Crankbait colors / patterns ?

[RPM]

All, I've been tossing around an idea for some time but have yet to put pen to paper, for all the Custom Lure builders and Painters on here I have a few questions?. Is there a lure company you prefer thier colors / patterns over the others. At our last club tournament talking to a few competitors the question was brought up why or which color / pattern combinations I like to paint my baits? and it never really dawned on me why I chose one over the other. So a guy asked why is there so many sexy shad or versions of, colored baits here in our area and why do some guys prefer a certain craw color pattern over the next? I could not answer the question and said I will give it some thought. In doing so I've been energized to come up with an explanation other than it's personal choice. I prefer the simple ShAd pattern because it's easy to duplicate and it catches fish, the sexy shad color / pattern I seem to put my own spin on but it as well catches fish, and the craws Colors / Patterns seem to be all over the board?

I personally like the Pre Rapala Luhr Jensen Craw colors / patterns, as far as Shad patterns go I like the Rapala. So I ask these simple questions, do you guys / gals here have a Lure company that you favor for thier pattern renditions or do you choose to paint your version for another reason. I have a buddy, Tournament guy that likes a certain Craw pattern he has been fishing for almost 20 years, it's like nothing else in production and he swears by it, based on my experience he likes it for the color / contrast and not really the pattern? but he can only say he likes it because its differnt and cathces lots of fish. I personally think theres better options but he has confidence in it and likes the fact no one else uses it? We also have a mutual fishing buddy who loves glitter on his crankbaits, he almost will not fish a plug without glitter or flake? he grew up fishing older lures the likes of the Big O and said since he was little the Plugs with Glitter / Flake catch more bass?

Anyway I'm not trying to understand each case, just trying to see if there is something else besides personal prefernce in why we choose to build / paint our lures in certain ways. Is it more about the color combinations we choose, the patterns we use or simply a matter of what my close friend said, you must first catch the fisherman before you can catch the fish?

Sorry to be long winded, but looking forward to everyones reply. Thanks Rich

P.S Personal reflection, some of the prettiest baits I've ever seen did not catch anymore bass than some of the culls or ugly baits, I still have a few favorites but it's probably based on production more so than pretty? I tend to be more technical or thoughful and use what I think is the most realistic, but still get outfished by something exotic from time to time. 

Thanks for reading and the replies       

Edited November 14, 2020 by RPM

[mark poulson]

Man, now you've made me have to think!  Grrrrrr.

I'll get back to you.

[RPM]

1 minute ago, mark poulson said:

Man, now you've made me have to think!  Grrrrrr.

I'll get back to you.

Sorry but sounds good I look forward to your reply.

[mark poulson]

After reflecting overnight, I would say that Strike King is the crankbait brand I try to imitate the most.  I am no artist, and their paint schemes are easy to copy, and they catch fish.

[azsouth]

I think you are not taking everything involved in painting and finishing each bait. Personally have won more tournaments on my own baits the any other baits....I will be the first to point out not because they are better than any production bait company but it is just different enough that the fish haven't seen it 1000+ times. I have done a lot of different combination's that are just good paper weights, on the other hand I have found a few paint schemes along with hook and snap ring changes that absolutely outperform any mass produced bait about 8-1.

For me it all boils down to hard work put in=more quality fish caught.

Start with a paint scheme that you know produces in your area and tweak it. With some dedication and many hours on the water you will find that combination. 

[RPM]

azsouth, I can appreciate your comment but I have been painting and building custom handcrafted balsa crankbaits since 2012, believe me I've put my time in, but was asked at our final tournament why we ( custom builders / painters) use some of the colors, patterns which lead me to my question here. I do have proven baits, but this year it seems the guys using them were looking for something different, I'm normally not that guy as I like to build what I believe in. Not everyone thinks this way and it made me think about some of the tournament guys who use factory plugs. Here in the mid west, the SK baits are represented very well and guys do win with them, but in talking to these same guys they do believe in tweaking or altering the baits or having them custom painted. Since I build my own I've got away from painting other brands, but I'm always interested in the why guys are willing to pay big money for repaints, is it because they think the custom paint makes that much difference? If so they must think the colors / patterns are far better than the original.

