Northeast Crankbait colors

[bassman51]

I have a question for all Northeast bass fisherman. How many different colors of all types of crankbaits do you need as opposed to the amount you carry? I fish from smaller boats an would like to downsize the amount of baits I want to carry. Other lures don't seem to be the problem, since I usually have two confidence colors in most other baits. Buying crankbaits over the years seem to be an addiction for me. I do this with no other lure type. What are your opinions? HELP me out.

[smalljaw]

I don't fish many deep diving baits just because I fish a large shallow rocky river a lot along with a bunch of natural lakes that don't have great oxygen content beyond 12' to 14' deep. My main weapons are the DT 4, DT 6, DT 10 along with a bunch of various square bills and the color patters I use are based on forage. For clear water I use bluegill and shad colors, stained water gets chartreuse with black back or fire tiger and that is about it. I have a few different bluegill patterns because they very a lot in color from one body of water and the waters I fish don't have shad, instead we have alewives and shad colors are close. I'd say 5 different colors is what I need but I carry 7 or 8 depending on time of year and body of water.

[cndbasshunter]

perch, gill, shad, cartreuse black back, and craw is all you need really fro crankbaits.

[trout27]

perch, gill, shad, cartreuse black back, and craw is all you need really fro crankbaits.

X2 but I always need to have at least a couple megabasses in ito natural. That color works everywhere for me.

Thanks,

Ryan

[NJ Jigman]

gill/perch colors and shad colors. I fish fairly clear water so my must haves are LC's copper shad, ghost. also, sexy colors, maker not important. and just about any gill color generally in shallower baits up to 8ft.

[Johnny A]

I go more by gut. Sometimes perch pattern can work poorly. Hasu (blue/silver back) works pretty well. Megabass has a pattern for Knuckle 60, "Tannic Water Special", is perfect for the water color here in NJ.

[bassman51]

I have had a good amount of success with Perch, Bluegill, and Silver- Shad patterns. Chartreuse-Black and Firetiger have never been successful for me. I only have some success with Rattlebaits in early Spring, and only in Chrome patterns. Back in the day, my favorites were Rapala Fat Rap in Silver and Perch, Bagley Killer B II in Shad and Bluegill and Norman Deep and Shallow Baby N in Natural Perch. I have gotten away from using them because of the lakes I fish. Spinnerbaits and soft plastics dominate now.

[hookset on 3]

I have had a good amount of success with Perch, Bluegill, and Silver- Shad patterns. Chartreuse-Black and Firetiger have never been successful for me. I only have some success with Rattlebaits in early Spring, and only in Chrome patterns. Back in the day, my favorites were Rapala Fat Rap in Silver and Perch, Bagley Killer B II in Shad and Bluegill and Norman Deep and Shallow Baby N in Natural Perch. I have gotten away from using them because of the lakes I fish. Spinnerbaits and soft plastics dominate now.

This sounds very familiar. Firetiger and Chartreuse rarely are effective in our clear natural lakes and ponds.

I too, have not done well with rattlebaits here in New England. My theory is that the rattles emulate schooling shad that swim so tightly in their school, that they are actually colliding against one another, thereby creating a sound or pressure waves that Bass respond to.

So, my go to's are a lot like the other members have stated:
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
Natural Translucent shades for real clear water.

[njbasscat]

Bluegill,Sexy Shad, and Chartreuse with black back are the 3 I use the most. If you fish rocky lakes than add a craw pattern as well.