What do you consider the top 3 crankbait colors?

[Cheetam]

I'm just doing a little research for my own selfish purposes  .  What are the top 3 colors you look for when buying crankbaits?  Before anyone says it, I would like to eliminate "Sexy Shad", since it is obviously the color du jour.  I am guessing I'll see many variations of "Shad" (e.g. Tennessee Shad, Chartreuse Shad, etc.), "Crawfish", "Bluegill", "Firetiger", etc.  But, if you could only have 3 colors and/or patterns (I consider something like Baby Bass a pattern more so than a color), what would you choose?  Black back/chartreuse?  Blue back/silver?  Red back/yellow?  For me, I like baby bass, classic shad (pearl white, black back), and various combinations of greens, yellows and chartreuse.  So what do you look for?

[Durand Dan]

Bandit's Baby Bass 200 is the go to bait!

[thedude]

i go with a bluegill or sunfish pattern from the get go. From there, gold/black,  chart/black or chart/blue, and rootbeer.

[Lightningboy]

Don't discount sexy shad; it's just a version of LC chart. shad, an excellent color.  I own a lot of cranks in some version of chart. shad, it's just a great baitfish imitator that works great in everything but very clear water.  (Well, it does work very well in deep clear water.)

Second place is rootbeer with a chart. belly.  Makes a good craw & bluegill imitation.  The back can be anywhere from brown to green, and the belly a hot chart. or a subtler yellow.

Last is some version of LC ghost minnow.  Killer in very clear waters, and does very well in stained water with a chart. dot on each side.

I think I could go just about anywhere and catch with those three.

[Cheetam]

Don't discount sexy shad; it's just a version of LC chart. shad, an excellent color. 

I'm not discounting it (as in I wouldn't use it or paint a bait with it).  I just know 50% of the replies I get would include it.  I'm working on a little something right now, and I want to get some ideas on what colors people like to buy.  Sexy Shad (or at least a variation of it) is on my list to include in my little project.  I'm looking for the next 2, maybe 3 colors in terms of popularity.

[Skulley]

Gold Chrome/Black Back/Orange Belly; Sunfish; and last but not least Pearl White/Black Back/Orange Belly.  These three colors are on two different brands of baits.  One color is not made anymore.  These are my choices if I am only allowed three crankbaits in the boat.

BD                       

[Cheetam]

Metallic w/ Blue, Green or Purple hue
Fire Tiger hues w/ Perch or Sunfish pattern
Red w/ Brown or Black shading

Jeff,

Please send three prototypes before opening catch and release season!

Eric Bond

Just doing a little R&D right now.  Hopefully I'll have something soon (*fingers crossed*)...

[Cy]

If I could have only three...that a horrible thought! 

Chart / Green Back

Gold / Black Back

Orange or Red - Crawdad color

[Skulley]

It's not all about color with crankbaits....... ..........how about wobble............wide or narrow........ .......rattle sounds...... .....maybe not rattles....... .......balsa or plastic.    Lots and lots of variables in crankbait fishing.   


BD               

[chrisvmo]

I know its a bit of topic but how many use x-rap or x-shad regularly? I know this is about all I use during the pre-spawn but not much after that. I had alot of succes with the clown color last year.

[Cheetam]

It's not all about color with crankbaits....... ..........how about wobble............wide or narrow........ .......rattle sounds...... .....maybe not rattles....... .......balsa or plastic.    Lots and lots of variables in crankbait fishing.   


BD               

Sorry, I sounded a bit cranky...Understanding all of that, everyone has confidence colors.  Actions catch fish, colors catch fisherman.  IMO, You can make the world's best crankbait, but if you don't make colors that people want, they won't buy 'em.

[Trux]

My favorite colors:

• Sexy Shad (I'm a believer after last year)
• Baby Bass - black back green sides white bottom
• Firetiger

As for the X-Rap, I have had lots of success on olive, and more on the smaller size 8 than the larger 10s.

I've picked up a couple Bomber Switchback shad for this year. I'm really curious as to how turning the rattle on or off affects its performance.

[Savage]

Clear water before sunup - White pearl Bobmber fat free shad

Clear water after sunup - Ghost shad or the endless variations thereof

Dirty water - Chrome sexy shad colored redeye shad

Can't go wrong with those 3!

[dartag]

hey Jeff

paint me a Green pumpkin with black flake.  works with the Senkos.    i will have to cut it in half though.

[Waterfoul]

What is this "crankbait" you are referring too??      

[Cheetam]

What is this "crankbait" you are referring too??      

It's nothing too big.  I have 6 prototype bodies I'm having cut special, and I am going to use 3 or 4 different woods for each (not basswood, paulownia, or balsa - although I may end up using those in the future if everything else bombs miserably  ).  Of those (if they even swim  ) I'm hoping to choose 3 styles to build a small run of hand-cut, hand-sanded, hand-assembled, hand-painted and hand-tuned crankbaits.  The question about paint and patterns comes up because I'd like to limit the paint possibilities down to 3 or maybe 4.

[djkimmel]

Dark Green crayfish
Red Craw
Tennessee Shad

Why, if black and blue is the number one jig color in the good ole US, almost no one makes a black and blue crankbait?

[yukonjack2]

1 - Rootbeer Chartreuse -
2- custom developed Brown back, blue sides, white belly
Tie for thirs
3 - Red eye shad in a banana split color - kind of a muted red craw with a little yellow sides
3 - White DD 22

[LGMOUTH]

C flash colors
Bluegill
Sour Cream (white with a little bit of chartreuse)
Shad Minnow (white with a little bit of pink)

[TCook]

I have been buying the same 3 colors that LGMOUTH mentioned this winter along with threadfin shad, blue back minnow, and lemonaid. I used only a couple of those colors last year but will be throwing them alot more in 09. I actually like the fact that they are $22 a pop, hopefully alot of guys will not be throwing them because of the price.

T