Clear Water Lures

[bassboy13]

What lures do you guys throw in extremely clear water. the pond i fish i can see about 7+ feet straight down and i like to throw a lot of spinnerbaits and topwaters.

 

What do you guys use in very clear water?

[BronzeChaser]

I really like 4" wacky rigged senko. Or a shaky head

[Chuck D]

Time of day, light conditions, and wind conditions dictate a lot of what to throw as well as what time of year it is.

 

Yes, you can throw blades in clear water very successfully if the forage is shad or you can get a SB set up to mimic a blue gill.  The key I have found is that you need a little wind in clear water to disguise the bait some as the fish can see it and it's not natural so they won't hit it if it's slack/still water much of the time in which case I'll go to soft plastics or possibly small swim baits.  If the water is warmer and you choose a blade consider "burning" it back to you or reeling it ultra fast and stalling it now and then to "flare" the skirt.  This does not give the fish much of a look and forces them to make a go/no go decision on biting it quickly and you are appealing to a predator so often times that reaction strike will come when something goes ripping by them even if they are in a neutral mood (See KVD on why he dominates in tough conditions and can literally make fish bite that otherwise would not).

 

I've found that downsizing bait size & line size/diameter in clear water works well for me here on my home lake which is typically very clear and is VERY heavily pressured.  The other key ingredients to me in clear water are 1) Long casts for stealth purposes, and 2) Florocarbon line or as a leader for line sensitive fish (and ours absolutely are here barring pre spawn when they'll bite anything), 3) fishing the shade or an "edge" like a grass line, a dock, a shady undercut of a bank, etc.  Bass are predators and they like to hide and ambush prey so your clear water bait needs to be in the strike zone first in order to get bit.   Don't be afraid to crash your baits in to the cover either and force them to react; this works great with blades in clear water.

 

Slack water, high blue bird skies, and crystal clear water you'd find me fishing soft plastics nearly all of the time other than Fall when I won't put a topwater bait down.  I prefer drop shots, shakey heads, and nail weighted senkos in natural colors like green pumpkin, watermelon black flake, purple/brown combos, etc and I'll usually keep the bait on the bottom in still water and very close to the cover to entice one to come & get it.

[ww2farmer]

What lures do you guys throw in extremely clear water. the pond i fish i can see about 7+ feet straight down and i like to throw a lot of spinnerbaits and topwaters.

 

What do you guys use in very clear water?

7 feet of clarity..................wow that's pretty dirty LOL. We have had 15-20 feet of clarity hear almost all spring, and then over night, thanks to an alge bloom it will go to zero. I fish the same things all year long. Top water and jerkbaits (both soft and hard) are great choices in clear water.