What are your favorite colors of crank baits when fishing dark stained water? With rattles, or no rattles??

For the last couple of years, Rapalas DT series coffin bill Flatside in the Chart body/Purple color has accounted for many 'Eyeballs for Me in stained waters. C-man

Here's one of the many "color" discusions from the Jim Stedke 2nd annual on line seminar:

The color question came up on the Ole Pete's thread and favorite Reef Runner colors was brought up. So to not hijack that thread, I thought I'd bring that question here.

Colors are a function season, water clearity, area being fished, and preferred forage. And by the time we'd discuss all that I'd have blisters, so suffice to say that not all colors are universal but many are and the more universal colors are what i'm going to list here.

Bare Naked, Pearl Ghost, Purple Ghost, Purple white tiger, Hucklberry, Purple wild thing, Eriedescent, Bubble Gum, Emerald Shinner, Chartruse Wonderbread, Barbie, Easter egg, Purple Prism, Pink Lemonade, Cheap Sunglasses, Mooneye Minnow, Rainbow Trout, Purple Demon, Trailer Trash Pink (pink scale), Cat Dog, Chrome blue back, Clown, Purple Prism, Salamander or night moves, Hot Tomale, Orange Peel, Mud Minnow, Pink Squirrel, Fruit Loops. That's 30 off the top of my head, and I'm sure I left some out.

For starters get a mix of clear prism or nakeds, white based, bright colors, subtle colors and chromes making sure you cover the biggys like purple, chartuse, blue, green, pink, orange and your favorite if I missed it.

Color is seldom, if ever, the most important variable. Depth is almost always more important and always as important as color. And speed is as important also (partly because it has much to do about depth).

I hope this helps, and good fishing.

Rattles : Absolutly in stained or diry water, and Mud Minnow (kindof a rootbeer color) or Texas Red are the traditional favorites for dirty water on Erie.

I think I've probably done best with a Hot Tiger Shad Rap.

I've been doing very well using 2 1/3" suspending rainbow trout crystal minnows in pretty dark, stained water coming from the local inlet. I got a 27" 7.9 pound pig last night on one. Its really a jerk bait, but I've been outfishing the guys throwing cranks 3 or 4 to 1. I should mention 20,000 fingerling rainbows were stocked about 3 weeks ago.