These 2 Factors Decide When The Bite Calls For Dark Colored Lures

Going to the dark side will produce strikes from bass more often than looking at the bright side of lures.Dark colored lures look more natural than bright lures in the water so bass are usually more inclined to eat baits that appear similar to their forage. A bass’ vision also allows the fish to easily detect dark objects in low light conditions.When trying to determine whether to use a dark or light color lure I mainly rely on two factors: water clarity and sky conditions.

Water Clarity For Dark Colored Lures

If the water is stained to murky, I like to use a black-and-blue combination for my jig and plastic craw or chunk trailer. I have also done well with a black-and-blue jig and craw in clear water during overcast days in the fall on my home waters of Lake of the Ozarks. The same jig and craw colors produce for me on sunny days as well when I pitch the lure into the shady areas of boat docks.A black spinnerbait with a black or blue split-tail plastic trailer is an effective lure for fishing in murky water or on moonless nights. My favorite plastic worm colors for night fishing for bass are black/blue, blue fleck and black neon.

Sky Conditions For Dark Colored Lures

Crankbaits, squarebills, and suspending stickbaits with black, dark blue or purple backs and gray sides are productive in clear water on windy, cloudy days.Dark brown and green pumpkin are good colors to fish for bass in clear water, especially when the fish are feeding heavily on crawfish in the spring. I like to throw jigs and craws and wide-wobbling crankbaits in a dark brown-and-orange combination then. Green pumpkin is my color choice in the spring for plastic tubes, soft plastic jerkbaits, stickworms, lizards and finesse worms.When sight fishing, I start with a dark-colored soft plastic to see if I can trigger a strike from the bedding bass. A bass bed appears as a shiny spot so the dark lure is usually easy to see on the nest.If the water is stained to murky in the spring, I will opt for a black lizard, black-and-blue creature bait or a June bug plastic worm to catch spawning or post spawn bass.Heavy football jigs in dark colors work well when fishing for bass in depths beyond 20 feet. I usually opt for a black jig with a blue plastic trailer for the deepest fish.