Gold or silver Rapala or frog colored Chug Bug. Period.
Spinner baits: White, chartreuse. Period
ENOUGH SAID > >
> >
> >
TrickyVT1887 reply :
I find its great to simplify colors to your go to colors such as watermelon seed or red shad or black all the colors listed by everyone work for them and they have confidence, but one other way to simplify your tackle choices is to analyze your condition or where you are fishing, instead of bringing all your tackle find out what the conditions are going to be like if there is a cold front bring things that are more conducive to the condition, or if you are familiar with the body of water your going to fish prepare a tackle bag especially for that body of water.
dink reply :
Bassin nailed it. Now, I do have favorite or "go-to" colors, but they differ from lake to lake. And, I have fished lakes all across the country, so I guess my go-to colors would start with the entire Zoom color chart. ;D
Agreed, if green pumpkin were the only color soft plastic made people would still catch fish. Yet, that would also take out one of the "fun factors" of fishing, "Hmmmmm..which color do they want today?" Also, green pumpkin (only used as an example due to its popularity) can be outperformed on any given day by the thousands of other colors made. So why not keep a bunch of colors? If having fun is contingent on catching fish then I say pick one or two "go-to" colors. But if 'just fishing' is what you like to do, then color up.
Bud reply :
Shadcranker
You have hit it right on the head. Bud
KenDammit28 reply :
QuoteQuotelol, I thought it was funny that the topic is "simplifying" colors and then the posts have 40 different things listed for colors. Not pickin on you guys, just got a chuckle out of it.Simple colors
Green, Black, White, Blue
everything I own and use is some sort of combination of those 4 colors with the odd red flake or something like that in soft plastics(I don't count those as "colors", so to speak)
All my crankbaits are patterned after things like crawdads, bluegill, bass(I only own 5)...my topwaters are mostly bullfrog(green) with some yellow, or they are black or white.
the oddest colored thing I own is a red spinnerbait and that ain't too odd.
You left out chartreuse and silver, otherwise I agree!
I'd consider them to be aember of the green and white family 
Lil Baby Cousin Ray-Ray reply :
how mucn does color really matter. im not sure about how fish pick up the light spectrum but i know that for humans yellow-green is the easiest color to see. there must be a color like that for fish.
Shadcranker reply :
Another factor, beyond just trying to simplify boat stareage, purchasing decisions, etc is the big C word- confidence.
if you are more confident on the water with most every kind of color combination in your boat, then go for it. For me, having a gazillion colors on hand just makes it too confusing to make decisions on the water (not to mention the storage issue).
I have confidence in my go to colors, and that's what matters to me personally.
if someone in the boat with me catches them better on a different shade, etc, then I may have to adjust and get some of that color.
JMHO- you have to do what works for you, and for me, having a basic set of colors by bait type works.
And yes, I agree it is funny that I said I try to "simplify" things, but yet I have a bunch of different colors depending on bait type. But, basically in soft plastics, I carry watermelon, green pumpkin, black n blue, and junebug (plus the shad colors when trying to imitate a bait fish). I really feel that those will work in 90% of the situations I find.
BigAL reply :
Lures were designed to catch fisherman thats why there are soooooooo many colors and styles Fisherman catch fish.I had an old friend that was very poor growing up in florida used use old pieces of tires and cut them in strips to look like a warm and he caught plenty of fish.I believe its more of a motion thing fish pickup with there lateral lines than a visual thing.....
Shakes reply :
White and chartruese. Don't need anything else. I've fished alot of different colors and baits. When you're not catching anything at all, switch it to a white or a chartruese. Its all I fish anymore.
huskyjerk reply :
Telling a bass junky like me to keep color choices simple is like telling Imelda Marcos to have only one pair of shoes.
While I would like to keep it simple, the Bait Monkey is not on the same page...
Rattlinrogue reply :
Crankbaits-silver w/black back,chrome w/blue back,craw pattern,baby bass
Jerkbaits-silver w/black back,gold w/black back,silver w/blue back
plastics-green pumpkin,red shad,black w/blue tail,watermelon,watermelon candy,grape shad
spinnerbaits-white,chartreuse,white w/gold tinsel,white w/silver tinsel,black,white w/red,chartreuse w/red,black w/red
Jigs-blue,black w/blue,green pumpkin,brown,brown w/orange,and white w/red
Lipless crankbaits-red craw pattern,chrome w/blue back,chrome w/black back
Buzzbaits-white w/red,chartreuse w/red,black w/red
Topwaters-silver w/black,silver w/blue,gold w/black,clear,baby bass
These are my favorite colors,but there are many more that I use from time to time...simplified...LOL
Low_Budget_Hooker reply :
I use 2 colors
Natural dark
Natural light
(not the beer, although "beer", would be a good color too) lol
related Fishing Tackle topic
previous topic
next topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.