Best Lure/technique For Windy Conditions And Muddy Water

[toddwchandler]

For the most part, this spring has yielded clear water and the temps have been in the 60's and 70s for most of the spring.  I've had some success fishing with plastics and at times, buzzbaits.

 

Lately, after some heavy rains in the last couple of weeks, the water is really muddy with little visibility.  In addition, the wind has been pretty strong lately (10-15 MPH on Sunday).  I am struggling with finding the right combination for these windy conditions and a choppy water surface.  I pulled one large mouth out on Sunday with a lipless crank bait, but otherwise had very little success.

 

Any suggestions for what to use in these windy conditions and muddy water?

 

TC

[Charness0001]

I faced similar conditions this past Saturday, they was tearing up a 1/2 chartreuse spinnerbait. The chartreuse is easier for them to see in the muddier water and the spinnerbait is a good wind lure I think

[Korben]

I'll echo Charncess a little. I like the really loud colors for muddy water Chartreuse is one of my favorites (maybe black in the right situations). I will throw a pretty big Chartreuse spinner with double blades or a 1/4-1/2 ounce Chartreuse Shad Rattle Trap and try to find what depth they are suspending and adjust from there.  

[toddwchandler]

Well, I took a little trip over to Dick's Sporting Goods on my lunch break.  My original intent was to come away with a chartreuse spinnerbait, which I did.  You will see it pictured.  Is that something like what you guys were referring to?

 

 

 

While I was there, as always, I found a couple of other things that were on clearance.  I have attached pictures of those as well to get some feedback on the proper conditions for using them.  One is a very natural colored spinnerbait with greens and browns.  The other is a spinnerbait with some whites and blues in it.  Curious about the best water conditions for these two.

[SwampLife]

Middle one looks like a bluegill color.. Good for dark water or when there's blue gill in the area you are fishing..

The bottom one looks like a sexy shad color...

If spinnerbaits aren't working.. Try chatterbaits or any bladed jig.. Or get some swim jigs...

You really can't go wrong with a Texas rig. With a creature bait either

[MichBassMan]

I would also suggest a chartreuse or black spinner bait, however in dirty or muddy water I generally use a single large Colorado blade or dual Colorado blades for more vibration and water displacement. Also Colorado blades allow you to retrieve it slower giving the bass time to "zero" in on it in the muddy water. I use the willow leaf baits in clearer water and for a faster flashy retrieve. Good luck !

[daddyrule4]

All i seem to fish is muddy waters and i have the most success with dark colored soft plastics and jigs. Most productive colors for me seem to be green pumpkin, black/red, and black/blue. On windy days i fish em t-rigged with a heavy weight dragging and slowly bouncing off the bottom, i only use chartreuse colors when using a crankbait.

[papajoe222]

I would also suggest a chartreuse or black spinner bait, however in dirty or muddy water I generally use a single large Colorado blade or dual Colorado blades for more vibration and water displacement. Also Colorado blades allow you to retrieve it slower giving the bass time to "zero" in on it in the muddy water. I use the willow leaf baits in clearer water and for a faster flashy retrieve. Good luck !

X2 and don't forget a trailer hook.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Don't underestimate topwater baits when you're faced with these conditions. A popper or a buzzbait can be useful when visibility and wind are bad. Some of my best buzzbait fish have come during a brisk 25mph wind.

[floridabassman]

A spinnerbait will work good. Try fishing a weightless fluke topwater.

[GaBankFisher]

I like a dark colored plastic worm, t-rigged. Maybe go a little larger than the standard 7.5in worm if the water is really muddy.

[JOHN JONES]

For me here in FL Im throwing the strike king red eye Shad in bluegill,fire tiger,and sexy sunfish or I always lean back on my Huddleston weedless minnow or shad both swimbaits and brother they catch em. Now if that fails ill tie on a strike king midnight magic spinnerbait with big blade or chartreuse diablo spinnerbait hope this helps......but check out the Huddleston they work great

[Lip 'em!]

Like others have said, use baits that draw alot of attention and move alot of water. Black, chartruese and red are good muddy water colors. A red spinnerbait with gold blades can be killer at times as well as a red craw colored crankbait. I wouldnt throw out a black spook or buzzbait either if you wanna throw a topwater.

[toddwchandler]

Chartreuse spinner landed one tonight. Thanks for the tip!

[martintheduck]

Chartreuse spinner landed one tonight. Thanks for the tip!

