Basic Lure Colors

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

"To greatly simplify color choices, I use this general rule of thumb: Surface lures, white or yellow bottoms and black for night fishing... Fish never see the tops.
Crankbaits....silver, gold, chartreuse and anything which mimics the forage in the lake.
Soft plastics... A selection of white or sand, black or violet, brown or orange, chartreuse.
Bright colors on bright days, dark colors on dark days and black at night." -- Cliff Hauptmann

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

I KNOW THIS WILL BE CONTROVERSIAL but I don't pay any attention to colors as much as I do size.

In my gill box no matter what the sun or overcast I use purple as a first choice. Don't know what the gills and red ears see it as , maybe black I suppose. Second choice is always a Flouresent Yellow marabou that appears chartreuse in the water. IF they are surface feeding it's always an Orange spider with white legs. All around my favorite is the purple .

[dick tabbert]

David your right about the size and it's a big part of it. All I can say is I never seen a purple, yellow, chartreuse minnow but we know fish hit them regardless. I tend to stay with actual minnow colors like whites, pearls, light blue pearls and light chartreuses. The only variance is I may use a red head on my Jig. Them colors have always been my main go to color and I do quit well on them like they say if it ain't broke don't fix it.

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

Yep Dick size and fall rate are always a concern for me especially when they are on the beds. Seems like when the fish are out on the weed edges in say 6-10' of water I have to use a really smalllllllllllllllllllllllllll split shot to get it down to em. Im too inpatient to wait the full minute or so for my bugs to fall that deep.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

I like this connection to fall rate, especially with bluegill. 

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

There is something to yellow; it seems that it pisses fish off. And pink is a producer, too.

Interestingly, the vision of bass and sunfish peak in the red-orange spectrum,. with a second peak in the chartreuse-yellow spectrum.

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

DAVID HOW RIGHT YOU ARE, yep I forgot the pink and white combo and the yellows too.
Don't know why but when I'm fishing really hot  weather the whites with variations and yellows do produce for me also.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

I am always stupefied by the colors available. I have looked for a color selector chart that cuts down to those few selections one can handily keep available. This information seems to do it. Of course, you can add as much as your budget and personality dictates, but the fact remains that fish, in particular the sunfish, only see in a certain range of color...

I believe yellow, red and pink are good additional colors to have in the soft plastic line. Outside of those, the rest of the ones mentioned seem adequate. 

There are other factors, too, which must be accounted for. For example, what are they currently feeding on? What is the temperature? What cycle of the years are they in? 

But hopefully this simplifies the color conundrum for most of us.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

These are the two boxes I carry everywhere I go....The small box is my 1/64 ounce kit and the larger one is my 1/32 ounce kit......I've done hours of research over the years and countless field tests and have decided that I have a color in these boxes that will catch almost every time.....Sometimes I must manipulate the size but thousands of gamefish have come on these baits and these are the ones I stick to with discipline....I normally go through one of the Leland's Lures kits(1/64) every season so that's why I have 7 or 8 surplus...Never know when these companies will discontinue or can't find your favorite on the shelf......I fish pink or white heads most often, sometimes just plain ole lead heads.......Just one man's opinion who fishes very dark water 95% of the time......

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Pink seems to be a dominant color, Jeff. I wonder if that is something unique to your stained waters?

And, what do you think of the color selections from Mr. Hauptmann? I know your choices have earned your faith, but do you see these simplified colors as being useful, or not worth a crap?

[Leo Nguyen]

Man, those look so freaking delicious. You probably catch me in the act chewing on these before the gill can get to them.

 

1/64oz create a slow sink or a moderate sink rate Jeffrey?