Crankbait Colors

[Craigums]

What do you guys usually use for colors on your crankbaits. Im looking at buying a bunch of Bandits and the color options they have available are mind boggling

In my somewhat limited crankbait experience I've tried to keep things simple. Generally I will throw a Chartruese crank in dark water and a Bluegill color in Clear water. How do you guys approach your crankbait color choices?

[TonkaBass]

I like the brown splatterback chartruese side bandit. Really though, action is a big deal with cranks, as you know. Why are you going with all bandits?

[Turbodog]

what depth cranks are u thinking as i feel that plays a factor in your color choice also no matter clear or dark waters?

[thatoneguy]

i have very limited experience cranking for bass, but i have had some success with a "match the hatch" philosophy, which where i fish means perch, bluegill and crayfish colors

[Craigums]

Why are you going with all bandits?

I've got several of the Rapala DT series, and a couple Storm Wiggle Warts. But I was looking at the bandit 100-300 series as they are resonably priced.

[EBass]

I like natural colors for largies and hot colors for smallies. However, a crayfish colored crank in the river is the cats meow for smallie. I know, I'm a walking contradiction.

white/silver

black/gold

crayfish

bluegill

chart/blue is good or hot pink to mix it up

Water clarity plays a role in this as well as me not catching anything does too.

[ShoreGuy1984]

I crank mainly in the shallows and I also try to match the hatch. Norman Lures has tons of good colors like Red Ear, Sunfish, Bull Bream, Bluegill, Perch, and more, plus crawdad colors.

[TonkaBass]

Craigums, not sure but I think I saw bandits at maple grove gander for 40% off. Maybe call first.

[mww24]

i like silver with a black back. Also firetiger or a more natural perch pattern if theres a lot of perch. bluegill to. my favorite was the baby bass rapala lipless baits. but I can't find them anymore.

[RK]

Hiya -

Maybe I oversimplify things, but I don't think you need a whole bunch of colors for crankbaits. I pretty much carry a bluegilly/sunfishy color, a green back/light side color (Tennessee shad, green gizzard shad - whatever) and if it's translucent, so much the better, a chrome flashy color, crawfish, and something bright like firetiger, chart/black back or Homer. I also am getting to like the sexy shad color, even though there isn't a shad within 100 miles of where I fish most of the time. It's just a good clear to moderately stained water color...

[BassNut33]

I like a solid white or a variation of that. It seems to work well for me when I throwing a shallow crank more so that in deeper water.

[bassnbucks]

I like to use shallow cranks with the main body being white with orange stripes and purple under the bill and blackish/blue splatter on the back.

[Cecil]

Gander has some of the Bandits at 40% but not all.

[RumRiverRat]

I try to match the hatch.

For Brown Bass:

On the Mississippi River I start with Baitfish patterns and move towards crawdad patterns later in the summer.

In the fall it seems not to matter on color as long as it has a wide wobble and rattles the Smallmouth will eat it.

There is a very specific color pattern that I learned to use on the Mississippi last year from fellow HSOer jac174. The first time we fished together last year he tried a new pattern and I threw almost every color crank in my box and was out fished 10 to 1, I was very humbled. Our next trip, with both of us throwing the same color we put over 100 fish in the boat in 8 hours.

On the Rum I start with crawdad patterns and throw them all summer. In my experience there are a lot more crawdads in the Rum compared to the Mississippi. Might be a water quality thing.

On Mille Lacs I like Perch and Firetiger patterns. Unless you catch several fish that show signs of rooting the rocks for crawdads, then I will throw crawdad patterns.

For Green Bass:

Bluegill, Firetiger, Sexy Shad, Chartreuse belly Black Back.

Chartreuse Belly and Blue Back has been a good pattern for the Lake my dad lives on(Clear Lake near Glen on HWY 47 north of Malmo).

I do not throw a lot of cranks for Green Bass, I plan on doing more of it this year though.

[RumRiverRat]

i like silver with a black back. Also firetiger or a more natural perch pattern if theres a lot of perch. bluegill to. my favorite was the baby bass rapala lipless baits. but I can't find them anymore.

Cabelas has them. Just checked their HSOforum to confirm.