How to Choose Your Crankbait Color Pattern

We all know how productive and consistent crankbait fishing can be.  I have seen countless tournaments, from the smallest local tournaments up to Bassmaster Elite Series events being won on the crank.  They can be fished in almost every depth in the water column, in and around all sorts of structure and cover, and can catch big fish.  There has been much discussion lately about choosing the right crankbait (rattle v. silent, lipless v. squarbill v. traditional bill, etc.etc. etc.), running depth, wobble, and more.  But there has not been much talk about choosing the correct color pattern.

After running depth, color is the most important factor when choosing a crankbait.  You need to be sure to choose a color that the bass can see and will strike.  There are numerous factors when it comes to color choice, and if you head to the store you will see that there are countless color patterns you can choose from.  Here is how to break it down and choose the right color pattern.

Step 1 - Match the Hatch
The first step in choosing you crankbait color is to determine what food source or sources the bass are keying on.  This has a lot to do with two things, the body of water you are on (the food sources there,) and the time of the year you are fishing.  It would take another entire article (or book) to really break this down, but here are some quick hints and pointers:

• Know what the main forage sources are on the body of water you are fishing.  Does it have Shad, Shiner, Sunfish, Talapia, Crawfish, etc.  Basically what do the bass eat there?  You can find this out with a little bit of research on the internet, or the best way is often to find out for yourself.  Always keep an eye out while you are fishing for dead floating baitfish or look inside the mouth of a bass you catch.  Take a close look and see what color they are.  Also, notice the small details such as small markings or color flakes on the fish scales.  If there are crawfish, are the brown, red, orange, black, blue?  Other food sources like frogs or talapia can be imitated with a crankbait during the right time of year.
• Know what time of year it is and what types of food the bass are typically chasing at that time.  This can very from one body of water to the next, but to me these are typical for most places:
• Pre-Spawn = Shad, Crawfish
• Spawn = Sunfish
• Post-Spawn and Early Summer = Crawfish, Baby Bass, Sunfish
• Summer = Sunfish, Crawfish
• Late Summer = Sunfish, Shad
• Fall = Shad
• Winter = Shad, Crawfish
• Late Winter and Early Spring = Crawfish, Shad
• Notes = Although bass may often eat crawfish in the cooler months, crawfish are typically sluggish and slow moving this time of year.  This makes them hard to imitate with a crankbait.
• Know the depth of the water you are fishing.  For example, if you are fishing deep open water, you probably are fishing for bass chasing shad, and you should use a shad pattern crankbait.  If you are fishing in the early summer, in shallower water, bass are probably chasing spawning sunfish.

So, once you have decided what the bass are eating, match your crankbait to that.  Are the baitfish white, silver, green, blue, etc?  Pay attention to little details such as blue or purple on the fish, or orange on the belly.  These little details can make a huge difference when the bite is slow.  Try to match as closely as possible to the food source you want to imitate.

Crawfish Patterns

Shad Patterns

Sunfish Patterns

Step 2 - Adjust with Water Clarity

Second, you need to determine how well the fish can see in the water.  How well the fish can see the lure.  If the water is super clear, you want your crankbait to match as closely to the food source as possible.  In gin clear water you will want an exact match for your crankbait.  The more stained and murkier the water becomes, the more you will want to add "brightness" to your crankbait.  What I mean by brightness is adding some "neon" type color to it.  Basically, some chartreuse, limetreuse, or neon orange.  If the water is slightly stained, you might want to choose one of the new "sexy" color patters that just have a small line of chartreuse running down the lateral line of the bait.  If the water is very murky, you might want to choose a crankbait that is mostly chartreuse in color but retains the patterning (dark back, etc,) of a baitfish. 

Examples of murky and stained water patterns

Small differences (like the size of the chartreuse stripe) can make a difference on some days

Step 3 - Adjust to Sunlight Conditions

The third and final consideration when choosing a crankbait color is less important in my eyes, but still something to think about.  That is the amount of sunlight.  The less sunlight you have, the darker the color of the bait you should choose.  On a day with a cloudless sky, you will want to choose as light of a color pattern as possible.  Possibly white or even almost clear crankbaits can "match the hatch" and fit the sunlight bill.  On dark sky days, you will want to choose a darker crankbait. Maybe a silver with a black black, or a grey crankbait instead of white.  At night, you should choose the darkest color you have.  The reason for this  is because darker colors stand out better in low light situations.  Fish can see them better.

Shad patterns, dark to light, for different light conditions

Step 4 - Make Customizations

Step four is not really a choice you can make out on the water.  It is something you can do at home that might help you to better match the hatch with your crankbaits.  What I do sometimes is color on or paint details onto my crankbaits.  I will get fine point paint markers in white, silver, and gold, and a black or blue Sharpie and draw on gils, spots, scales, etc.  

Follow these steps in choosing the correct color patter, and you will have more success when fishing a crankbait in any situation.

Related Articles:

How to Choose a Crankbait Rod