“But Jarmo is right. The great ones can’t be replaced. A couple years ago, we discontinued our SFC (Silver Fluorescent Chartreuse) and GFR (Gold Fluorescent Red) colors. An avalanche of correspondence from fishermen followed, some messages desperate, wanting their favorite colors back. So we brought them back.
“In addition to correspondence and our field staff, we receive constant feedback from point of sale. That is, when an item is scanned at a store, we get data on the location of the sale, the color and model, so we can track regional consumer preferences. Our sales force also provides input on trends in their areas.”
Scott Stecher, lure designer and president of Reef Runner Tackle has strong opinions on crankbait colors, and his catalog contains some of the most extreme color combos. His original “wonderbread” hue features dots of yellow, red, and blue like the familiar bread wrapper.
“Multiple dots were my secret for several years,” Stecher says. “When Lake Erie cleared, that color outfished all others for awhile. I believe that multiple dots imitate a whole school of baitfish—each of the spots resembling the eye or body spot of a baitfish.”
Some of his original designs were based on the old “coach dog” pattern, with many bean-like spots. “But the reason for different colors is that each one is brightest at different depths based on their wavelength. In clear water, this effect is very important. Different colors also give the illusion of 3-D.”
Saltwater Colors
Another trend is the growing popularity of saltwater fishing. New color schemes to imitate marine baitfish have multiplied, along with special finishes to keep the colors bright and prevent hardware from corroding. Colors like dorado, pinfish, croaker, menhaden, and mackerel now are available. Though not intended for the bass market, many of the new patterns have proved their bass appeal, apparently offering a different look to the opportunistic bass.
Soft Plastic Colors
Al Fisher of Norman Lures describes yet another hot trend that his company has jumped on. “We’ve detected a strong demand for crankbait colors first popularized in soft plastics,” he reports. “In the hot bass centers of Arkansas and Oklahoma, anglers have been asking for colors like root beer, smoke-red flake, watermelon, and watermelon-red flake. We’ve produced these in our N Series baits, and they’ve been disappearing off shelves. Field reports indicate that they’re working well.”
Picking the Right Color
With the array of colors available today in many of the great crankbait designs, how can one logically decide what to throw? The first bit of advice is to listen to the fish. We’ve all heard that 100 times. But do we do it?
Plan to switch lure designs and diving depths, seeking the optimum strike window and also the vibration pattern and sound that bass seem to respond to best. Then color selection enters the picture. Toward this end, crankbait designer Tom Seward of Yakima Bait recommends using a #2 Duo-Lok snap to attach crankbaits.
“Snaps,” Seward says, “allow for quickly changing baits and also provide the best lure action. They also lack a groove that catches line as a split ring does.” He notes that the snap must be attached so the open end of the snap is on the left as you look at the lure. And lures with recessed line ties require a split ring.
Many bass pros fish more than 200 days a year, often relying on crankbaits to find bass and trigger bites. This basis of experience gives them a strong starting point in terms of color choice. Since most top anglers have crankbait sponsors, they can pick from the relatively limited array from that company. There are countless effective crankbaits on the market, produced by more than a dozen US manufacturers, with more Japanese imports entering the market annually.
