I know colors are important to a degree, but I also know sometimes it just comes down to your confidence in a bait. I was wondering if anyone has a preferred color, especially this time of year. Personally, I cant go wrong with a zman minnowz in rootbeer chartreuse, and if I want something bigger, a diezel minnowz in pinfish or the deal.
Anything that pulls drag, right?
Used to use a Gumby Gold curly tail and was never skunked with it, they discontinued it. 
Clear or murky water.
I’ve got a friend that uses no other artificial grub but an Electric Chicken. Me personally, I’ve not had the success that so many used to swear by them as the only bait needed. 
Color Is something that you can get a million different answers on.
Rule of thumb bright colors in murky water and cloudy days and on clear days/clear water it’s best to go with softer, more natural colors.
Hit up Bass Pro or any sportsman shop and look the racks over for artificials that are bought out or almost bought out…
Don’t rule out artificials used for freshwater bass.
That said, when fish are hungry and in a feeding frenzy it doesn’t much matter what you use. When they have “lock” jaw you just have to present many varieties and retrieval styles until you find out what will work.
Good luck out there! Remember the fishermen that are catching the most fish are the ones that go often.
I certainly agree with Fred, that as many folks as you ask, you’ll get different answers. As much I hate admitting it, I use and have used many different colors over the years, some based on the fish I’m targeting, some based on water clarity, and certainly some based on past experiences.
In over 50 years of fishing, I can honestly say, regardless of what, where, when or conditions, the most used and most productive colors for me has been white, chartreuse, and black in some form or another. That being these are the primary color on a fly or lure, but may be combined with another color.
I’ve tried to follow the same general rules as Fred mentioned, with light and water clarity being the main reason I’ll choose a specific color, but then my mind and available color selections get in the way. Add that to the available or predominant forage base, and I’ll stray away from colors I may normally use, like the Electric Chicken Fred mentioned.
Otherwise, I tend to go with form over color, meaning for example use a baitfish form when baitfish seem to be prevalent, or if bass fishing, a frog, when they seem to be keying on them. So, it’s the idea of match the hatch, but not always with a representative color. I’m sure I’ve never seen a bubblegum colored baitfish or worm, but that color has caught me a lot of fish.
I very much like green pumpkin colored plastics, and have caught many bass and Stripers on them, as well as those in the watermelon shades, but not a big fan of green, like in the hunter green color. Don’t use red much either, although have many lures and flies that incorporate red, but not as the base color. Although I do have a few lures, like Rat L traps that are primarily red, and have caught fish on them.
IMO, this all is mostly a confidence issue, even though many years ago, I thought my problem wasn’t confidence in what I used, but confidence in myself. I believe that’s been resolved, so I have no qualms about trying any color, whether for lures or flies. Still goes back to what Fred sa
Think what color the bait and fish and the water look like. I usually see white black or silver flashes from mullet, white silver or gold from menhadden, and grey black silver from minnows. Also take in to consideration how colors show in dirty water. Black and white have opposite effects but can be equally good in the same conditons. The dark colors work off the shadow silhouette effect and light flashh colors are noticeable in the water and work more of the sight of the bait. I personally beleave in action more than color. Ill fish the same bait as my buddies but we usually work them different. Usually 1 of us does much better until the other copies the technique. Slow presentations out fish fast presentations everytime anytime of year. I use small slow reels like a lower gear ratio 500 series so i can reel how im comfortable and the lure is still moving slow.
Also the size of lure is very important. If your trying to catch a lot of fish go with a 3 inch or smaller bait. If your just wanting a big boy go with a 5inch or bigger bait and you wont get a hit from a lot of the smaller fish giving you more opportunity to get the big one.
Thanks for all the responses, I’ll be sure to try a lot of different colors when I (hopefully) go out this weekend.
Anything that pulls drag, right?
Simple way to find out
Have 2 people casting the same bait but in different colors.
We did this in Aug fishing reds on a flat. Partner was getting hammered and I was skunked out. Eventually I gave up on my color and switched to his color. They were not much different, mine had more white opaque and his was more smoke colored.
Just like that I was loading up.
We try different colors regularly. Always looking for the next best thing. Most colors are very similar but can be just enough difference to make them hit.