Reviews on Baitsoaker.com reflect my actual testing and opinion of the products reviewed. A nickel plated finish is often a better choice than silver plated lures during periods of bright sunlight, when the water is shallow and crystal clear. I find that a dark colored lure and a light colored lure will usually do just fine. ITO Wakasagi and Wabi-Sabi. Craw coloration work well in any water clarity level and under any light condition as long as bass are feeding on or near crawfish. That’s rarely the case. Also try to avoid ghost colored baits that are partially see-through. When you go this approach, you are going full-blown craw pattern and bass will hammer them. Match the blade size with the sunlight exposure. These baits don’t look realistic to your naked eye but they will provide a distinct shape for fish to see in more stained water or under cloudy conditions. Owner Cultiva Mira Shad in “flame” color. That’s why a black hole looks black. Using bright colors will help fish key in on your bait from further away which usually helps illicit more strikes. Bass will begin schooling up and pushing baitfish into bottlenecks whether that be against ledges, into deep coves, or into the backs of shallow bays where they can dismantle the schools and feed. Following are basic guidelines many fishing pros use in choosing lure color for the broad spectrum of locations and water conditions. The above rules really apply to all soft plastics but they have some specific caveats. I’m talking about oranges, chartreuses, whites, and pinks. If the water is stained or clarity is less-than-perfect, go with solid colors that will better show up to bass. Metallic lures can also represent a school of smaller fish. Your goal is to mimic whatever fish it is that bass are feeding on with your worm. Once February rolls around, start tossing craw patterns. My personal best trout of 24 inches was caught on a brown/orange swirl grub trolled behind a half and half dodger. They are depth, water clarity, forage, and bottom color. When the water has reduced visibility, it may be time to switch to a white or chartreuse colored bait. If you don’t want to spend a fortune buying countless color combinations, you can stick with four colors and still be able to fish effectively. My favorite pattern is a bluegill pattern. I receive a commission from products purchased at Amazon.com through my links at no extra cost to you. Chartreuse is simply a fancy word for greenish yellow color that is often just yellow looking but anglers get bent out of shape if you call it yellow. Some will branch off and head deep. During early-early spring, you should be throwing translucent ghost craw reds or browns. I want to dispel some of the controversy about bait color, not add to them. In dingy water, dense colors are the rule, and two-color worms with bright tails offer added visibility. Bold is there to draw a reaction from bass and realistic is there only to trick bass. But for this Bassmaster Elite Series angler, who counts Bassmaster Classic champion and Angler of the Year among his titles, it’s not as important as others. Chrome and metallic lures also excel on bright sunny days because of the flash caused by the light. The size, shape and action was what mattered because I quickly caught trout after trout with nearly every cast! One of my favorite bait colors is the sexy shad which is a natural solid looking gray with a thin chartreuse lateral line. On Lake Erie, we have lots of different water colors and clarities, not to mention variable sunlight and wave conditions. Bass Fishing Lure Color Selection Chart. Favored colors here include pumpkinseed, motor oil, strawberry and smoke. However, fish are known to become immune to certain colors after they’ve been fooled by them, sometimes even once. Fluorescent is more specialized in that it works best during low light, cloudy and low water clarity conditions. Saltwater anglers have for decades caught countless striped bass and bluefish at night fishing with black lures. Match whatever it is your bass like eating. In situations where you are fishing in the full sun natural and metallic colors are going to the best performers. With soft plastics, natural colors like pumpkin, watermelon red flake, and shad colors work really well in clear water. It’s the size, shape and action of the lure that closes the deal. Once the spawn has ended, bass will do one of two things. When you are talking about soft swimbaits like a Keitech, I recommend going natural in clear water and bolder in muddy water. If the MirrOLure Mirrodine C-Eye Pro isn’t working the next sea trout lure we try is the Heddon Super Spook Jr. If the sun is bright overhead, go with a smaller blade. If you are fishing on a clear reservoir out west that has trout or kokanee, that is the color pattern you need to go with. On cloudy or overcast days, flash is useless and could look unnatural. You’ve learned some of the science behind color choice in lures as well as what different types of lures there are. Capt Jay Fishing Torpedo High Speed Wahoo Trolling Lures; Wahoo Lure Buying Guide. Still, since lures are sold in every shade and combination imaginable, fishermen need some criteria for deciding which lure colors to tie on. Well, if you were using artificial baits, I bet the difference in success was a result of the color of the bait, assuming they all were different colors. In fact, some trout fishermen won’t buy a rod if the rod is finished in loud or shiny colors. A versatile fishing lure! Compare nickel to a genuine silver plated lure and you’ll see that the silver lure reflects more light and that it actually has a white tint or glare to it. You can’t see through them. Talk to ten trout anglers and you’ll get a different response as to what the best color is. Now one bonus tip for you. The exaggerated wiggle of the lures are a deadly combination for catching brown trout! PowerBait Mice Tail fishing bait catch a large variety of fish species. Similar to depth, Thelen changes lure colors depending on turbidity and penetration. If bass are pinning shad against a rock bluff or rip-rap, there are still crawfish there. Bluegills, crawfish, and salamanders are the primary culprits that bass want to kill. Professional largemouth bass anglers know how powerful a black lure is when fishing during bright conditions. Chartreuse and white are two colors great for stained or muddy water where bass have a hard time seeing prey. These colors will be easier for bass to see in stained water. I’ve covered that plenty by now so I want to focus on the blade itself. There are some gorgeous colors on the market among crankbaits, jerkbaits, and spoons. When you’re fishing in brackish water, solid, opaque colored lures tend to be the best. High Speed Wahoo Lure – El Cencero 316 SS ; 3. Use a fluourescent color during a fishing blitz to catch striped bass, bluefish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, trout, salmon, lake trout, musky, walleye etc. The less visibility, the more I want you to put that blue side facing upwards towards the bass. But here’s the important thing to understand about color: Color helps emphasize the fish attracting qualities of the size, shape and action of the lure. I think primarily bluegill, crappie, crawfish, and frogs. When choosing metallic lures, be aware that most chrome colored lures are overlaid with nickel. I get to talk to anglers worldwide on a daily basis. These fish are also a lot easier for bass to see and hunt. What makes lure color important is it’s ability to get that lure noticed. But most bass will be feeding heavily on shad and other schooling baitfish as soon as that fall transition happens all the way until the end of autumn. Without the added attraction of scent, sound and vibration—all which can be remedied by lure selection— we’re relying on fish to see the offering. If you want to learn more about bass fishing, be sure to visit UltimateBass.com. Black is a highly popular lure color for striped bass anglers. In many cases, the water and weather conditions very well might be more important than simply worrying about what the fish prefer. More importantly, these colors can be used to incite strikes from bass. H ave you ever been fishing with friends and either you or they were catching fish while the other person was not? Treat them like crawfish. 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