Fall is one of the best times of the year to use crankbaits, either on ledges or secondary ledges, ambush points leading into creeks or old roadbeds – anywhere bass are likely to stack up as the water and baitfish transition. During this time, you can still catch bass offshore as well with deep divers or along the banks with square-bills.

But what are the best seasonal crankbait colors to use? There are so many different colors of crankbaits nowadays that it can be confusing to know which one to tie on. Some are local favorites that anglers favor on a particular body of water. Others are variations of basic color patterns. For the most part, I go with variations of three different colors, based on different situations and seasons related to predominant forage.

In the spring, I like some sort of crawfish pattern. Later on, I’ll switch to bluegill patterns, and then most of the rest of the time it’ll be some sort of shad pattern. As far as I’m concerned, a Strike King 6XD or 10XD in sexy shad, which has a touch of chartreuse in it, is the best all-around shad color. Crawfish, bluegill and shad are the basic colors that I like to use, but there are some exceptions. Specifically, when the water you’re fishing is dingy or muddy, then you’ll want to go with a color that pops out a little more.

—- Walmart pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark.