Shallow Cranking late fall question

[SoInbassman]

Whats your favorite sqaure bill color / patterns for late fall fishing, I have a buddy looking for some crankbaits, he's fishing a lake he's never been on but the word is the locals are catching them on Rip Rap banks, and up shallow on larger lay down timber. I'm normally a shad pattern / color guy but I have not fished the lake he's going to and really don't have a strong recommendation. Thanks in advance.

[basscat tyler]

For me I don’t get too detailed with colors. If the water has decent visibility and shad are the primary bait I go with shad patterns. If the water is dirty I go with chartreuse or reds

[DrewFlu33]

I feel like I can never go wrong with a muted chartreuse color. If the water is dirty the chartreuse stands out. If it's clearer, the muted chartreuse isn't overpowering and still looks natural. If it's really dirty, I think having contrast is the biggest deal so I choose something with a brighter chartreuse and black back. If I had to pick one color for all seasons and conditions, it'd be Strike King's chartreuse perch. You can add contrast with a sharpie if the water is really dirty.

Full disclosure that we don't have shad here except in the Mississippi and St Croix rivers, so take that for what it's worth. Even still, I've had a ton of luck with that color for shad eaters on the river in a variety of conditions.

I've not had a ton of luck throwing red except early in the spring, but when they're on it they're on it. I suppose that's the one exception to the above for me.

In any case, I think the biggest thing is confidence. My biggest rough spells have been when I've gone through periods where I let water color or conditions or whatever get into my head and start worrying about colors turning them off or the fish not being able to find my bait. That'll mess you up. Find something you've got confidence in and roll with it!

[SoInbassman]

Thanks Guys he said a few have mentioned a muted craw color Brown / Orange with a bone bottom? Said KVD uses a color like this and it's been pretty effective around the rock, but like I said I've never fished this lake before and not sure if my simple shad patterns would be the best choice. He said the water color has been pretty clear, but they are predicting rain next few days and depending on how much we get this lake seems to have a lot of run off water and could get dirty quick. Thanks again

[DrewFlu33]

I think he should throw whatever he has been catching them on or whatever he has confidence in. No need to reinvent the wheel until something tells him the color is off like the fish missing the bait, barely getting the back hook, etc.

[SoInbassman]

I think he should throw whatever he has been catching them on or whatever he has confidence in. No need to reinvent the wheel until something tells him the color is off like the fish missing the bait, barely getting the back hook, etc.

Thanks Drew, he is going in another guys boat and was wanting to take a few of my Hand Crafted Balsa Crankbaits and I was wanting to give him a few good color chices, was the only reason I was asking, but your right and I wish I had enough time to build / paint him a dozen or so, variety of colors if you will. Just about everyhing I have built lately has been in a shad or Bluegill pattern because it's what I'm Comfortable / Confident with. LOL I'll see if I cant come up with something on each end of the spectrum and hope one is hot on that lake. Thanks again. Rich

[Ky21xd]

All my better quality fish lately have came off bluegill/craw pattern baits. Normal Shad patterns isn’t getting it done for me. Seems like here mostly small fish are chasing the Shad right now.

[Casslaw]

When I’m a coangler, and very limited on space I take a chart/black back, bluegull, plain Shad, and the perch mentioned earlier with the purple. That allows me to have the KVD 1.5 I would need in any wind/sky conditions.

[PMantle]

1. Chartreuse black back; and
2. Sexy shad.

[Quillback]

Well locally I go with craw type colors for the most part. Usually when the Ozark Highland lake fish are shallow, they are after craws and lakes like Table Rock and Beaver are infested with craws. Shad eating bass tend to be out in the deep water where crankbaits just aren't as effective no matter what the color.

[Mark Perry]

Shad/white

[JohnnyO]

Chart/Black,

[Alumicraft145]

If I don't catch anything on red, I go home.

[fluke1987]

gizzard shad and chartreuse/black back in a strike king 1.5 are pretty hard to beat....I've done really well also on a white bandit 200 and a clear chartreuse spro little john md in the fall

[SoInbassman]

Thanks guys for the input and suggestions, I wound up making him several ( 7 ), 1- bluegill, 1- red craw, 2- shad colors / patterns, and 2- custom fire tiger patterns and 1- a horton colored crank. He said he's had great success with firetiger colored cranks in off colored water? I've never really fished many firetiger plugs but have fished the horton color in my version which is a splatter horton and I've had some success with it. I actually think it resembles a frog? at least to me, but it does come close to a fire tiger without the tiger stripes, I guess. He's a good friend and really tries whatever I suggest which is much appreciated, I was simply trying to think outside the box for me and give him something that might be in his wheel house. He did say lately the past few years he fished mostly sexy shad, craw pattern cranks in modern production lures but thinks the older patterns / colors still produce just not many lures available, he also said it's hard to beat a pearly white plug in certain conditions which will not be the case here. Anyway thanks again I look forward to his input and results as we shall see which colors he thinks prove the best. It's always a great read / talk when crankbait guys talk about colors, patterns and the why's. Much appreciated, and Happy Thanksgiving