If I was to look at your tackle collection, what would I find? A collection of imitation colors like natural browns, greens, yellows, whites, silvers. Or do you guys often branch out and buy things in colors that some bass probably have never seen before. Do you try and pick your lures in colors that imitate the forage in your area or do you not care as much. If you looked at my collection you would mostly find bluegill colored, or bluegill imitating lures. Some perch and trout as well, and frog and crawfish imitations. Basically what I'm asking is how much do you factor in color when buying a lure? For me I try and keep it as natural as possible but I sometimes wonder if I am limiting myself too much by doing that. How about something like bubblegum worms, bright chartreuse crankbaits, a morning dawn spro rat (which I know has been popular but why use it over a natural brown, black or white rat imitation color?). 

Natural

Interesting question.

I'd anticipate the responses to vary quite a bit for a number of reasons including but not limited to location, water clarity & just personal preference.

 

My boxes are more about patterns rather than specific colors but when I get right down to it, they are all mostly subtle & an attempt at "natural".

 Yellow Perch, Crayfish, Rainbow & brown trout, Sunfish, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Bass, Walleye, Pike, Frogs & a wide assortment of native baitfish are what my bait collection is all about.  There are a few brighter versions mixed in there for the few colored water situations I encounter each season.

For me, the choice of bait selection starts with depth, speed, size & profile well before the color / pattern can even be considered.

 

A-Jay

Mostly "natural" browns, greens, variations on blue, oranges.

So an earthy rainbow  

20 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Interesting question.

I'd anticipate the responses to vary quite a bit for a number of reason including but not limited to location, water clarity & just personal preference.

 

My boxes are more about patterns rather than specific colors but when I get right down to it, they are all mostly subtle & an attempt at "natural".

 Yellow Perch, Crayfish, Rainbow & brown trout, Sunfish, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Bass, Walleye, Pike, Frogs & a wide assortment of native baitfish are what my bait collection is all about.  There are a few brighter versions mixed in there for the few colored water situations I encounter each season.

For me, the choice of bait selection starts with depth, speed, size & profile well before the color / pattern can even be considered.

 

A-Jay

this......

Both Smallmouth and Spotted bass tend prefer brighter colors while largemouth bass, especially FLMB, tend to prefer more natural colors in underwater lures. Faster moving and surface lures action tends to off set color. 

I am in the camp where color makes a difference, if you are in the color doesn't matter then your tackle selection is a lot easier.

Tom

My color philosophy/selection now comes down to pretty much just two factors. The first is, I buy proven colors for a given bait type, regardless of bright, natural or otherwise. So, for instance, I own bubblegum trick worms and green pumpkin variations in most soft plastics. The other factor (#2) is what catches my attention. If I like a particular color pattern for whatever reason, I'll buy it. I've never been one to overly obsess about color, in general, though.

 

-T9

Chartreuse has absolutely killed it for me. I don't know the science behind it.. maybe its just a visibility thing, but its effective.

 

Blue, Chartreuse, Bone or white, black, purple.. they work, that's all that matters!

1 hour ago, Darren. said:

Mostly "natural" browns, greens, variations on blue, oranges.

So an earthy rainbow  

 

I like that description although I'll admit it sounds just a little bit noxious.

Especially if you'd included the term crunchy as well . . .

A-Jay

20 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

I like that description although I'll admit it sounds just a little bit noxious.

Especially if you'd included the term crunchy as well . . .

A-Jay

 

You mean like a toxic, crusted oil slick?  

8 minutes ago, Darren. said:

 

You mean like a toxic, crusted oil slick?  

 

Earthy Rainbow ~

No, like the contents of a baby diaper after eating half a box of Crayola's . . . . .

A-Jay

btw - I'd like to apologize to the OP for that one.

Almost all natural colors.Lots of bluegill,craw colors,baby bass,and black/blue.You might find one or two lures in clown or chartreuse.Black/blue is my bread and butter.It doesn't matter what season or time of day/night.That color scheme flat out works up here in Massachusetts.

8 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

Earthy Rainbow ~

No, like the contents of a baby diaper after eating half a box of Crayola's . . . . .

A-Jay

btw - I'd like to apologize to the OP for that one.

 

2 hours ago, Darren. said:

Mostly "natural" browns, greens, variations on blue, oranges.

So an earthy rainbow  

Patchouli flavored trick worms ?

Most of my  crankbaits will be shad colored like the sexy shad or chartreuse like fire tiger . 

7 minutes ago, MassBassin508 said:

 

Patchouli flavored trick worms ?

Had to go to Wikipedia for that one . . .

A-Jay

18 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

Earthy Rainbow ~

No, like the contents of a baby diaper after eating half a box of Crayola's . . . . .

A-Jay

btw - I'd like to apologize to the OP for that one.

 

Ah yes, or better yet, the dog...stuff after eating some

merthiolate senkos...

5 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Had to go to Wikipedia for that one . . .

A-Jay

Its a terrible earthy/crunchy scent.

I like pretty colored baits so I buy them in a bunch of colors not because I think the fish will hit them, but because I like how they look. 

  I tend to adhere to the natural colors with slight variations for water clarity kept in mind. I do believe color matters. Some lures are slow moving and I will stay more with natural colors when using them. As for faster moving lures, whites and chartruese will work just as well as a natural looking ones will in many instances. Like a muddied up area from rain runoff, or a stained area, or so on.

 So many of our local waters are clear, and I will go with naturals in those waters, as usually thats all that will work there.

I usually buy what I like, fish them and see. I personally put little stock into color other than If I like what I see I buy it.There are others factors I care about more than color.  

 

To answer the OP's question, you would see a ton of color variations some considered standard others not very popular. I will finish this post with the following: Red Is a vastly underutilized color in this part of NC and that's just fine by me.

For me, i start by throwing natural colors. If they dont bite i throw neon colors. If they dont bite than they dont want that bait. But i carry more natural colors

Almost every bait I have multiples of natural imitation colors. Some I dont have bright colors of would be my jigs other than a ever so slight strand or so in a skirt. Also almost all my plastics like worms and craws are something in the natural tones unless it was in LTB or MTB. 

 

But for my spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and just about all my different crankbaits I have different combinations of chartreuse, some with black, blue, brown, green, chrome, and other colors on them. Now that is along with all natural colors in crankbaits as well like your craw, baby bass, bluegill, and perch patterns etc.

 

My spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and chatterbaits are white or white with highlights of purple, blue, yellow, chartreuse, etc. My "natural" colored spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, or chatterbaits are mainly black. I just don't do much with neutral browns, greens, etc. in these style baits. 

On balance, the closer to the surface the lure travels, the lighter the hue.

On balance, the closer to the bottom the lure travels, the darker the hue.

After that, I focus on stuff I believe is more important than color.

 

Roger

 

 

I'll be totally honest, I buy colors that attract me. If it works on the fish then I'm happy. There are some times and conditions when I buy certain colors. Fishing in the spring in a river in northeastern PA calls for bright colors because of muddy water. 

Cranks I usually stick to craw, chartreuse, shad, and bluegill colors.

My plastics are mostly some variation of watermelon, green pumpkin, black and blue, junebug, and Okeechobee craw.

 

There's some other colors splashed in there, but I tend to stick to the basics.

Mostly will find natural colors for me, green pumpkin, watermelon especially watermelon red, black and okechobee craw. Occasionally I have a odd color or two like a cotton candy lizard is a killer for me. My cranks and hard baits about the same, lots of bluegill and ghost minnow with some odd colors mixed in.