Hi. I'm a fisherman who needs some help selecting a lure. I know the lure colors for clear and muddy water but I don't know what kind of lure. For example when should I throw a Texas Rig or a crank bait or a spinner bait. Just need some help.

When you get your answer, make sure you post it here, please.  I'm guessing that I'm not the only one who'd also like to know. 

What I am doing is searching YouTube.  There are several channels I follow that have plenty of videos explaining how to rig your different options and how, where, and when to fish them.  I'm not knowledgeable enough to offer up any advice, other than to watch videos and learn what to use when fishing cover, rock walls, deep water, weeds, etc.

 

What I have gathered from my research is there is usually a general consensus on the style lure for every situation, but the brand/make/size/weight will always vary greatly.  I plan on knowing the lake/pond I plan to fish, have a good variety of options, and will work my way through until I find what works well for me.  

This might be a little overwhelming at first, but take a little time to look through some of these articles. 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_articles.html

Once you get questions that are a little more focused, feel free to post them here.

I'm not trying to be evasive...its just that we make it awfully complicated.  I could greatly oversimplify and say that to answer your question, Texas Rig along the bottom; crank bait when you can bump it into rocks or wood or stuff; and spinnerbait when there's a ripple on the surface.....but that won't get you even a fraction of a percent of the stuff we all consider when deciding what to throw.  The variables are going to blow your mind.  Do what you can to keep it simple for now.

Trial and error my friend. It has a lot to do with recent weather conditions and the specific body of water you are fishing. The weather should give you a decent indication of what the fish "should" be doing. Knowing the water should tell you the different kinds of prey available to the predatory fish. Matching the profile, color and moving speed of said prey is a good starting point. There's so much that goes into answering your question that it's impossible to ever answer it in whole. 

When in doubt, throw a Texas rigged Senko or Yum Dinger.

Bank or boat? Do you know where the fish at (structure, rock, tree, grass)

There’s several factors I think about whenever I’m choosing a lure and that’s depth of fish, type of cover, and activity level of the fish. 

 

Unless you’re able to be on the water a ton there’s always going to be a little trial and error on any given day to figure out what they’re into. With electronics you can take care of depth and cover easy enough. 

1 hour ago, JustJames said:

Bank or boat? Do you know where the fish at (structure, rock, tree, grass)

Bank and yes I know where the fish are at.

Welcome to the forum

 

Conditions can give you an idea of what type of bait to use, but personal experience and confidence play a big role in that decision process. Learn one presentation well, be it T-rigging soft plastics, crankbaits, or whatever. You'll not only learn how to use it, but under which conditions it works best and when it  doesn't work for you. When you feel you've a good understanding of that bait style, do the same with another one with maybe a completely different triggering action. A spinnerbait and a Texas rig, for example.

5 hours ago, HookedUp8 said:

Bank and yes I know where the fish are at.

Normally when I bank fishing, I start with fast moving lure, let say chatterbait/spinnerbait, Jerkbait and Fluke as my search bait. If bite is not hot and I know where fish supposed to be at, I would slow down with the lures that can stay in target zone longer like drop shot, wacky rig Senko. My answer might not be the best though since I'm still learning myself.