How should I pick jig colors for crappie?

Let clarity and light decide, not superstition. In clear water and bright light, natural translucent colors — smoke, pearl, silver flake — imitate the real minnow silhouette the fish's eyes are tuned to. In stained water or low light, the fish sees contrast before it sees hue, so solid darks (black, junebug) and high-visibility chartreuse or orange draw more rises. Remember that water swallows red first — below roughly 3–5 m (10–16 ft) red reads as gray — so at depth think brightness and contrast, not exact color.

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