You should always use multiple brands, many times I work an area and think I have cleaned it out and picked up another brand and catch a few more. This is why the knocker types can pick up a few more as well. Back in the day when Bill Lewis rattle trap was the best thing going, I would never buy one unless I shook it first. There where always a few that sounded different from the rest, and would produce 3 to 4 times more fish than the majority. I also had a friend who used a type called a Speeding Bullet, which are no longer in production, that could out produced the Lewis brand. Currently I favor the XR Excaliburs, Bill Lewis traps, and Strike King Red Eye.

Colors can be kept more simple, reds, croms, golds, with a few exceptios like variations in shad patterns (I like chartruese on one particular lake myself).
My favorites, depending on season are:
Rayburn red, red tiger (old school), gold chrome, chrome w blue back, chrome w black back, golden shiner, sexy shad, and smokey Joe.

This double digit was caught fishing behind 2 people throwing XR50's by a client using my traditional Bill Lewis red.