when to use certain colors

[CrappiePappy]

I’m hoping this adds to the conversation,in my feeble way of seeing and understanding things,wouldn’t natural colored lures be advantageous for the fisherman than say bright colored lures? Let’s put it this way,natural brown,or black shows up in a wider range of water clarity than bright colored lures do,that being the case,wouldn’t my odds and catch ratio increase when using browns and blacks,vs brighter colored lures?
I do believe contrast to be more important than color,but only if the contrast is noticeable in all water conditions.Just to clarify something else,I live in notoriously red clay country.When our water is muddy,it’s not dingy or stained,it’s flat out orange colored,under much of our water conditions,at best visibility is no more than a foot.

Considering that the only colors available to me, when I first started out Crappie fishing, were black, white, and yellow hair jigs (Doll Fly jig) ... you have a point. BUT, not only can the fish "see" a lure a good ways in muddy water, they can also "feel" its movement (water displacement waves). So, even if they can't see it, they can still home in on it and grab it, if so inclined to do so.

Natural colors are fine, but Crappie don't just eat minnows/Shad ... they'll eat any fish small enough to swallow. They might prefer the soft rayed fish like a minnow, shiner, or Shad ... but, they're not likely to turn down a MadTom Catfish or Bluegill or other panfish fry.

When we use blues, greens, yellows, black, white, pink, orange, or whatever .... it's not totally to represent a "natural colored prey". It's, in a lot of cases, to have the bait "stand out" in the crowd & bring all the attention upon it vs the other prey critters.

[Yaker]

Considering that the only colors available to me, when I first started out Crappie fishing, were black, white, and yellow hair jigs (Doll Fly jig) ... you have a point. BUT, not only can the fish "see" a lure a good ways in muddy water, they can also "feel" its movement (water displacement waves). So, even if they can't see it, they can still home in on it and grab it, if so inclined to do so.

Natural colors are fine, but Crappie don't just eat minnows/Shad ... they'll eat any fish small enough to swallow. They might prefer the soft rayed fish like a minnow, shiner, or Shad ... but, they're not likely to turn down a MadTom Catfish or Bluegill or other panfish fry.

When we use blues, greens, yellows, black, white, pink, orange, or whatever .... it's not totally to represent a "natural colored prey". It's, in a lot of cases, to have the bait "stand out" in the crowd & bring all the attention upon it vs the other prey critters.

Not that I mind one way or the other,catching fish is catching fish,I’m thinking if what you are saying is true,presenting a bright colored lure in a world of natural colored lures is essentially to inducing a couriosity bight.Perhaps it could be similar to an old restaurant offering a new item on the menu to attract more/ new costumers.
I’m a firm believer that dark neutral colors catch more fish in the long term,but also believe brighter colored lures have earned a spot in my tackle box as well........besides,them bright colored combo colored lures sure do look purdy!