What's the take on color vs profile? If you're not getting bites on a lure, do you change colors or switch to a different bait altogether?

I think profile is a much bigger factor. Once I get on a bite then I will sometimes experiment with color to see if it makes a difference. Color can sometimes help dial in a bite that already is happening.

Pay attention to seasonal patterns to clue you into baits/profiles and then once you start catching fish you can play around with color. I also match color to conditions - clear water blue skies then I go with something more natural. Murky water and/or cloudy conditions go with something that stands out more. There is a sliding scale there.

I think profile is most important, something to the order of 80/20. Shad eaters up here, really seem to need a close size match "most" of the time. My day got a lot better when I switched to this spoon.

scott

Edit: I think rate of fall is more important than color.....most of the time.

Hmmmmm, that spoon does fit the shad profile, lol. Never used a spoon

I haven't looked a whole lot into a bass's vision, but I know they'll come from 15 to 20 feet away to get something if they want it. Maybe their lateral line comes into play, which would have nothing to do with color. Green pumpkin is the most sold color, I think Zoom created "green pumpkin," yet that spoon has a ton of flash, whereas the gp doesnt

Most of the time Profile is far more important than color. For Those rare times when color is what makes a difference, it is the difference.

Color should be matched perfectly, if you want to catch fish. The pics below are from a 6 acre farm pond that was stock with pink gizzard shad and black/red tailed rats.😂

Seriously, I believe profile over color.

So if profile is more important than color, what are the best colors to keep on hand? There are SOOOOO many colors for some lures, most likely designed to catch fisherman. One of the most prominent colors of available forage is brown/green, most times of the year. There are times of the year that crawdads are a reddish color, I could see where color would be important in this instance. I tend to lean towards natural colors, but then chartreuses and such come into play. Threadfin shad have chartreuse looking tails. Also European nightcrawlers, which im growing for bait if I cant get a bite on ANYTHING else, look like the original Creme worm

Just now, GreenPig said:

Color should be matched perfectly, if you want to catch fish. The pics below are from a 6 acre farm pond that was stock with pink gizzard shad and black/red tailed rats.😂

Seriously, I believe profile over color.

So you think color AND profile are important together, makes sense

Where you throw matters more than either.

Fish where the fish are.

I was kidding about perfectly matching. Profile definitely matters more, IMHO. I might play with different colors if I'm on some fish.

1 minute ago, GreenPig said:

I was kidding about perfectly matching. Profile definitely matters more, IMHO. I might play with different colors if I'm on some fish.

Haha, i got you

Almost all bass eat fish and almost all fish are kinda pale belly and dark top. That’s generally what I go with when I’m worried about it.

It’s good to have some bold colors and some more natural colors for clearer or dirtier water - those extremes tend to be when color can help fish find it or make fish more curious - but most of the time a natural looking bait fishy color will do for just about any presentation.

Profile is something that is much much more important to have dialed in for bass.

Where and when you cast and how deep and fast you work a lure matter more than profile and color.

Most of the time is good enough for me, haha. Im not above getting skunked, unlike some people nowadays with ffs, but dont want it happening regularly, lol. So have a good array of profiles with basic fish catching colors. And wonder if instead of switching colors, you could flip a bait upside down if it still looks right, with the dark on bottom and light on top, to give them something theyre not used to seeing

29 minutes ago, Harold H said:

So if profile is more important than color, what are the best colors to keep on hand? There are SOOOOO many colors for some lures, most likely designed to catch fisherman. One of the most prominent colors of available forage is brown/green, most times of the year. There are times of the year that crawdads are a reddish color, I could see where color would be important in this instance. I tend to lean towards natural colors, but then chartreuses and such come into play. Threadfin shad have chartreuse looking tails. Also European nightcrawlers, which im growing for bait if I cant get a bite on ANYTHING else, look like the original Creme worm

So you think color AND profile are important together, makes sense

For largemouth, something light, something dark, and something that blends in. Black (or variant), white (or variant), and either green pumpkin or pumpkinseed (or variants) depending on your water. That should cover most scenarios and get bit depending on the water color, light level, prevailing baitfish, and type of bait.

I have a lot of clear water and bluegills so green pumpkin variants fill a lot of space.

Ive read that bass have a hard time remembering a worm, and that theyre more likely to bite a worm after being caught on a lure. I caught the same bass within a week from one spot, once on a worm, next time on a rapala shallow shad rap. So I dont question the effectiveness of soft vs hard baits, though I do believe soft baits will often outfish hard baits. My pb though is on a rapala glass rap

6 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

For largemouth, something light, something dark, and something that blends in. Black (or variant), white (or variant), and either green pumpkin or pumpkinseed (or variants) depending on your water. That should cover most scenarios and get bit depending on the water color, light level, prevailing baitfish, and type of bait.

I have a lot of clear water and bluegills so green pumpkin variants fill a lot of space.

Ill add purple. PURPLE, shows up in a lot of natural forage. Purple/brown should be kept in hand imo

Profile, for me, is much more important than color. If short and fat isn't working, I'll switch to long and thin before experimenting with color. When I do focus on color is when I start getting light hits or barely hooking on the rear treble. I'll vary my retrieve speed first, but changing color then has proven more effective.

Purple is a variation. It can be something like black grape to be your dark color or pb&j to be your blend in color. Heck, purple over white is a great shad variant. I carry quite a few gp purple options given my waters. If purple does it for your waters then great.

Well, looks like profile is way more important than color, thanks for all the replies, will help me to become a better bass angler

3 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

Purple is a variation. It can be something like black grape to be your dark color or pb&j to be your blend in color. Heck, purple over white is a great shad variant. I carry quite a few gp purple options given my waters. If purple does it for your waters then great.

I think purple can be a good color because they have a hard time seeing it thus masking the artificialness of the lure

By seeing I mean distinguishing colors and shape

Its interesting that Berkley has this labeled as "natural shad," doesnt look like a shad color to me, but I got it because of the darker silhouette

2 hours ago, mcipinkie said:

Where you throw matters more than either.

Fish where the fish are.

I feel that, but this may apply more to larger bodies of water. Im fishing a 2 to 3 acre pond with 10+ lb bass in it, I know theyre their, lol

Another vote for profile over color. I tend to not pay color too much mind. In the super clear waters I fish, I usually stick with natural looking hues and keep some darks and lights on hand to cover my bases. The size and shape of the bait is what matters more. And like @mcipinkie said, where you’re throwing your bait matters most.

7 hours ago, GreenPig said:

I was kidding about perfectly matching. Profile definitely matters more, IMHO. I might play with different colors if I'm on some fish.

This would be my answer

I wish I knew….. I was using a 7-1/2 ribbon tailed in junebug, switch colors, same brand / size, everything. Switched to Okeechobee color …. They were waiting in line to get on my hook.

Then I’ve changed from a ribbon tail to a creature bait, same color and started getting bites.

The profile of crankbaits are pretty much the same. The actions differ broadly. Same with spinnerbaits and other lures.I say action , vibration and water displacement is more important. Would that be profile?

3 hours ago, scaleface said:

The profile of crankbaits are pretty much the same. The actions differ broadly. Same with spinnerbaits and other lures.I say action , vibration and water displacement is more important. Would that be profile?

Sounds like "profile" to me. Color and profile are such a subjective topic and will always be debated amongst anglers, which is good. To me, speed and depth and location (where there are fish) will always be #1.

I'm probably not the best angler because I RARELY change colors.

If something isn't working I just change rods with a different lure.

The only times I'll change color is if the water clarity surprises me and what I have pre-rigged is off.