The ABC's of Lure Colors

The ABC's of Lure Colors

The ABC's of Lure Colors

While it is true that Bill Dance use to joke about any color is good for bass fishing as long as it is blue, there are some common factors in selecting the best lure colors. In general, the water clarity and sunlight conditions will dictate at least a starting point.


Image Credit: https://www.bassgrab.com/best-lure-colors-for-bass/ 

The Bass Professor, Doug Hannon once told me that I should pay attention to the first bass or two caught during a fishing day. If they were dark in nature fish a darker colored lure. If they were lighter colored throw something brighter. That seems logical if you can catch the first one to observe. Hannon went on to tell me that God created baitfish like a bream to be camouflaged for a reason. If you are trying to match a particular bait fish keep that in mind. In general though, on bright sunny days in clear water the most logical lure colors would be lighter, more translucent lure colors. Soft plastic lures colors such as pumpkinseed, motor oil, strawberry, white and blues work well. Hard bait choices include clear, chrome, white and shad patterns. On cloudy days darker lures such as blacks, junebug, and baits with chartreuse, red or orange tails perform well on soft plastics and chartreuse, orange and other dark hard baits also are preferred. There are always times that bass will not follow any rules and crazy colors such as methylate and bubblegum can save the day.

That's all for today. Don't forget to check back in every Tuesday for new tips & tricks from our expert staff and pro-staff from around the country! 

1 comment

William cook
William cook

In old days, blue was the color that held true deepest in the water column. Most other colors faded with depth.

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