So a while back I did colors that surprised you and had a bunch of good responses. Well lets go in a different direction...colors that didn't live up to the hype or at least what you built up in your mind. For me the choice is easy...red lipless crankbaits. I heard for years that red craw lipless are fire in the spring..I've caught fish on them but not like I thought or hoped. I'm not saying they don't work they just haven't done much for me. Now ill throw a gold black lipless in the same areas and smoke em. What about you?

12 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

So a while back I did colors that surprised you and had a bunch of good responses. Well lets go in a different direction...colors that didn't live up to the hype or at least what you built up in your mind. For me the choice is easy...red lipless crankbaits. I heard for years that red craw lipless are fire in the spring..I've caught fish on them but not like I thought or hoped. I'm not saying they don't work they just haven't done much for me. Now ill throw a gold black lipless in the same areas and smoke em. What about you?

I too have had little success with a red craw crank, lipless or otherwise. Gold works great for me as well, in all seasons. Firetiger and chartreuse don't seem to work well where I fish these days. Green pumpkin is not the killer color here that it is most places. Black/blue is my go-to most of the year. I don't even like brown jigs.

Firetiger for me. 

 

Allen 

Just now, Munkin said:

Firetiger for me. 

 

Allen 

I think it works better where there are yellow perch present. It used to work for me on my home lake. We used to catch yellow perch while fishing for crappie. But we sold the house there and I rarely fish it anymore.

18 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I think it works better where there are yellow perch present. It used to work for me on my home lake. We used to catch yellow perch while fishing for crappie. But we sold the house there and I rarely fish it anymore.

I agree with this. I think its a common misconception that firetiger is primarily a bluegill pattern..I feel its a much brighter more vibrant color than any bluegill instead representing yellow perch.

Just the opposite for me - I've caught lots on red lipless and other red baits, but very little success with anything metallic gold.

 

The past year or so red is not as successful for me as it used to be though.

 

Yesterday, I was disappointed in every color.

40 minutes ago, king fisher said:

Yesterday, I was disappointed in every color.

Ha...been there my friend 

Red has never impressed me either. I've tried lots of colors, especially back when I started making my own plastics. It all boiled down to Green Pumpkin, Black n Blue, and some variant of a shad pattern for the waters I fish. Chartreuse once in a while if the water's pretty stained.

 

And that's all I need.

  I will not use a red firetail soft plastic . Sunfish are constantly pecking at it .

1 hour ago, fin said:

Just the opposite for me - I've caught lots on red lipless and other red baits, but very little success with anything metallic gold.

 

The past year or so red is not as successful for me as it used to be though.

 

It's all about forage. We have no red craws in SC, but plenty of shad, minnows and shiners.

I have never had days where I’ve set the world on fire with reds. Not a real fan. Not a go to color. 
 

But that said I do know it is a good color pattern. My problem with reds is between my shoulder blades. 

I've tossed plastics for unsatisfactory action, and being too big. The only ones I've thrown out for just color were red.

48 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

It's all about forage. We have no red craws in SC, but plenty of shad, minnows and shiners.

You might be missing out.

https://www.dnr.sc.gov/magazine/articles/mayjune2012/crayfish.html

There is also an excellent feature article in the May 2021 edition of Bassmaster magazine that details the crayfish stages of development.  It is worth the read.

Black n Blue always disappoints me somehow. I have plenty of jigs and plastics in that color but they don’t work nearly as well as brown or green pumpkin, even in muddy water. I don’t know what it is. 

Red! Went on the kick of buying red lipless, red square bills, red chatterbaits etc …. None worked all that well anyplace local to me. 

Most things bluegill

 

Fire tiger and red aren't great either

 

 

 

For crankbaits red and firetiger have been disappointments. I have caught a few on firetiger. The only red crankbait I ever caught a fish with is an old Model A bomber. I don't think they make that color anymore.

 

Plum, black with red flake, and watermelon red have been my biggest disappointment in soft plastics.

 

Green pumpkin in jigs hasn't done a thing for me. I have much better luck with black/blue and PBJ color jigs.

The lighter shades of green in tubes and soft sticks just don't seem to produce for me, but similar colors in Rapala DT cranks work fine.  ??

Gold, PB&J, motor oil, and tequila sunrise are some I can think of right off the top my head. The only baits in firetiger that I can catch fish on are crankbaits.  

6 minutes ago, Bankbeater said:

Gold, PB&J, motor oil, and tequila sunrise are some I can think of right off the top my head. The only baits in firetiger that I can catch fish on are crankbaits.  

Motor oil?  Haven't heard that term in ages but it worked well for me.  YMMV

2 minutes ago, QED said:

Motor oil?  Haven't heard that term in ages but it worked well for me.  YMMV

I've got 5 or 6 bags of plastics in that color.  I'll take them out and get them wet a few times a year, but I never catch anything on them.

1 hour ago, OldManLure said:

You might be missing out.

https://www.dnr.sc.gov/magazine/articles/mayjune2012/crayfish.html

There is also an excellent feature article in the May 2021 edition of Bassmaster magazine that details the crayfish stages of development.  It is worth the read.

Be that as it may, I don't catch anything on red craw lures. I do on brown or black ones. Perhaps it's water clarity.

Black and blue, Red, and blue gill have never work good for me. I'll get maybe 1 bite after that none. Another surprisingly color is june bug. That color just plain out DO NOT WORK in Wisconsin. I've heard of many anglers trying to make that color work for years but having no luck with it. 

Anything shad color. I am talking painted to look like a shad. Chrome/blue back or chrome/black back, yes, shad pattern, no.