What is the best color of lure for crank baits?

[Stripedbass42]

There are so many choices of lure colors. I live in North Carolina. I fish Jordan Lake, Lake Townsend, Falls Lake and do some fishing at (Stonewall Jackson Lake) in West Virginia. Does anyone have some advice about what colors will attract bass in these waters?

Thanks,

 

[JB]

Re: What is the best color of lure for crank baits?

Howdy, Striper.

Welcome to iboats.

There are times and places where one particular color works best, but if I had to settle on one "color" for anyplace, anytime, it would be fire tiger.

 

[dooma_Flatchy]

Re: What is the best color of lure for crank baits?

As JB mentioned fire tiger. I always have one in my box as well as shad and crawdad color.
Thats the best here on Guntersville Lake in North Alabama. But the best lures are the ones that match the hatch, Same size & color as what the fish are chasing and eating.

 

[Terry Olson]

Re: What is the best color of lure for crank baits?

I'm certainly no expert, but experience seems to confirm what we already suspect about fishing lures: They're more designed to catch fishermen than fish. Pick a particular crankbait (or any other lure for that matter) and you'll find that you can get it in dozens of different colors and patterns. I suspect you could find the same results with three colors as you would with one of each of them. One light natural color, one dark natural color, and one artificially bright color like blaze orange for very stained water.

I think the same thing can be said for the variety of sizes that are available.

It's great to have a wide selection to choose from, but I don't think it matters as much as the lure manufacturers and retailers would have us believe. I suspect that in many cases fish strike at the lure as a matter of reflex, not the calculated act of feeding, which makes one color better than another only in terms of it's potential to be seen in the first place. I wouldn't insist that you only need three colors, but I'd start with the three mentioned and add from there as you "get caught" the next time you're in the lure isle.

It makes sense to match the lure to the fish's natural prey items, but then again I doubt they really see the color much beyond it's contrast to it's surroundings and I really doubt they care all that much even if they do see the difference - but what do I know, I'm a casual fisherman who has many lures but uses the same 4 or 5 all of the time.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: What is the best color of lure for crank baits?

The first thing I'd check would be the type of baitfish that are in the waters you fish, then match that color as best you can. Then have a dark colored bait for muddy waters and some bright color (I like chartreuse) for other occasions. Crawdaddy colors are always good, too.

As someone pointed out, the bait companies do the color thing as much to sell their baits as to catch fish. They really want you to fill your tackle box with as many of their baits as possible.

What's more important, really, than color is your fishing techniques, the action of a particular bait, and factors other than color. If you can master the techniques of fishing with different types of baits, you'll catch a lot more fish than the guy who is constantly switching colors to compensate for his lack of fishing success.

I fish a lot out of the back of my car, and carry a very small tackle box with me at all times, so I can stop by any promising water and shorefish. I have several types of baits in that tackle box, but only one of each type...to save room. I find that I may have to change types, but once I find the winning bait type, I catch the fish.

Happy fishing!

 

[Gridiron]

Re: What is the best color of lure for crank baits?

rapala's Taco salad crank. The booger will even catch crappie.

 

[ifishinwater]

Re: What is the best color of lure for crank baits?

I posted a topic In fresh water fishing Your top 6 lures...it is under XXXXXX that was my handle some time back. You might find it interesting to read
It's a few pages long. JB is in there.

Catch a big one.

 

[gonfishn]

Re: What is the best color of lure for crank baits?

Been a while since I have been here. A good rule of thumb that I use when fishn for the Warrior is on bright day use a bright lure. One that will reflect off the rays and stand out.

On cloudy days use all dark lures, Chartruees,reds blacks,orange,. Red and black combos work best for me. This, I think would apply to any fin your are huntn.

Headn to the North Woods this Friday and as always am lookn for that 50" plus gator. Heck even if they are not biting i can walk out my front door down some steps and I am on my dock.

Any one up in my area stop and do some fishn. June 2 til the 10. Short one this year. When you going to Lotw this year JB?

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: What is the best color of lure for crank baits?

My goto lure for bass, pike, or walleye is the Rapala 13G floater. Wether the fishing is good or bad this one produces the best for me. I like the Rapala gold deep diver as well.

 

[ifishinwater]

Re: What is the best color of lure for crank baits?

The action you give the lure is important a lure with out the right action will not catch a fish . Black or a dark color is good, remeber the fish are looking up and the sky is always brighter above the water than below.A dark object is easy to see than a object with a light belly as it blends in with the sky. Fish have a light under side so they are not as easy to see from below. Some colors have the same gray scale value as a blackish color. Just my view on lures.

If you go to page 8 fresh water fishing I post a topic IF YOU COULD HAVE ONLY 6 LURES in you tackle what woud they be? I had the user name as XXXXXX than ...you might find intresting reading