What colors work best for bass for each season in minnesota?

[Pong]

I've been out fishing recently and have been completely skunked from the bank and from a boat using ghost minnow colored squarebills, black jigs with green pumpkin trailers and white paddletails. What would you guys recommend I use from the bank and from a boat?

[Wanderer]

Color choice is usually more about water color/clarity than time of year.  Your locations or bait choices/sizes typically matter more.  That said, try clown, pink and red and see what happens.  And downsize, especially the plastics unless you’re specifically targeting the biggest fish in the lake.  Slow down your retrieves as well until the water warms up.

 

Good luck!

[Djsnej123456]

Hey pong, what you would use from the bank or boat should really be the same.  You were on the right track with your choices. In darker or stained with less than a few feet of Visibility you can’t beat black and blue jigs.  Green pumpkin is great with that few feet of visibility all the way to ultra clear water.  Black and blue color is one of the best all-around colors in general. Some people like to use green pumpkin color by itself, some like to have green pumpkin and orange combination or brown combinations. I personally like to use a black and blue jig with a green pumpkin trailer. It gives the jig some contrast and it’s a really good producer for me in slightly stained water.  It really just is preference and most guys come to love a certain color by just having confidence in catching fish with that color. White  jigs are good in in all sorts of water clarity, very good color during the spawn and for smallmouth. Brown and purple color jigs are also great for smallmouth. As far as crank baits and jerk baits and you know paddle tail swim baits usually just matching the color of forage that is in your water. Like up here in Minnesota bluegill, perch and minnows.  As far as crank baits, bluegill patterns perch patterns more natural colored looking crank baits in average to good water clarity. In darker water, crank baits like chartreuse black back is good. I don’t think you were necessarily doing anything wrong by where you were fishing. Bass are starting to spawn here real shortly and should be near the bank in a lot of places.    They will be spawning on a little harder bottom like sand and gravel spots. They love to spawn near reeds. Also check the western section of your lake first as the water temperature will warm up the fastest over there. I would try baits like a swim jig, chatter bait, paddle tail swim bait as they can cover a good amount of water from shore. Square bills are good too as long as the weed growth isn’t too substantial. I suppose I could make this post to go on forever, LOL. If you have any further questions feel free to ask I’d be glad to help out the best I can.

Edited May 17, 2020 by Djsnej123456

[mrpike1973]

Pong Ghost white is one of my favorites as well but for me it's either lights out or no lights. The above posts are right on. Blue, Blue is a underrated color works clear or stained water.

Also as said above the bass have been fickle for me one day a spinnerbait hammered them for a half hour then couldn't buy A bite they wanted Husky jerks twitched slow. Another color is Parrot it's chartreuse blue works great. Welcome to HSO the guys and gals are great on here!