Crappie jigs and plastics are available in nearly endless color options, but that doesn’t mean you have to stock up on all of them. Professional crappie angler Mike Huckabee thinks other lure factors are more important than color.  As such, he’s simplified his approach to lure colors for crappies and shares his top 3 color pairings for muddy water, clear water, and even cloudy days.

The days of guessing what color works best are over for savvy crappie anglers equipped with forward-facing sonar. Huckabee notes that he observes how the crappies respond to his bait. If he doesn’t get a favorable reaction on forward-facing sonar, a color change is in order. Here’s how Huckabee chooses and refines his lure color based on the weather conditions and the fish’s mood.

Huckabee has so much confidence in these 3 color pairings that if the crappies don’t react, he switches to a different bait style, such as a finesse hair jig.

And generally speaking, a darker color is the best lure color for muddy water crappies. On the flip side, clear or natural lure colors are usually the best option if the water is clear. But don’t limit yourself. The above recommendations are experienced-based guidelines, but Huckabee also factors in the light-reducing effects of cloudy days, especially when there’s some wind, to reduce visibility on clear lakes further. Try using wild and bright colors on clear lakes in these conditions to trigger reaction strikes.