| Catching bass on artificial lures is usually not by | | | | A number of manufacturers market surface plugs |
| chance. In fact, an assortment of variables must | | | | and crankbaits in white, bone, charcoal gray and a |
| be considered in selecting the right lure. One of | | | | prism like clear finish. Throw these as an |
| these is which color or shade of a particular lure | | | | alternative to widely used Tennessee shad |
| will be most effective under prevailing conditions. | | | | colored baits. Similarly, there are some intriguing |
| Water Clarity: | | | | innovations in spinnerbaits in which the traditional |
| To professional anglers, water clarity is the most | | | | solid white skirt, representing shad, has been |
| fundamental guide in choosing the right lure color. | | | | replaced by glittery, translucent versions with |
| Selection is determined by whether the water | | | | sparkling glitter and mylar. There is more |
| they are fishing is clear or dirty. In clear water | | | | opportunity when selecting the right color for soft |
| use clearer, lightly colored worms, shad colored | | | | plastic lures. With hand poured or injected molded |
| crankbaits and white spinnerbaits. In dingy water, | | | | worms, grubs, reapers, crayfish or shad, the |
| use more chartreuse, more spinnerbaits with | | | | shape of the lure is duplicated in precise detail. |
| hammered blades, brighter chartreuse crankbaits | | | | Today, for instance, a multitude of soft plastics |
| and purple or black worms. For stained or muddy | | | | bring out the delicate mottled brown and green |
| water, throw some sort of dark or bright colored | | | | hues of a spring crayfish, while another bait |
| lure. A plastic worm or crankbait in purple, black, | | | | features the bright red and black of the same |
| brown or chartreuse usually presents a better | | | | bass forage in summer colors. It is important, |
| silhouette for bass to notice in dirty water. In | | | | however, not to limit your proper choice of lure |
| contrast, lures in lighter shades such as white, | | | | color solely to mimic either a crayfish or shad |
| yellow, gray or silver typically draw more strikes | | | | minnow. Many reservoirs and rivers have other |
| in clearer water. Let it be noted, however, not all | | | | forms of natural prey that may require a precise |
| lures are simply divided into shades of light verses | | | | color match. Some other secondary patterns |
| dark. For example, there are subtle variations in | | | | featured in many lure catalogues include baby |
| the component of a spinnerbait in which only the | | | | bass, rainbow trout, frog, perch, bluegill, shiner, |
| leadhead portion of the lure is painted. In this | | | | bullhead, salamander and even mice. All of these |
| situation, the bass angler must scrutinize, the | | | | different patterns attempt to match the particular |
| most prominent feature of the spinnerbait: the | | | | shade or color of other forms of bass forage |
| skirt. Here again, the basic light-dark distinction | | | | apart from shad or crayfish. You have at least a |
| usually applies in skirt selection; throw white | | | | minor selection of lures in these more insightful |
| skirted spinnerbaits in clear water conditions, | | | | patterns to throw when traditional colors fail to |
| switch to darker colors or chartreuse for stained | | | | produce. |
| or muddy water. As for metal surfaces, like | | | | Be Innovative: |
| those of a spinnerbait blade, the light-dark | | | | Quite frequently, anglers are caught in the field |
| dimension also holds. Most veteran bass anglers | | | | without the proper color in a particular lure. But |
| prefer to throw nickel colored blades in clear | | | | with a small collection of felt tip marking pens and |
| water, and brass, bronze, copper or painted | | | | a pocket knife, you can use a few simple tricks |
| blades in off-colored conditions. | | | | to custom color baits while on the water. Keep |
| Climactic Conditions: | | | | permanent markers in black, brown, green and |
| Accomplished anglers also consider the weather in | | | | chartreuse in the tackle box at all times. These |
| selecting the most effective lure color. If the sky | | | | can be purchased at most stationary or art |
| is dark and cloudy, then choose a color that, once | | | | supply stores. The black pen probably has the |
| again, presents a prominent silhouette as the bass | | | | greatest utility. In a pinch, practically any light |
| looks at it from below. Lures in black, brown and | | | | colored plug, spinnerbait, or soft plastic lure can be |
| purple are an excellent choice for a dark, cloudy | | | | changed to a darker shade. A dark dorsal fin or |
| day, whether it's plastic worm, crankbait or | | | | ventral vein can be added to both soft and hard |
| topwater lure. Conversely, for bright sunny days, | | | | plastic lures for a contrast effect the |
| switch to lighter, more translucent lures that | | | | manufacturer may have overlooked. Use markers |
| present a subtle silhouette to fish. Baits in shades | | | | in brown and green to create the mottled tones |
| of white, gray, yellow, silver, smoke or clear are | | | | on hard and soft plastic lures. This particular |
| recommended for this type of whether. | | | | coloration has been widely popularized in the West |
| Color and Forage Bait: | | | | as the "green weenie" look. And it's one of the |
| Another clue in lure selection is the coloration of | | | | best combinations of color and shade to duplicate |
| natural forage in a given body of water. | | | | crayfish anywhere in the country. A chartreuse |
| Traditionally, the two dominant types of prey | | | | marker also can be a real boon when fishing in |
| found in most bass lakes and rivers are crayfish | | | | stained or muddy water. If a crankbait or plastic |
| and shad minnows. The formula for matching | | | | worm can't be found in this more brilliant pattern, |
| artificial lures with these forage baits is fairly | | | | add a slight trace of chartreuse to the bait with |
| simple. For hard baits (like crankbaits, topwater | | | | the marking pen. In stained water, a small band of |
| lures, and spinners) the various natural crayfish | | | | chartreuse along the underbelly of the plug often |
| finishes on today's market continue to generate | | | | can transform an otherwise bland, ineffective lure |
| results. Bear in mind, however, that on heavily | | | | into a potent bait. The same custom coloring |
| pressured waters, bass may become bombarded | | | | works when a chartreuse tail is added to a lightly |
| by this crayfish imitation pattern and a less | | | | colored worm. A small pocket knife can create |
| popular shading may prove a better choice. Here | | | | similar miracles in the field for hard baits that |
| is where spinnerbaits, crankbaits and surface lures | | | | aren't getting bit. A subtle change can make the |
| may be an effective alternative to lures in the | | | | different. As mentioned earlier, bass in pressured |
| natural crayfish pattern. Consider those in the | | | | waters frequently become accustomed to seeing |
| "earth tone" shades featuring a mixture of brown, | | | | the same parade of lure colors day after day. |
| black, purple, green and orange. A similar choice | | | | Take a pocket knife and scrape away some of |
| commonly occurs in matching hard baits with shad | | | | the paint from a stickbait, chugger, popper or |
| minnows. The most popular lures selected for this | | | | crankbait. Most likely, you will be now throwing a |
| type of forage are those with either Tennessee | | | | lure with your own customized paint and shade, |
| shad or silver body with black back cosmetics. | | | | offering bass something new and interesting. |
| Here again, experiment with subtle color options. | | | | |