I know people post this all the time...We are heading to Gabbro in June and I want to know what is a good lure color to bring there?

You need a few choices. Natural black/silver, and gold are standards. Then I would add purplescent, firetiger, and tenessee shad. Those would be my go to colours for any plugs like rapalas etc. also would hold for spoons, although you might add some combos like chartreuese/ silver in cleos for example.

For jigs, I like smoke, black, pumpkinseed and orange. My fav jig color though is black.

Moonman.

THANKS!

I do a LOT of surface fishing for bass and I prefer orange only because it's easier for me to see it. I think color is the least important of the variables, but there are days when they seem to prefer one color over another, so pack various colors of each lure type and be prepared to lose lures to pike.

I have always done well on the combinations that are mentioned here. I also like to pack in a couple in silver/blue for rapalas/plugs. For whatever reason they work for me.

Firetiger is a go to color up there for me. I really do well with that color in top water/skitter pop. Also like it on a husky jerk type of bait.

Spoons - five of diamonds and red/white are good.

Mepps - #3 or #4 gold blade w/brown hair dressing. Same size silver blade in white or chartreuse

Spinner baits - black with gold blades is a good bet.

Jigs - black, white, chartreuse and a bunch of twister tails in whatever works for you. White has always worked well for me.

I really like perch colored Rapalas I would take those over any of the other ones.

But black and silver black and gold work well also.

Silver, red and white spoons work well also.

Speaking of Mepps, I have by far the best luck with the undressed, old-fashioned Mepps with the brass blade in size 4. This is one case where color really does seem to matter all the time.

Great answers already....y'all've beat me to it!

As missmolly said, don't worry TOO much about color. Bring a few with and see what works.

quote riverrunner: "I really like perch colored Rapalas I would take those over any of the other ones. "

+1... I can't believe I forgot to include perch colours on my list! The perch original rap is my go to bait. Great lure.

Moonman.

"Perch" is one of the most universal color patterns imo as it seems to catch fish in clear or stained water.

Many anglers forget about solid white. Many lures have white bellies but the dark backs can make the profile look smaller. White is a high visibility color in some systems and can be seen from a long ways away. White can mimic shiners, smelt or tullibies.

Plastics, Watermelon red, Watermelon seed, Green pumpkin and Pumpkin seed. And it does not hurt to juice every now and then with dip and dye, garlic flavor.

quote BennyMac: "I know people post this all the time...We are heading to Gabbro in June and I want to know what is a good lure color to bring there?"

What are you fishing for?

If you want to send me an email - queticomike@yahoo.com - and title the email " Grand Slam ", I can send you an article I wrote on fishing for the Grand Slam fish up there.

Gabbro is tannic stained, and I prefer either black, or white, depending on light conditions. Knife lake, however, is clear. On that lake, I prefer white, or black. WAIT, I see a pattern!!!! Seriously, pick a color for bright conditions, and a color for dark conditions, and concentrate on the actual important things, like: depth, speed, technique, and being quiet. Six lb. test mono and a fistful of 1/8 oz, 3/16 oz., 1/4 oz., and 3/8 oz. jigheads will load the boat, most any day.

Brand of grub body can be important. In water below 48 degrees, curly tails do not move very good. Kalin's grub tails are very thin, and wiggle good down to the low 40's. Above 48-50 degrees, just about any brand of curly tail will provide adequate action.

Scent is a whole can of worms(!!!???), and is a whole indutry of it's own. Suffice it to say on days with a tough bite, a scented lure cannot hurt. Still, it is working the lure at the right speed, the right depth, and using the right technique(jigging, plain reeling slow, etc.) that catches fish.

By the way, Gabbro has a bunch of slab Crappie!

quote Arlo Pankook: ""Perch" is one of the most universal color patterns imo as it seems to catch fish in clear or stained water.

Many anglers forget about solid white. Many lures have white bellies but the dark backs can make the profile look smaller. White is a high visibility color in some systems and can be seen from a long ways away. White can mimic shiners, smelt or tullibies. "

What Arlo said on both counts. A Rapala minnow in Perch color and white jig heads & twister tails. Home run...