I'd say blade size and shape is more important than color. Big blades move more water than smaller blades therefore giving off more vibration. Willow blades can be trolled faster than colorado blades. I like a number 4 or 5 tandom blade myself for summer trolling. Color? Well I have done great on one color all day and get to the dock and talk with another fisherman that did good all day on a completely different color pattern. I like watermelon and copper, or a purplish pink color. Goby color was a hot seller for a couple yrs. I like a silver when you get those full sun cloudless days where the sun is really penetrating the water depth. The biggest thing is to get the bait where the fish are and keep it there. I've also noticed that usually my biggest fish took a stickbait. But I catch more fish on harnesses. As far as sticks go there are so many variants and colors. Most of which I think color is to attract the people buying them and not the fish. Ha ha. But in summer use 5 to 6 in. Slender sticks. Jointed or straight. Color in clown, fire tiger, or silver and black, blue, or purple. On cloudy dreary days I use gold everything or an off color. Speed is something you have to figure out. Some days the fish want it slow. (1.5-1.8) somedays they want it fast(2.1-2.8). You'll have to experiment. I also have at least 2 or more of everything I use. So if fish are hitting only the outside lines in a turn I know they want it fast. And if I get 2 or more fish on one particular color or bait, all the lines get switched to or close to what that bait or color was. Just keep reading this board for tips on where to fish. Once you put that first fish in the boat and you can keep doing duplicating how you did it, the rest will just fall into place. Also keeping a journal of ur fishing days will help you. You can go back and look at times, weather, water temp. And see if there is a pattern to fish or no fish caught. Get a good topo map of the lake. So you know where all the reefs, humps, dips and deep water are. Wow see what happens when I can't fish? I start writing novels lol.