Clear. You can see well down into the water. Fish get a long, careful look, so they can be picky. Lean on natural, true-to-life colors.
Light stain. A slight green or tea tint, still mostly see-through. Naturals still shine, and you can start adding a little contrast.
Stained. Noticeably colored, with visibility down to a foot or less. Fish read the profile more than fine detail, so darker colors and a bright accent start to win.
Muddy. Chocolate-milk dirty, usually after rain or wind. Fish can barely see and hunt by feel, so go dark for a bold silhouette or bright/glow to get found, and add sound or scent.

Light & weather the columns

Bright sun. High, clear sky with lots of light in the water. Fish see everything, so give them realistic naturals that hold up to a close look.
Partly cloudy. Sun and clouds trading off. A little less light and a little less caution, still a naturals game with room to go bolder.
Overcast. Flat, gray light with less glare and less penetration. Fish roam and feed but see less detail, so more opaque colors that show a clean outline do better.
Night / low light. Dawn, dusk, or full dark. Almost no light, so fish key on silhouette and vibration. Dark solids for a bold outline, or bright and glow colors around dock lights.

Color families the cell color

Natural / Translucent: Imitates. The goal of natural and translucent baits is to look like real food. These colors mimic the look of actual baitfish, worms, and other forage, so a fish that can see the bait thinks it's the real thing and decides it's edible. This is why it's the go-to color family in clearer water and calmer light, where fish get a good look.
Dark Silhouette: Outlines. The function of a dark bait is to give a bold, opaque profile a fish can pick out against the brighter surface above it, or in the murky view around it, when the water's dirty or the light's low. A dark silhouette isn't trying to be the spitting image of any particular animal. The goal is to be findable.
Bright / Glow: Attracts. Chartreuse and baits infused with glow aim to be seen when nothing else can be. It's pure high-visibility, enough to tempt a hungry or curious fish, or trigger a reaction strike, when the water's too dirty or dark for anything subtle to work.

Weather on the day beyond the chart

The chart above sets your color by water and light. These are the weather wild cards: they shift how the fish are biting and where they're likely positioned, not necessarily which color or style bait you use. Use this chart in addition to the Sweets Sixteen charts to maximize your catches.

Before a storm. As a front rolls in and the pressure drops, fish often go on the feed. It's one of the best windows there is, so fish faster, cover water, and expect aggressive bites right up until it hits.
After a cold front. The bluebird sky that follows is the flip side: high sun, high pressure, and tight-lipped fish pinned to cover. Slow down, downsize, fish close to structure, and lean on subtle, natural colors.
Rain and runoff. Rain dirties the water and pulls fish shallow and toward the current where it pours in. Bump up your contrast like the muddy row, and fish the moving water. A warm summer rain can flip a slow bite on.
Cold snaps and winter. Cold water slows fish way down. They hold deeper, feed in short windows, and want a slow, small, natural bait. Fish the warmest part of the day, once the sun has had time to work the shallows.
Dog-day heat. In a heat wave, fish slide deep or bury in shade through the bright hours. Your best bite is early morning, last light, and after dark. Midday, hunt shade, moving water, and cooler deep spots.
Wind. A little wind is a gift. It scatters the light, stacks bait against the bank it blows into, and gets fish feeding, so fish that windblown shore. Too much just makes it hard to cast and feel the bite.