Unfortunately the color craze is constantly changing. At the moment the Kevin Van Dam sexy-shad color and the development of the colors around it are catching fish. They have developed a way of matching what baitfish look like in different types of stained and clear waters, and they're catching fish and he is winning tournaments with them. The bad news is this color pattern as all do will run out and a new color pattern will develop over time.
Some general color concepts that I believe in are are pretty basic. I try to match the color of the water, especially with soft plastic baits. Bass see differently than we do, and a worm that appears to blend into the water, stands out to the bass and are real looking in the water. Next clear water presents an opportunity to go with light baits, if the water is clear the white blends into the clear water and appears realistic and visible to bass. Fishing top water also presents challenges with color. At one time I believed anything on top would get a bite as long as you moved it erratically. Now, color is certainly changing the top water bite. Cloudy over cast days you need to blend the color with the clouds and sky and go with stained type colors. The bright sunny days change all that and as the clear patters have proven whites or light colored baits are more effective.
Color does and will change your fish catching ability. Work with different colors on tough days and you will see a difference and catch more fish.