Thanks for your input.

[JD_mudbug]

Most of the major brands have a wide array of colors. It is hard to just single out one brand. SK has a lot of colors I like. 6th Sense makes some nice ones too.

When I make a lure, the color just comes down to personal preference or perhaps to fill a hole in the color spectrum that I can’t buy elsewhere. I repaint some brand name lures with black or black with blue flake because that color is hard to find in a hard bait. At night, dawn/dusk, and in muddy water, black is usually a great choice.

A lot of people use a certain color based on confidence. I think that becomes a self-fulling prophecy. Once you catch a fish on a lure, you get some confidence in it. When you have confidence in a lure, you will fish it more often, take more care with your cast targeting, retrieve speed, imparting any action, etc. I am probably more attentive when fishing a lure I have caught fish on and rarely miss a hook set. That lure then becomes more successful and one of my go-to baits through my subconscious actions and not really due to any extra detail level in the paint scheme. I tend to give up more quickly on an unproven bait or color choice. That unproven lure or color pattern may not get a fair chance to be successful. That is why the guy who uses the same craw pattern for 20 years catches most of his fish on it. He is throwing that lure way more than other options.

In my area, we have no shad. We have golden shiners, yellow perch, bluegill, and smelt. You see more gold lures being used in my area as opposed to the sexy shad color. Gold with black back and orange throat is very effective because it duplicates most of the local baitfish. But, as Azsouth said, the opposite can also be true on a heavily fished body of water. If the fish see hundreds of the same color lure going by, some different color (even an unrealistic color) maybe more successful.

I have used lures that ranged from incredibly detailed to cartoonish color schemes. Overall, I have not seen the detailed ones out perform the simple paint schemes. On a particular day, one may outperform the other. For example, in clear water with a slow presentation, the detail does probably help because the fish get a much better chance to see the detail.  I admit that I do admire a great detailed paint job. But,  I think the lure's action, diving depth, and overall color are more important than any realistic detail.
 

[SlowFISH]

I agree with alot of what JD_mudbug said - as well as others....

I feel with cranks - I paint because I love the hobby and want to enjoy what I fish with - plus it's fun to tell the guys I fish with I have something special for that lake they dont!! LOL!.  But let's be honest - the Idea that I can paint/finish a blank better than Lucky Craft or Strike King is laughable.  Granted - a true custom crank you design and build is a different discussion - but if we talking painting blanks from the internet - it's more of a hobby and enjoyment mixed with what I think works in my area.

Some of my repaints are because I buy old school baits like Arbogast MudBugs and trying to find what I want at a price I'm willing to spend is super tough if not impossible... so I buy the roughest/cheapest looking ones I can find in the size I like and clean them up to repaint and get he finish I want. 

For what colors to paint - I base it on 4 things.  One - what's worked in the past.  Two is the small fish/bait fish in my area (Alwieve, perch, sunfish, etc.).  Third is water clarity - some lakes are muddy like chocolate at times so I paint things "brighter"  on a couple.  Last - if one of the guys I fish with has been catching them on a certain color/scheme - I'll mimic that with a twist. 

Let's be honest - if your burning a crank or even just running it normally - does the fish really see that tiny scale pattern or the slight fade of translucent purple I added to blend the top to the sides? LOL. No way.  Does it see the overall shape and bold shades of color - likely.  I do take a little more time on things like jerkbaits where in the early spring I'm pausing that bait 20-30 seconds between movements - I assume some of those fish get a good look - so having something  a little bit more subtle and realistic I think/hope can help - but again - I've caught fish on unpainted lures I was working on to figure out hook/ring combos... so maybe this color thing is a joke at times!

J.

