A common question that tournament pro Max Wilson gets asked is “How do you decide which colors to choose?” In this video, Max breaks down the factors that influence his choices.
Today, a lot of people are buying custom painted crankbaits. There is a time and place for custom colors and palettes, specific patterns and markings. However, what Max has found to be the most important factor is simply the base color. He particularly cares if it’s chrome (metallic or shiny) or a flat matte. When it comes to choosing a base color, conditions and water clarity are the main factors influencing the decision.
Choosing Between Chrome & Matte
For clear water lakes on sunny days, Max likes to go with a chrome or shiny crankbait. This has a reflective base to give a bright flash-like bait fish representation (for example, a shad on Green Bay). For cloudy days, Max prefers baits with a matte base. To stand out in exceptionally muddy water, he opts for the brighter yellows and oranges with this matte base.
Choosing Between Color Patterns
A good rule of thumb for pattern selection is to simply try to match the hatch (matching perch, smelt, or goby patterns). This is both in pattern and behavior.
When targeting shallow running fish, he likes to run his chrome-based colors further away from the boat. To target fish suspended mid-water column, he’ll choose a bait fish pattern. This is typically purple chromes and racy shad colors.
Gobies do not come up far off the bottom, so he’ll run those color patterns at the deepest depths.
As a general trolling strategy, Max will run 3 lines on each side of the boat. One high chrome bait, one in the middle of the water column, and another pounding the bottom. By paying attention to details and closely monitoring his electronics, he lets the fish tell him what he needs to do.
In summary, don’t get too caught up in the minor details of those custom colors and patterns. Instead, pay attention to the base color, the conditions, water clarity, and the depth fish are being marked at.
