How do you choose your skirt colors?

[BahamaLure]

If you have a great running lure it will catch fish, I don't care what color it is.

If you have a lure that runs like crap it will not catch fish, I don't care what color it is.

For my money it is about contrast, a bright lure against a dark background or visa versa. The actual colors on the lure can help a bit if there is a change of color, bait fish or squid change color when threatened so mimicking that makes some sense.

As a lure maker the only thing I can do about a customer putting on all sorts of different colored skirts is make lures that run right in the first place. Here is a marlin caught on a white headed lure with purple and red skirts. Not exactly a hot selling color combo, but there is no point in telling him he did anything wrong...... The lure catches the fish, not the colors.

[hobie2]

If you have a great running lure it will catch fish, I don't care what color it is.

If you have a lure that runs like crap it will not catch fish, I don't care what color it is.

For my money it is about contrast, a bright lure against a dark background or visa versa. The actual colors on the lure can help a bit if there is a change of color, bait fish or squid change color when threatened so mimicking that makes some sense.

As a lure maker the only thing I can do about a customer putting on all sorts of different colored skirts is make lures that run right in the first place. Here is a marlin caught on a white headed lure with purple and red skirts. Not exactly a hot selling color combo, but there is no point in telling him he did anything wrong...... The lure catches the fish, not the colors.

Probably true but your new Humbolt color pattern is raising bills this summer for us... amazing.

[BahamaLure]

cross a grreat lure with a great color and all you get is the bill.....

see you in OC next week!

[The Codfather]

I prefer the theory of contrast and position when choosing colors. Bigger, 'louder' baits will be run closer in the spread, so for maximum contrast against the prop wash they should have darker colors like blue, black and purple. Smaller, 'quieter' baits should be run further back and will have lighter colors like pink, green and white. However you still have to consider the effects of the wash. Riggers and shotguns which run outside the wash should be more natural colors to match the hatch. I usually run my smallest, most natural colored baits in the shotgun. A perfect example is the one Tim showed us., but with a tube or jet head. Another thing you have to consider is the background against which the lures run. Dark sky, run brighter lures. Clear sky, run darker lures. However, always run at least on the spread that is the 'opposite' from the rest. For example, in my spread for the Guam Fishing Derby last weekend we concentrated on marlin.

Inside corner lures, waves 2+3; 14-18" Blue and purple plungers and cup heads

Corner lures, waves 5+6; 9-12" Plungers, one dark, one light colored.

Rigger lures, wave 8; 9-12" tubes and long plungers, one dark, one light, but on opposite sides from the corner lure counterpart.

Shotgun, wave 10 if there is such a thing; 5-7" Jet head in blue/pink or blue/silver is my favorite here but we had good luck on a 6" 'stubby' blue/pink/yellow plunger WAAAAY back for some reason.