 I bought the same chartreuse spinner just 2 days ago...guess what?!?!?! The big blade broke off on the second cast. Just a heads up, mine was a piece of junk! Not at all what I expected from SK

[Swamp Johnny]

I would also suggest a chartreuse or black spinner bait, however in dirty or muddy water I generally use a single large Colorado blade or dual Colorado blades for more vibration and water displacement. Also Colorado blades allow you to retrieve it slower giving the bass time to "zero" in on it in the muddy water. I use the willow leaf baits in clearer water and for a faster flashy retrieve. Good luck !

 

 

I agree with a black, black/red, black/brown Spinnerbait. Single Colorado. For extra vibration push a double-tailed Grub on the trailer hook. (You should always use a trailer hook, esp in muddy/stained water).

 

Another option?? Try a Berkley Havoc Grass Pig in Black/Blue Silver or Black. Use an Owner weighted (1/8 OZ) Twistlock 5/0. Swim baits can work esp well in muddy/stained water because you never "really" know whats in the water- causing less problems with snags (even less than with a Spinnerbait) allowing you to fish thick weeds and open water equally.

 

Hope this helps?

[toddwchandler]

I found something very interesting at Dick's Sporting Goods the other day when shopping for spinnerbaits.  I was noticing that there were a ton of spinnerbaits with the skirts missing.  These were the Strikeking/Dick's co-branded spinnerbaits. I found one white one that the skirt was still on and bought it.  The first time I used it, the skirt came off in the water.

 

I returned what was left of the spinnerbait and they refunded my money with no problem.  I walked back upstairs to the fishing department to ask what was going on with all of those spinnerbaits and why all the skirts were coming off of them. This particular Dick's store is a big two story store with windows all the way up the front side of the store.  The guy in the fishing department pointed out to me how the sun comes in that front window and hits right on where those spinnerbaits are displayed for the better part of the day.  He said that the sun is breaking down the bands that hold the skirts on to the heads of the spinnerbaits.

 

Now why in the hell they wouldn't move the display if they know this is a problem, I have no idea.  But it did teach me two things:

 

1.  Don't buy any of my spinnerbaits at that particular Dick's Sporting Goods store

2.  Minimize the exposure of those spinnerbaits to sunlight when out fishing

 

I am honestly not really sure that those Strikeking/Dicks co-branded lures are really true Strikeking quality.  They are really not all that expensive, so I buy them anyway, but they do seem to be a little on the cheap side.

[Swamp Johnny]

I found something very interesting at Dick's Sporting Goods the other day when shopping for spinnerbaits.  I was noticing that there were a ton of spinnerbaits with the skirts missing.  These were the Strikeking/Dick's co-branded spinnerbaits. I found one white one that the skirt was still on and bought it.  The first time I used it, the skirt came off in the water.

 

I returned what was left of the spinnerbait and they refunded my money with no problem.  I walked back upstairs to the fishing department to ask what was going on with all of those spinnerbaits and why all the skirts were coming off of them. This particular Dick's store is a big two story store with windows all the way up the front side of the store.  The guy in the fishing department pointed out to me how the sun comes in that front window and hits right on where those spinnerbaits are displayed for the better part of the day.  He said that the sun is breaking down the bands that hold the skirts on to the heads of the spinnerbaits.

 

Now why in the hell they wouldn't move the display if they know this is a problem, I have no idea.  But it did teach me two things:

 

1.  Don't buy any of my spinnerbaits at that particular Dick's Sporting Goods store

2.  Minimize the exposure of those spinnerbaits to sunlight when out fishing

 

I am honestly not really sure that those Strikeking/Dicks co-branded lures are really true Strikeking quality.  They are really not all that expensive, so I buy them anyway, but they do seem to be a little on the cheap side.

 

 

Go to the store and speak to the manager. Tell him you'll buy all of them for $60-$100,  (depending on how many is there). Make sure your getting them for around  $1.00 - $1.50 a piece, (which is usually the cost on those) WHY? Why would you want them all?

 

You can easily tie some 10LB diameter Power Pro around the skirts, (which will permanently secure the skirt) and then have a BUNCH of excellent Spinnerbait's. OR you can buy replacement Skirts.

 

I was a manager at a Sports Authority years ago and you'd be surprised how badly they want to get rid of "defective" tackle. (Esp tackle that became defective because of the STORES fault not the distributor or manaufacter) 

 

 One mans trash is another mans treasure.....a little elbow grease and ingenuity and VIOLA! You got something booyah for cheap!

 

(If they were Titanium-wired or Super Stainless I might drive there myself and pick them up!!!! lol)

 

Hope this helps ya?

[ColdSVT]

good tips on color!

OP try to figure oit which shore has recieved the most wind. usually sustained winds over a few days will blow baitfish up to that shore