Muddy Water Bass'n 101

Unless you are residing in another country you have probably been experiencing a LOT of rain lately. Especially the central and eastern sections of the country. All that water runoff from the sparsely planted winter fields results in a lot of silt and mud feeding into creeks and rivers and ultimately ends up in reservoirs and lakes. That can make for some tough fishing however there are techniques and lure choices that can improve your odds.

Let’s start with what to look for in chasing muddy water bass. Visibility obviously is extremely limited during periods of muddy water runoff. Bass prefer an ambush point to make their hunt more efficient instead of blindly searching around. Rocks, brushpiles, and bridge pylons are good choices. Any structure that causes an eddy pocket of calm water next to moving water is a good bet. Passageways like ditches leading into flats, drainage pipes, culverts and causeway openings are also good.

The key to fishing water that is dirty is to have either sound, vibration or bright colors and if possible, all of the above. Now is a good time to throw big Colorado bladed spinnerbaits. Most people choose white or chartreuse colored skirts. Bladed vibrating jigs like chatterbaits produce the vibration needed for a bass to lock in and track down his meal. Soft plastics with a lot of bulk can be pitched in and around heavy cover for the ambush feeders. Add a rattle if necessary to your soft plastics to add the sound factor. Squarebill cranks in bright orange or chartreuse can be worked along riprap and provide vibration and color needed in these situations.

Just because the water is muddy doesn’t have to mean poor fishing if you can adapt and as my old friend, Tom Mann would say…Think like a fish.

Please be sure to check back in with us next Tuesday for more tips from our expert staff and pro staff around the country.