the logic of color selection. I have read for many years that clearer water requires brighter colors and murky/dirty water requires darker colors.

I do not understand this at all. It seems to me in murky/dirty water you would want something bright and flashy to stand out. And in clear water you would want a darker color to add contrast.

Help me understand this.

Wow, got this in the completely wrong section. Can a Mod move it for me please?

Color is as much for the fisherman as the fish. For example, black, white, and chartreuse work well in any color of water.

Read this...

http://www.bassintips.com/bassseecolors.html

Then this...

http://www.bassintips.com/colorselections.html

Pay particular attention to the cones and rods in a bass's eyes vs. a humans and the effect water has on light/colors.

Another thing I believe is darker colors show a better silhouette than lighter colors. Especially at night when contrasted with any moon light.

If you really think about it in muddy water fish are pale and white yet most people say to use darker colored baits. Often in clear water the fish will get the draker colors to help camo themselves but yet most like brighter baits. makes you wonder huh?

This has been a subject of many conversations. I don't think I can really answer this correctly. I can give you my findings tho and you can take it for what it's worth. I fished a bass event where pro and pro were to use the boat after a toss of the coin if they couldn't agree on which boat to use. I lost the toss. The mans name was David Gliebe. FYI He has won more boats than anyone on the west coast,but who cares ,right? Every time we stopped to fish he dropped a color combo selector. I used my choice of color as I felt the muddy water needed to be fished with the same color.(A muddy colored bait) I did great but I do think Dave did a little better. I think if the color of water is clear then fish a clear bait. Muddy fish a muddy colored bait.

Your kind of mixed up. You can use bright colors in dark water firetiger or chartreuse works very well for quick moving baits. Although for plastics darker tints like junebug or red shad work good, I feel it makes a better silhouette for the fish to see. But in clear water natural colors like watermelon or green pumpkin are much more efficient. Jmo

I would think in muddy water bait color for reaction type baits is not much of a factor since they are using their lateral lines a bit more. Again I would think if fish and baitfish are pale in dirty water it would seem logical to use a lighter colored bait to mimic that. I am guilty of using dark colors though.... ...truth be known I find myself using less colors all the time and sticking with 2-3 in almost all conditions.

I asked this same question 10 years or so back and Ralph Manns (fisheries biologist who was active on many forums then) finally explained it to me in a way that made sense.

If you put a bass in an aquarium with no colored sides to it the fish will practically wash out. It'll lose it lateral line and most all coloration. This is because the fish is trying to blend in with the environment. Think of the fish you pull out of hydrilla; they're almost black they're so dark.

Same applies to baitfish and water color. You want the water color to indicate what to throw since the baitfish are mimicking the color of the water. This is why you'll hear some say to throw clear baits in super clear water (especially topwaters). The bait is almost camoflaged and is the closest match to the hatch. Baitfish will match their environment, rarely will they try to stand out. It's a matter of survival.

I'm like Mark. I have 2 main dark water colors and 2 main clear water (normal Texas clear) colors. I've gotten away from having dozens of colors but I'm not as mad at 'em as I used to be.

B.Dance set me straight on this question