Best technique(s) for given situation?

Hello all!

First of all, I wanted to say "thank you" to all who post here - your
informative and insightful messages have been a tremendous help to a novice
like me.

I had a chance on Monday to get out on a local reservoir and wet some lines
and I wonder if my technique for the given conditions could have been MUCH
better.

It was a very bright, sunny day and the temperature was about 92 degrees.
There was a southwesterly wind of about 10 miles an hour and the water was
heavily stained muddy brown - hard to see anything beyond first foot of
depth.

I spent most of the time fishing shady areas along the bank where there was
structure. I was in the shallow end of the reservoir, however, and in the
deepest parts it was probably only 10 feet deep.

I was using nightcrawlers, bee moths, and some Berkely fake nightcrawlers.
I tried a few spinners and a few jigs, but the muddiness of the water seemed
to convince me that scent was most important.

So, all of that said, what would the experts have done differently? I can't
wait to see the different approaches and I thank you all in advance for your
insight!

Best regards!
Mick

Mick,

I would have went bigger and more visible (outside of looking for
clearer water). In muddy water I have good success with most dark
colors (black , black/blue, etc) and probably use Texas Craw colored
jigs most of the time. I usually will opt for a bigger craw trailer
with Chartreuse claws and a good rattle. Strike King Pro-Model Elite are
ok, except the rattles break off very easy. I have had good success
using All-Terrain's version, and have never lost a rattle.

When thinking of off colored water, I wouldn't say a bass would switch
to smell as their primary means of finding food, once they cannot see
well they will tuck into cover and use their lateral line (feel) first
to locate food, and then their vision to zero in.

Also, you could go with a Spinnerbait (same color schemes) with a big
colorado blade, a really good thumper. If you are stuck in those muddy
conditions, I would find cover and use those two baits more than
anything else. It doesn't mean it is the best solution, but it works
for me.

Good luck,

Chris

Mick Haberzetle wrote:
Hello all!

First of all, I wanted to say "thank you" to all who post here - your
informative and insightful messages have been a tremendous help to a novice
like me.

I had a chance on Monday to get out on a local reservoir and wet some lines
and I wonder if my technique for the given conditions could have been MUCH
better.

It was a very bright, sunny day and the temperature was about 92 degrees.
There was a southwesterly wind of about 10 miles an hour and the water was
heavily stained muddy brown - hard to see anything beyond first foot of
depth.

I spent most of the time fishing shady areas along the bank where there was
structure. I was in the shallow end of the reservoir, however, and in the
deepest parts it was probably only 10 feet deep.

I was using nightcrawlers, bee moths, and some Berkely fake nightcrawlers.
I tried a few spinners and a few jigs, but the muddiness of the water seemed
to convince me that scent was most important.

So, all of that said, what would the experts have done differently? I can't
wait to see the different approaches and I thank you all in advance for your
insight!

Best regards!
Mick

I agree with Chris. Muddy water is a low-light fishing condition, and you
approach it in much the same was as night fishing in stained water or
deep-water fishing below the level where little light penetrates. In ultra
clear lakes, finding muddy water sometimes helps you get close to fish, but
in most lakes, if you find your boat in muddy water, move on in search of
water that is not so murky.

If muddy water is all you've got, of course, fishing it is still better than
not fishing at all. I remember one afternoon following heavy rains mid-April
rains when the water in Arkabutla Lake in northern Mississippi and all the
creeks running into it looked like Yoo-hoo chocolate drink (or cafe au lait,
for the Starbucks and New Orleans crowd). Lures and techniques that had
worked the previous week when the water was clearer were useless, so we
started throwing 10-inch black worms back into wave-washed holes in the
bank, under rock ledges, in nooks beneath lay-downs... anywhere a bass might
have holed up. And that was the key. We caught one bass after another for
several hours, many over three pounds.

Here's what I recommend:

Choose a slow moving bait with some sound that draws the attention of nearby
bass. Bass are not going to move far to explore the source of the sound in
muddy water; you have to bring the bait right by where the bass has hunkered
down as it waits for the water to clear up enough for effective foraging.
Cast your bait well past your target and fish up to it.

Remember the sound of the approaching popsicle man's truck on hot July
afternoons when you were a kid? You could hear it from way down the street,
giving you enough time to run in, beg your ma for fifteen cents, and be back
out by the roadside with the other kids by the time the white truck pulled
to a stop in front of your house. Sound and vibration emitted by your bait
are like an approaching popsicle truck to bass. They orient themselves in
order to get the best view of the approaching bait, and when it finally gets
close enough to reveal itself, they're ready to react.

A jig with rattle works well. So does a Texas-rigged ribbon-tail worm or a
4-inch tube jig, provided you include a glass bead or two and a brass
clacker between the hook and slip sinker. Just fish them slowly and at a
steady pace to help the fish locate the source of the ticking produced by
the moving bait.

A slow-moving, fat-bodied, wide-wobbling crankbait with internal bb's that
rattle on the retrieve works, too. A spinnerbait with Indiana or Colorado
blades also puts out a lot of vibration that alerts bass to an approaching
bait.

