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Muddy Water Bass baits
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.
There 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 six 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 seven 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 Cordell, 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 for 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 spinnerbaits 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,a Lucky craft "Sammy", 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 one to four feet deep, eliminating a lot of the water, making them easier to catch!
Jigs:
Jigs in Brown/Black or Blue/Black with a Bearpaws, kid Lizard, 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.
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