There are certainly colors that will catch fish under nearly all conditions, but that being said, there are often times other colors that will catch more and/or bigger fish.  That is why you will find very few baits in our tackle bags/boxes that don't have a number of color options to choose from.  Often times color doesn't matter very much, if at all, but when it does matter, it usually matters a lot.  Not to mention the desire to stay on the baitmonkey's "best friends" list.  ;D

The rule I follow which probably has already been stated is dark colors on overcast days or at night, and more "natural" colors on slightly stained to clear water.

I believe when the water is slightly stained - clear, your best bet is something generally in the "natural chart", but when the water is badly stained - murky, I believe that rule goes out the window and the best colors are something the fish can see, which for silhouette reasons, as you probably already know, are dark colors such as black, black/blue, black/red flk (anything that has alot of black), or very bright colors such as firetiger etc.

For hard lures the sun has alot to do with it, if the water is stained and we have some sun I will use a black/gold or more commonly known as "golden shiner" pattern. Whether we have a sun or don't have a sun and the water is chocolate milk colored I will use a bright color, not "flash wise" but color wise as in chart, orange etc. When the water is extremely murky, I don't think the sun helps the lure much and I believe a brighter color instead of a shining color is the best bet. On overcast days, topwater wise, I like black or a yellow belly, and at dusk or night, black is my most common and confident choice. I will use colors that are extremely natural in slightly stained - clear water, such as a perch pattern, a standard silver w/ black back, or even golden shiner tends to work well.

Basiclly anything that looks extremely natural relating to the forage in the water your fishing is the best bet IMO on slighty stained - clear days.

Not nearly as important as location.

Not nearly as important as many people think it is.

x2. Colors are important to us but not that important to the fish.

In the daylight, my favorite color is green, Andy's favorite is purple, Lisa's favorite color is hot pink (getting the gals involved), notice we all like different colors. Then it starts getting dark and my green looks like purple to Andy and Andy's Purple looks pink to Lisa and Lisa just looks crazy Hot to me and Andy (Oh, sorry about that, we kinda got off track there). So maybe it could be very similar in the Bass' world depending on what is most visible and attractive to them, then combine that with what we feel is most attractive to us, Hotty Lisa (Oh, did it again!) After combining the preferences of these two different worlds, is it any wonder that no two fishermen will have identical preferences at any given time but will mutually agree that Lisa should be a centerfold.

Big O  ;D

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