Color Pattern Question

[motownhound]

I'm learning my way through another season of Lake Erie walleye. I primarily troll the entire season. I'm looking for any thoughts on what color pattern you follow based on light/water conditions. I try to find something the fish are hitting on and then adjust from there, but that can be time consuming when I just have 2 rods in the water. I'd like to refine my starting point to hopefully find the right pattern sooner. I have read about the following general guidelines;
Definitions First:
Bright light = sunny late morning/midday
Low light = daybreak/dusk and overcast conditions
Clear Water= 3ft or more, easily see my prop
Colored Water = can't easily see my prop
Conditions:
1) Bright light/clear water = silver/chrome metallic or reflective natural bait patterns (also some "ghost"/translucent)
2) Bright light/ colored water = bronze/gold metallic, green, chartreuse, pink, natural bait patterns
3) Low light / clear water = dark colors (black,purple, blue)
4) Low light / colored water = anything that gives a contract in the water

Anyway, thanks for any input!

[ebijack]

What you posted is the basic info most folks start with. But figuring out what bait color and size bait that is best for the water color at that moment (and speed). Using that info can be daunting. And most fisher folks after time find colors and baits that work for them and when.
Experience of what colors are preferred where/when. Let alone what baits and type/shape work best at what time of year in the area's you fish. And all the custom colors, all together can cause alot of time wasted time changing baits and colors. Less actual fishing.
Some basic's would be silver/blue, perch/green, purple/pink early season and into warming waters. Once the water starts to warm up. Into summer, silver/blue, purple/pink can produce better results. Different years, the colors can also change due to what happened to Erie over the past year. Lots of variables.
I'd suggest figure out where/what depth and what speed the fish want first. Then dial in what color produces best. Color would be the last fine adjustment to a successful trolling pattern for the day.
Tomorrow that may very well change.
Some baits work for some, not everyone. Find ones that work well for you and will have confidence in and work with those till you get more experience. Don't go crazy buying alot of baits. Till you get/have more experience. That will save time and money in the long run.
To shorten the learning curve. Take a charter or fish with others. You will learn more in 1 day of fishing with experience than a summers worth of trying to get dialed in on your own. IMHO
There are just so many little things that experienced fisher folks due at any given condition to improve the catch. Those typically don't get mentioned or thought of till someone asks a question. You will be able to do so. Why that color, why the speed, the direction of the trolling path etc that all relate to the conditions at hand. (take notes!)

[itsbob]

Ebjack had a pretty thorough explanation of color and you had some good guidelines in your initial question.Color is usually the least important variable to cat ching fish.Presentation,depth and speed is more important.Most of good fisherman have their go to colors they start with and change them as they fish.When you start ,you want to be covering the water column.I will usually have more lines covering the depth I think will catch fish based on time of year,depth of water and marks on sonar.Colors are ones that have worked good for me in past or info get over radio or reading recent threads.You can go crazy thinking of all the colors you can use,especially with the cranks.Early in the season,with unstable weather and dirty water,fish are in a neutral or negative bite mood.This is where you read of guys only catching fish on a particular type and color crank.When fish are in a positive bite mood color is not as important.