Which do you prefer, when, and why?

In clear water its especially important to "match the hatch".

Jigs; slower moving lure that should look natural, colors depend on the forage the bass are targeting, trailers similar to the size and profile of prey, usually mimicking crawdads.

Spinner, spinnerbaits? Are fast moving lures that should have brighter colors to attract bass. Contrast is important and blade color should be similar to the flash produced by the prey the bass are targeting and trailers should have colors similar to the skirt, profile the size of the prey. General rule: silver blades during bright sun, gold during lower light periods.

Lots of other variables to consider depending on predominate prey types.

Tom

Ultraclear water here in the Pacific Northwest. Green Pumpkin and black/blue for jigs and perch patterns for spinnerbaits. Another tip, your trailers on your jigs don't necessarily have to match the color of the jig skirt.

Most of the time clear water=natural colors, but there are those times when something bright and outrageous looking will just kill them. 

I do a lot of jig fishing both salt and freshwater.  In 10 years of doing this nearly every day, at night or daytime, clear or stained water, bass and peacocks or snook and tarpon 3 colors rule.  White, yellow and chartreuse, or combinations of those.  Seldom do I use a bass type jig with a trailer, it's bucktails and my own marabou jigs, the peacock and bass success has been very good with them.  The difference is how I fish them, swim the jigs for the peas, and slow jigging for the bass.

In ultra clear water-this ghost minnow is my go to bait

 

In really clear water I try to match the hatch but there are times when a completely unnatural color will just flat out catch them when a natural color will not.

Smallmouth in the clear lakes I fish like some natural colors and they also like bright colors like clown X-Raps. I'm not much of a follower of the "match the hatch" theory when bass fishing.

I do not believe in the concept of "match the hatch, I don´t believe in the concept of "natural" colors in clear wáter, why ? because half the time I fish crystal clear water and probably half of the fish I catch is with "unnatural" colors.

Clear water

> Jigs/plastics = natural colors

> Spinnerbaits = silver/chrome blades

 

Tannic water (clear but brownish)

> Spinnerbaits = copper-colored blades

Smallmouth waters-no matter how clear, chartreuse blades, chartreuse skirt, chartreuse trailer.

Smallmouth waters-no matter how clear, chartreuse blades, chartreuse skirt, chartreuse trailer.

 

WAIT !!!!!!!! THOSE ARE "UNNATURAL" COLORS !!!! you are not going to catch anything !!!!!