[RPM]

JD_mudbug, Thanks for the insight and I agree with all these statements posted. I hope more will engage as this is why I posted the question here. Thanks again

I seem to go in cycles especially for myself but when it comes to other fisherman I guess it's so hard to guage the why's? In our talks last weekend at the lake another angler that is known as a local crankbait guy, said he thinks the subtle colors or faded patterns work best for him, which is another topic in itself. LOL He's been known to keep his favorite plugs hanging in his truck from the rear view mirror. But what I've seen mostly around here this year is guys are leaning more toward the subtle patterns, then keeping some of the exotic's just in case. The local plug guy said he thinks it comes down to contrasting colors, then action, then the right plug? I asked about his lure choices and it surprised me he likes to fish alot of lures that I call secondary brands. IE Lure Jensen, Poe's, Older Storm plugs, and even throws a few older Bagley's when the bite gets tough and still fishes the older mann's deep divers. Not alot of guys fishing the same plugs as this guy. While talking about colors, he said about the same thing as you, he thinks anglers get to caught up on pretty lures, which led us into talking about old beat up, fished hard lures? Which is anther topic as well but he had some plugs that looked like crap but said they still produce fish and he had no thoughts of replacing them. He said he had a few plugs in his boat that have produced thousands of bass and he still uses them about every weekend, he did say, he favors the older plugs because he thought they were simply better baits. 

I knew posting these questions might get alot of differnt answers but hey, thats why we all participate here in hopes of helping each other. 

Thanks again.  

Edited November 15, 2020 by RPM

[JD_mudbug]

I fish with a lot of older lures. I got lucky back in the 80s and 90s and was able to get a couple of large stockpiles of old Arbogast, Heddon, Rebel, Bomber, Creek Chub, Bagleys, Storm, Manns lures . Some of those old lures have incredibly detailed paint jobs that rival today’s lures. Arbogast had the Seein’s Believin series. Bagley’s had the Small Fry series, Rebel had the Naturalized Series, etc. At the same time, those companies also made some very simple colors.

My original Seein’s Believin Mud-bugs and my repaint Mud-bugs in black with gold glitter are in a battle for my favorite mid-depth crank bait. It’s been going on for 30 years. The paint scheme debate will never end. That’s one of the things that make the hobby great.

'Old' lures from the 80s:

Mann's Leroy Brown

Arbogast Seein's Believin Mud-bug

Deep Wee R in Naturalized Perch

[azsouth]

A lot of good points in all the previous posts. I think it boils down to belief in what you are throwing, I do not paint huge details into any of my baits ( I don't sell them ) but they pretty much outperform the mass produced baits, Color to me is very important, just small variances in colors really seem to have a major effect for me, Along with changing snap rings and hooks.

One thing that we really haven't discussed is the finish, The baits that I finish definitely have a thicker, heavier finish than any mass produced bait, I don't know if that is one of they key ingredients but it works for me.        

[RPM]

I Agree, and appreciate everyone joing in. I really wish I was a better crankbait fisherman, I'm a Jig guy, all my tournament buddies know me as such, but I'm also known around here as the Balsa plug builder, it's a good thing I've got friends who are great crankbait fisherman and lord knows I've been outfished by them many times. I started my Plug Journey back in 2011 when I was beat handily by a guy fishing a crankbait, since then I've had a passion for understanding and building better crankbaits, I thought if I built them it would help me become a better crankbait fisherman and it has but I've learned to be very proficient with a crankbait you have to be dedicated, I have not but still have the passion and desire to become the best crankbait fisherman I can. I do fish alot of tournaments ( about 18 this year ) and at just about all of them you come to know the crankbait guys, it's really funny to me that some of these crankbait guru's have a system and some do not, they kinda fly by the seat of thier pants like the rest of us. I can assure everyone that this site has helped me become a better plug builder, and I'm very thankful for that. Now I just need to apply the cranking theroy's and myself to become as proficient as I can. It's tough for me to fish offshore out in the middle of the lake with nothing in sight, just open water. because I'm such a shallow water, target oriented guy who just loves to flip & pitch heavy cover, laydows, etc. LOL   

[RPM]

JD_mudbug very cool baits from the 80's Thanks for sharing, thsoe baits look printed to me? or are they actually paint?

azsouth I have a question, you mentioned color being very important to you and small variances having a big impact? Have you ever thought about taking say (6-10) LC 1.5's and painting them all similar except for small subtle differnces enough to make them really differnt on each end of the lot, then fishing them in the same conditions to see just how much it truly makes?

