As you may have guessed, water clarity, light conditions, and available forage dictate my choice. When the water is clear I prefer skirts in a clear silverflake, clear green, or clear pepper color. I also like to add a few strands of red, blue, or gold to the above. Solid white is also a good choice. In stained water chartreuse and white or chartreuse and blue are solid picks.
Muddy water calls for pure chartreuse or a firetiger pattern.
Of course, at night or on dark, heavily overcast days colors like black or purple work well. I believe in them and I use them. They add color, wiggle and provide bulk. Under most conditions white or pearl-white are my favorite. Chartreuse adds often needed visibility.