So I'm faced with a unique scenario for me. This is the first spring in a long time we've had no flooding so one of my ponds that normally has at least moderate stain is clean...not crystal but very clear. So most of my plastic are for stained to muddy water...junebug,black,green pumpkin. I know that green pumpkin is good in most water colors...but what colors do you lean on in clean water?

Those same colors will work just fine.

The waters I fish have visibility anywhere between 1 foot and 20 feet, with most around 6-10.

 

Green Pumpkin Junebug and Black work just fine in all of them.  If anything, I prefer dark colors in clear water.

37 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

The waters I fish have visibility anywhere between 1 foot and 20 feet, with most around 6-10.

 

Green Pumpkin Junebug and Black work just fine in all of them.  If anything, I prefer dark colors in clear water.

Exact same conditions where i fish, green pumpkin and black are tied for me, followed closely by junebug.

 

scott

Watermelon Red.

I prefer something more natural looking in clear water.  Not just for plastics, but for other lures too.

Black and GP will work fine in clear water, if it's a head thing get some watermelon.

Don’t discount the “weird colors” either. My first trip out on the lake with my wife’s boss’s husband last spring was unique in that he was throwing neon lime green colored Zoom finesse worms on a shakey head setup in clear water and was literally pulling fish into the boat every other cast for at least an hour straight. I was using Yum cranberry worms on the same technique and he was pulling in three to my one. Ever since I have stocked my plastics in some of those colors.

those same colors can still work. if you wanna try more colors geared toward clear water watermelon red is a good one.also some of the more translucent shad type colors. smoke purple flake works well for me also.

I can't catch anything on green pumpkin. I like purple, blue, grape, and junebug. Watermelon/ red flake has worked at times also

1 hour ago, Mobasser said:

I can't catch anything on green pumpkin. I like purple, blue, grape, and junebug. Watermelon/ red flake has worked at times also

These regional differences are always hard for me to understand having only fished the midwest and Canada with mostly clear to very clear water.  Green pumpkin is a no brainer.  Do you all think it has to do with the forage base?  

 

scott

Green pumpkin, chartreuse, purple, and watermelon red.

10 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

These regional differences are always hard for me to understand having only fished the midwest and Canada with mostly clear to very clear water.  Green pumpkin is a no brainer.  Do you all think it has to do with the forage base?  

 

scott

Not sure. I've tried green pumpkin baits with poor luck, so have given up on the color. Purple and grape are old favourites here in Mo.

4 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

Not sure. I've tried green pumpkin baits with poor luck, so have given up on the color. Purple and grape are old favourites here in Mo.

I'm sure I'd say the same thing if I was on the same water.  It's just another layer to the whole thing.

 

scott

I would honestly just run a longer flouro leader and just run your normal stuff 

The clearer the water the more translucent I like for bait colors. Watermelon, smoke, etc, are what I normally start with for clear water. Now I have caught fish from almost solid mud to 30' of visibility on both GP and solid black.

 

Allen 

I'd say use the colors that you have confidence in. 

At the same time focus on boat position and your presentation.

Maybe stay off the fish a bit more than usual while making a longer cast. 

btw - water's pretty clear here and GP is my best producer in everything except swimbaits. 

A-Jay

 

For soft plastics I tend to use watermelon seed color most of the time. I can't even get a fish to look at Watermelon red.

If you want a reason to buy more colors then baby bass (Yamamoto) or smoke (Yamamoto) or watermelon (zoom because their watermelon is transparent). And consider matte crank baits. 
Or just fish the GP and it’ll probably do just fine. 
Is the forage a different color because of the clear water (maybe? Probably not?)

truth of it is I carry around all the colors mentioned above and end up just using GP/watermelon laminate in clear water. The only things that would get me to pull out the smoke or BB is if I thought I needed some flake or if it was shad as primary forage. 
 

46 minutes ago, txchaser said:

If you want a reason to buy more colors then baby bass (Yamamoto) or smoke (Yamamoto) or watermelon (zoom because their watermelon is transparent). And consider matte crank baits. 
Or just fish the GP and it’ll probably do just fine. 
Is the forage a different color because of the clear water (maybe? Probably not?)

truth of it is I carry around all the colors mentioned above and end up just using GP/watermelon laminate in clear water. The only things that would get me to pull out the smoke or BB is if I thought I needed some flake or if it was shad as primary forage. 
 

Forage changes color with water cold change sure. Shad and bluegills both get very pale almost white in muddy water...colors get more vibrant in cleaner water but in my experience.

I use more translucent soft plastics then solid colors.

Roboworms are very popular, the colors we use are;

Browns = Oxblood / light red flake* and Peoples

Purples= MM111* and Faulkstad Spl

Shad = Hologram Shad and Prism shad*

Tom

* 1st choice

Watermelon Senkos and Zoom trick worms fished wacky rigged.

3 hours ago, softwateronly said:

...Do you all think it has to do with the forage base?  

 

 

My experience with clear water is to use stuff that is the same colors as the forage base, whereas in stained water I like to use colors that stand out.  So the answer to the OP's question is what are your bass eating now?

 

When real shallow and visibility over 6 feet during the postspawn, I really like holographic shad colors for smaller baits.  It seems to look like fathead minnows or any small fry of most species.

For a cloudy day, black with blue flake or junebug.  On sunny days with clear water, there is one color of senko that has been great for me.....  927

 

 

GP and black work in all water colors, you're good.