Maybe I'm thinking to much into it but I've seen a few times we have had say a craw pattern orange belly and red top 50/50 lure with craw pattern in black, then a red belly orange or red top with black craw pattern make a difference on how the fish bite? but never really tried a large group of lures all painted similar but enough to make them stand apart? Just a thought and I may be thinking to much into it, like I said the local crankbait guru here seems to think it's more about contrast / light reflection that draws bites in tough conditions. P.S I'm not talking about when the bite is really good and the Bass are eating, just thinking about this time of year when it gets tougher.

Great input guys. Thank you

[JD_mudbug]

I am not quite sure how they were made. I have multiples of some of those types of baits. On the some of the ones I have fished, the hook rash has gone through to the body. So, I can tell they are not printed decals.

It looks like some base colors were painted, then some highlight colors painted in certain areas probably by stencil, then an ink stamp was used to make the fine details (scales/fins/lateral line/gill plate/ circles around the eyes), and on some color schemes then additional paint was applied in select areas on top of the fine detail. The fine details are typically black ink. Some of black details are so fine and crisp it looks like it has to be ink and not paint. I don't think they could do that type of printing in the 70s and 80s so I am guessing it is a stamp.

The mud-bug for instance - painted brown on the back, then yellow painted in areas with a stencil, then the black carapace marks stamped? on there. The mud-bug bellies are either pearl or orange depending on the lure and black leg outlines stamped on.

[azsouth]

48 minutes ago, RPM said:

JD_mudbug very cool baits from the 80's Thanks for sharing, thsoe baits look printed to me? or are they actually paint?

azsouth I have a question, you mentioned color being very important to you and small variances having a big impact? Have you ever thought about taking say (6-10) LC 1.5's and painting them all similar except for small subtle differnces enough to make them really differnt on each end of the lot, then fishing them in the same conditions to see just how much it truly makes?

Maybe I'm thinking to much into it but I've seen a few times we have had say a craw pattern orange belly and red top 50/50 lure with craw pattern in black, then a red belly orange or red top with black craw pattern make a difference on how the fish bite? but never really tried a large group of lures all painted similar but enough to make them stand apart? Just a thought and I may be thinking to much into it, like I said the local crankbait guru here seems to think it's more about contrast / light reflection that draws bites in tough conditions. P.S I'm not talking about when the bite is really good and the Bass are eating, just thinking about this time of year when it gets tougher.

Great input guys. Thank you

Yes sir, I have found several color variations for the desert southwest, I did use mass produced colors as a starting point but tweaked the colors over the years, some are fairly close variations while others literally I have had people laugh at until they see how they catch fish.

5 different variations of the 1.5 just with paint, total about 20 different variations of the same bait with finish, snap rings and hooks.

Sometimes it was as easy as just lightening up a color or 2 on a bait, Other times very bold colors instead. One of the main differences that I do is fade/feather my paint into the next color and add a highlight overall that can only be seen at direct angles.

I am always pushing the limits of the baits with weight, multiple coats of finish, split rings and hooks size.

[fishordie79]

As @azsouth and others have stated here I think a lot of it boils down to simply trusting the bait you are throwing. similar to any product one has trust in you just find something that works and you go with it. That said, and more specifically to your question, all companies are going to have patterns and colors that are similar across their product lines so in my opinion the company that produced the bait is not as important many other factors. @azsouth and @JD_mudbug eluded to the uniqueness of a pattern/color being important where fish may have seen many varieties of the mass produced stuff hundreds of times. This is definitely an important consideration for me. In pressured waters I want to start out throwing something that the fish have not gotten smart to. Sure, you're gonna catch fish using patterns and colors similar to what others throwing but a unique looking morsel may be exactly what that lunker requires to abandon the thought process that has allowed him to get so big int the first place.  

I do a lot of pike fishing. When pike get big they tend to begin acting like musky in that they don't just go after anything that swims in front of them. Probably the most important thing for me when I am painting a lure that I know I will be throwing for big pike is the ability to "match the hatch" if you will. For big pike, especially those that are used to seeing lures, what better way to take the guesswork out of what color or pattern they might want than to just match what they are already eating?

Tight lines man!