Nothing ruins the occasional
fishing trip more than driving a long distance to your favorite spot, only
to find out it’s been raining for the last few weeks and the water is the
color of Chocolate milk! Many years ago, I was like most weekend anglers,
and would immediately try to find another lake or river that might be a little
more clear, or just turn around and go home. But I found over the last 20
years, that it isn’t necessary to give up so quickly on muddy water.
T
here are many times when a creek arm, or a certain portion of the lake or
river isn’t as muddy, or there is a transition zone where it goes from muddy
to stained, which can be a good area, but, even if there is no clearer water,
there are many things you can do. Most gamefish react the same way to muddy
water, they go shallow and they move closer to structure. This could mean
a lot of different types of structure, such as brushpiles, laydowns, rocks,
stump fields, pads on shallow flats, anything! When the bas are holding tight
to cover, because of low visibility, the lure presentations sometimes need
to be precise, such as when flipping a log or tree roots with a jig. Bellow
are the 6 basic choices you should have rigged for fishing muddy waters.
Plastic Worms:
I know this sounds like a strange choice, but a lot of times when bass are
holding real tight to cover, a larger, bulkier worm, with some rattle inserted,
possibly with a paddle tail, worked real close in the cover, can work well.
I used a black or a black/red combination in muddy water. I also use the
new Big 7 inch Senko that is out now, and drop it right into heavier cover.
I have been using the new Cut-Tail worm for this also.
Vibrating Rattlers:
These baits such as the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, Cotton Bordell, Diamond Shad,
or the Rattlin’ Rapalas, are excellent choices for probing different depths
of muddy water, and where muddy changes to stained. The noise and vibrations
of these baits, along with a realistic shad shape, make these great baits
and stained to muddy water.
Crankbaits:
I use a lot of the real fat bodied crankbaits in muddy water. I choose different
baits with a wide wobble, and sometimes rattles. I usually stay with darker
colors with red in muddy water. These colors with a wide wobble, are easier
for bass to find.
Spinnerbaits:
The bass will be using their lateral line more in the muddy water, so a spinnerbait
with a heavy pulse such as a Terminator night bait, with a black skirt, and
Colorado blade, is a perfect choice. You could even add rattles to this bait,
which I have had success with in the muddy rivers and lakes in the Northeast.
I always use a single Colorado blade on the spinner baits in muddy water,
but in stained, or warmer stained water, I do go to an Oklahoma Blade sometimes
with good results.
Topwaters:
These are my favorite baits to use in muddy water. There are so many baits
that shallow, muddy water bass will hit! The buzzbait worked slowly around
cover will draw tremendous strikes. The walking type baits, such as a Zara
Spook, and Fenwick walking baits, Jitterbugs, Crazy Crawlers, and a variety
of other topwaters, including poppers with rattles, are excellent and exciting
choices for muddy water bass. The bass will all be in water that is 1-4 feet
deep, eliminating a lot of the water, making them easier to catch!
Jigs:
Jigs in Brown/Black or Blue/Black with a Zoom or uncle Josh trailer, with
some rattles, are an excellent choice to flip into laydowns, and shallow
stump fields, and of course on docks. Make repeated casts to give them a
good look and provoke them.
If you stick with these baits and methods the next time you run into muddy
water, you will never be afraid to see it again. It will become a friend,
as it has become to me.
More
Articles
Steve vonBrandt
Delaware
Bass Fishing