A black buzzbait on top of the water creates a clearly defined vibration
source and clear silhouette against the lighter sky, too. The burbling,
chattering, chirping noise, churning prop, and trailing spinner blade (in
the Buzzrbait, for instance), can be felt or heard by bass for considerable
distance.

Once the bait is near enough to make out through the murky water, the bass
goes to visual attack mode. The vibrations, clicking, rattling, or chirping
that put it on alert help, but you need to use a bait that's easy for them
to see through the murk, If bass never see the bait, the chances they will
chase it in muddy water are slim. High-contrast colors I've used
successfully in muddy water are black, white, chartreuse, pink, and yellow.

Joe
-------------------------------
"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
.. .
Mick,

I would have went bigger and more visible (outside of looking for
clearer water). In muddy water I have good success with most dark
colors (black , black/blue, etc) and probably use Texas Craw colored
jigs most of the time. I usually will opt for a bigger craw trailer
with Chartreuse claws and a good rattle. Strike King Pro-Model Elite are
ok, except the rattles break off very easy. I have had good success
using All-Terrain's version, and have never lost a rattle.

When thinking of off colored water, I wouldn't say a bass would switch
to smell as their primary means of finding food, once they cannot see
well they will tuck into cover and use their lateral line (feel) first
to locate food, and then their vision to zero in.

Also, you could go with a Spinnerbait (same color schemes) with a big
colorado blade, a really good thumper. If you are stuck in those muddy
conditions, I would find cover and use those two baits more than
anything else. It doesn't mean it is the best solution, but it works
for me.

Good luck,

Chris

Mick Haberzetle wrote:
Hello all!

First of all, I wanted to say "thank you" to all who post here - your
informative and insightful messages have been a tremendous help to a
novice
like me.

I had a chance on Monday to get out on a local reservoir and wet some
lines
and I wonder if my technique for the given conditions could have been MUCH
better.

It was a very bright, sunny day and the temperature was about 92 degrees.
There was a southwesterly wind of about 10 miles an hour and the water was
heavily stained muddy brown - hard to see anything beyond first foot of
depth.

I spent most of the time fishing shady areas along the bank where there
was
structure. I was in the shallow end of the reservoir, however, and in the
deepest parts it was probably only 10 feet deep.

I was using nightcrawlers, bee moths, and some Berkely fake nightcrawlers.
I tried a few spinners and a few jigs, but the muddiness of the water
seemed
to convince me that scent was most important.

So, all of that said, what would the experts have done differently? I
can't
wait to see the different approaches and I thank you all in advance for
your
insight!

Best regards!
Mick

Hi Mick! Think bulk in those conditions, and noise. A big, rattlin jig or
thumpin spinnerbait would be my 1st choices. A Secret Weapon "mud burger"
would be my 1st bait of choice.

Warren


the
"Mick Haberzetle" wrote in message
...
Hello all!

First of all, I wanted to say "thank you" to all who post here - your
informative and insightful messages have been a tremendous help to a
novice like me.

I had a chance on Monday to get out on a local reservoir and wet some
lines and I wonder if my technique for the given conditions could have
been MUCH better.

It was a very bright, sunny day and the temperature was about 92 degrees.
There was a southwesterly wind of about 10 miles an hour and the water was
heavily stained muddy brown - hard to see anything beyond first foot of
depth.

I spent most of the time fishing shady areas along the bank where there
was structure. I was in the shallow end of the reservoir, however, and in
the deepest parts it was probably only 10 feet deep.

I was using nightcrawlers, bee moths, and some Berkely fake nightcrawlers.
I tried a few spinners and a few jigs, but the muddiness of the water
seemed to convince me that scent was most important.

So, all of that said, what would the experts have done differently? I
can't wait to see the different approaches and I thank you all in advance
for your insight!

Best regards!
Mick

Guys,

Thank you! I really appreciate your time. I am now looking forward to when
I can get back out there and try out the "bigger and noisier lure"
technique!

I may have a chance to fish on the Ohio River this weekend. Now I have to
wonder what would be best for THAT kind of situation. I know of a creek
that empties into the River and may target that area specifically. Outside
of that, I have no ideas!

Thanks again guys, you make this newsgroup great!
Mick
"Mick Haberzetle" wrote in message
...
Hello all!

First of all, I wanted to say "thank you" to all who post here - your
informative and insightful messages have been a tremendous help to a
novice like me.

I had a chance on Monday to get out on a local reservoir and wet some
lines and I wonder if my technique for the given conditions could have
been MUCH better.

It was a very bright, sunny day and the temperature was about 92 degrees.
There was a southwesterly wind of about 10 miles an hour and the water was
heavily stained muddy brown - hard to see anything beyond first foot of
depth.

I spent most of the time fishing shady areas along the bank where there
was structure. I was in the shallow end of the reservoir, however, and in
the deepest parts it was probably only 10 feet deep.

I was using nightcrawlers, bee moths, and some Berkely fake nightcrawlers.
I tried a few spinners and a few jigs, but the muddiness of the water
seemed to convince me that scent was most important.

So, all of that said, what would the experts have done differently? I
can't wait to see the different approaches and I thank you all in advance
for your insight!

Best regards!
Mick