How to Pick Spring Bass Fishing Colors

Before heading out this spring, make sure you stock your tackle box with some fishing colors bass love.

It’s that time of year again. Spring time is approaching, which means it’s time for some spring bass fishing! Shallow water, water visability, type of cover are all things you should consider before heading out to try and land that big bass. We all have our favorite colors in our tackle box, so you need to have some spring bass fishing colors on hand.

Let’s be honest; we’ve all been there.

The day is perfect, the sun is shining, but the bass ain’t biting. It feels like a total bummer.

Sometimes, the answer to your problem is simply picking the wrong fishing colors for your lures and bait. Spring is one of the best times to fish for bass, so don’t let these opportunities pass you up.

This guide is a useful tool to help you know what color selection to use and when, maximizing your chances of catching that big fish. Professional anglers and some of the best anglers in the world use these tips and tactics year round to catch smallmouth and largemouth bass.

How to Choose the Right Spring Bass Fishing Colors

Bass fishermen have to be very precise when fishing for bass because catching a bass is not as easy as it seems. If you want to catch a lot of fish in a short amount of time, it is important to use the right method and bait. You don’t want to waste your time or bait by using the wrong colors for spring bass fishing .

To pick the best spring bass fishing colors , one must consider several factors, such as local species’ habits, water clarity, color of water and surrounding vegetation.

Let’s take a look!

Water Clarity

There are many different factors that affect the success of bass fishing, such as water clarity and color .

To consider water clarity when choosing spring bass fishing colors, you must know what type of water you will be fishing. Since each body of water is unique in its composition, the best color for a given lake or pond can vary considerably from one body to another. The most common examples include:

Transparent Water Clarity

This means there is very little plant life growing below the surface of the water which usually occurs at high altitudes. In this case, an angler should use bright lures with reflective finishes because bass can easily see them against clear waters.

Slightly Stained

This usually occurs when aquatic vegetation starts to grow at the beginning of the spring.

In this case, one should use spinnerbaits in olive or yellow with reflective finishes because bass can see them better when light passes through water that is not too clear.

Stained Water

Depending on how bad the vegetation is, the best colors for stained waters are bright lures with flashy finishes like chartreuse and orange. Flipping jigs with bright finishes also work.

Sunlight

When the sun is higher in the sky or if light is reflecting off the water surface, bass can see lures with reflective finishes very well, so it’s important to use them.

Since bass can see lure finishes very well during certain times of the day, anglers have to pay attention to what type of sunlight they will be fishing in. It’s best to ask other people who fish at the same location because weather conditions may change along the day.

Sunny Days

On sunny days, when sunlight passes through water that isn’t too stained and bass go shallow to spawn, anglers should use bright colored spinnerbaits and topwater lures that reflect sunlight because bass will be looking for small marine organisms on the surface of the water.

Low Light Conditions

During this time, there are no shadows produced by vegetation, and fish can see dark colors better than bright ones. In this case, one has to experiment with different color combinations and stick to darker options like black, blue, brown or green pumpkin.

Cloudy Days

This is a time when fish can see brighter colors better. Yellow and white are good choices for this condition, but if the water is extremely stained then one has to use combos with green or brown hues .

Best Spring Bass Fishing Colors

1. Transparent Colors

If you’re fishing for largemouth bass in clear water situations, one of the best spring bass fishing colors are transparent or ghost colors. These see-through baits are great if the body of water you’re fishing in has clear water with high visibility.

Why do ghost fishing colors work great?

Because they look natural!

They mimic the natural clear conditions, and they’re less likely to scare away the bass. The rule of thumb to remember is that you should always use light and subtle colors in clever waters. This is because, when the water is clear and bass can get a clear look at the bait, they prefer softer, natural colors.

Ghost Colored Bass Fishing Lures

2. Shad or Flashy Colors

On sunny days, one of the better colors to use are chrome/shad patterns.

The higher the sun is, the more it penetrates the water. Allowing the scales on bait fish – like shad – to reflect more. This attracts the bass because they’re used to seeing this type of reflection of baitfish.

Shad Fishing Lures for Spring Fishing

3. White or Chartreuse

During those dark and gloomy days, or when the water is stained or muddy. This is the category of color you will want to choose. You want a color that stands out and can easily be found in these types of conditions. A white spinnerbait may be a good option.

You can also use a brighter blue color. Okeechobee craw is a popular color and you can find it in spinner baits, jigs, and chatterbait styles.

White and Chartreuse Spring Bass Lures

4. Red or Orange

In the early spring bass will often feed on crawfish. One theory suggests that the reason bass targets the red/orange color is because this is the time of molting season for crawfish, which is why using any bait with crawfish colors is a great idea.

They turn reddish during their molt and become more visible. Making them an easy meal for bass.

Red and Orange Colored Bass Lures

5. Black and Blue

Primarily used for dirty water, or overcast days. These colors maximize profile visibility. Dark colored soft plastics may be ideal in these situations. Senkos, pit boss, and power worms are just a few choices out there. June bug, green pumpkin, blue and black, and grape colors are good to use, but darker colored crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs may work as well.

Black and Blue Bass Lures

What Colors do Bass See Best?

It all comes down to the conditions where the bass live at that time. Bass have dichromatic color vision, so it’s like they always have a yellow filter over their eyes.

Keep this in mind when picking bass lures for spring fishing.

Bass easily identify red and green colors, especially when they’re in shallow waters. In clear water conditions, bass see shad colors, white, silver, and other natural color lures.

Interestingly enough, bass have a hard time distinguishing between some bright colors, like chartreuse and white.

Where Do Bass Go in the Spring?

In the early spring, bass are focused on two things: food and spawning. They feed heavily and bulk up as they prepare for the spawn. As the water temperatures start to rise, bass are moving to shallower water and shallow flats. Once the water temperature reaches 60 degrees, bass start to spawn.

They’re awake after a long winter, and it’s time for them to get moving. This is why the spring season is one of the best times to fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass. They’re busy finding food and spawning.

They typically bed in heavily covered areas like timber or rocks, bass go there because it is easier for them to hold onto and produce offspring while hiding from predators. This would be a good idea to throw a soft plastic Carolina rig out there.

They move closer to their prey. Bass feed on shad, small bait fish, and crawfish.

Where Do Bass Live in the Spring?

-Bass stay near cover where they can protect themselves from predators. They don’t need strong current because food slows down during this time.

Make sure you have the right set up with your rod, reel, and strong enough line to fish heavy covered areas. The best bass fishing spots can typically be the most difficult to get to or fish!

Remember, choosing the right color at the right time can make the difference in getting skunked or catching the biggest bass out there. Pay attention to what’s in the body of water you’re fishing and what the bass might be feeding on. Also, the weather and water conditions.

Happy fishing and where there’s a log, there could be a boss hog!