favorite colors for bass hardbaits

[cherry]

I have had great success using flourescent colors for bass especially with yellow,red, and orange. I just wanted to see what everyone else likes to use. Does anyone prefer any of the purple combinations?

[BobP]

Sounds like you're a smallmouth fisherman? They like bright colors while largemouth favor more natural colors in my experience. I use flourescent (aka neon) yellow often for chartreuse lure bellies. And I like the new Rapala purplescent pattern with pearl belly, purple back and bars, with gold accents on the side. Quite a few purples and blues find their way into bass lures, especially over chartreuse. Good color combo for stained water.

[RiverMan]

Last year we killed the smallies on a copper colored (like a shiny penny) ratltrap.

[thmsmerk]

new to the site, but i like firetiger and chartreuse color baits for smallies, kill them with these 2.

[jpbullet]

Personally my two favorite colors for bass (both largemouth and smallmouth) are Coachdog ( chart. and green back with green accents on sides) and spring crawfish (deep orange sides with brown back and a faint yellow underbelly). I use these colors mainly on stained southern lakes, but Im sure they'll work anywhere. Flatside crankbaits (with tight wobble) work really well in 45-55 degree water. If all else fails or if in clear water stick with simple colors like shad patterns. Hope this helps.

[kenshomi]

JPBULLET are those both Bomber colors?

I like the Lucky Craft chart shad - something about the faint chart stripe makes the bass dig this bait.

[jpbullet]

Almost all manufacturers make a coachdog pattern, but most make the accents on the sides too dark for my liking. I like them a light green color like I mentioned. I think Bill Norman cranks painted one that color many years ago. As for the Lucky Craft shad colors you are right on. The tiny faint yellow added to the bait exactly mimics a threadfin shad (what some people call yellowtails). You can add a thin strip to the sides or just a touch to the tail portion of the crankbait.

[willie525]

we catch a lot of smallmouth trolling reef runners like "trailer trash pink" "catdog" a bright orange body with a purple head, "salamander" and walleye spinner rigs in bright colors

i swear these are the names of the baits

[OzarkAssassin]

I have found that my best largemouth color is a dark blue stip on the back of the lure, and fade it into a purple coming just barely over the topside of the lure. Then touch the side of the lure up with a natural shad color, or a white or eggshell color. Then on the belly I will do a white with a hint of purple, definately more on the white side though. In some lakes, I have found that if you put a touch of pinkish red on the belly (under the gill area) it will produce more fish. If the water is Muddy, I always use the same color, except that I have a strip of Chart. on the belly side of the tail.

[smirkplug]

THE SMALLIES IN SOCAL. ARE SUCKERS FOR BRIGHT COLORS WHILE THE STRIPERS AND LARGEMOUTH SEEM TO LIKE MORE NATURAL SHAD/ PEARL WHITE COLORS. I THROW MOSTLY TOPWATER UPTO DOWNTO 3' . I COMPROMISE BY PAINTING A PEARL/ SHAD WITH BRIGHT RED GILLS AND BRIGHT RED ON TOP WHERE THE BASS DON'T NORMALLY SEE ANYHOW, BUT I CAN SEE MY LURE BETTER AND WATCH FOR STRIKES AND SWIRLS. I THINK THE TRADITIONAL BROWN, GREY, BLACK, NATURAL IS NO BETTER THAN BRIGHT RED WHEN THE FISH ARE LOOKING UP AT THE LURE WITH A BRIGHT SKY AS A BACKROUND, I THINK A BIG DEEP (TO THE BELLY OF THE PLUG) RED GILL ATTRACTS MORE STRIKES, GIVES THE FISH SOMETHING TO AIM AT. AND DISTRACTS FROM THE HOOK. I THINK RED HOOKS HELP A LITTLE TOO.

[Nathan]

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040424/bob8.asp

I came across this a while back.There is some really good info. here,and some real surprises when it comes too color and bass fishing..Nathan