Muddy Water Help

[bassacre]

I just bought a house on a pond and the water is a lot muddier than the water in the pond behind the house I used to live in. Ive stuck a tape measure in the water and I have only got about 6 to 8 inches of visibility. Ive heard there are large carp in it (Ive heard they contribute to muddy water?) and the waters max depth is about 10 feet. Any suggestions on how I should be fishing it and what lures or color selection I should stick with? Any help would be appreciated.

[bucky]

I think I would try a spinnerbait with a single large Colorado blade in a dark color, a black/blue jig with zoom pro chunk trailer, or a crankbait with lots of wobble. I don't fish muddy water often, but when I do this is what I use. Perhaps others with more experience can give you some help. Good luck.

[BassObsessed]

Try a chatterbait in chart/white or black/blue and some rattling crankbaits.

[fishballer06]

Noisy topwater lures (buzzbait, poppers, jitterbugs, Pompadour), and then maybe some squarebill or lipless crankbaits in brighter colors (white, chartruese) or maybe try the dark colors as well (blacks and browns). 

[Ozark_Basser]

^^^^All those are good suggestions. One thing I would add is to fish tight to where the fish are holding. More often times than not, this will be the bank in ponds unless there is some sort of cover away from the bank they could use. I'd cast parallel to the banks. My first choice in muddy water is a chatterbait with a paddle tail trailer, but contrary to popular belief, soft plastics will work fine in muddy water as long as you fish them slower and tight to cover.

[Penguino]

Fish soft plastics around the edges of the pond. My first choice would be a t-rigged worm fished slowy around the edges.

[gulfcaptain]

your 6-8" of vis isn't that bad.  Muddy to me is 3-4", chocolate milk water.  The bass that there more then likely live shallow, I wouldn't rule out shallow cranks and rattle traps. Have several ponds with that visability and they have no problem finding the baits.  Fish darker color jigs.....black and blue would be a great choice. You can swim or drag them.

[K_Mac]

All of the above are good choices. In muddy conditions I will always pitch or flip heavy cover in shallow water, even in extreme weather conditions-hot or cold. A dark jig or t-rigged plastic with or without a rattle would be my choice. Conventional wisdom says larger/louder is better; I have found that is not always the best. One of my best days ever was in very hot, and muddy shallow water pitching a t-rigged Smallie Beaver on a light weight (3/16 oz). My point is there are many ways to catch fish in all conditions. Good luck.

[Senko lover]

Rat'LTraps and noisy square bills (like the Storm Arashi Square), spinnerbaits with a colorado blade, and darker soft plastics like blue/black/red. 

[bonzai22]

One of the lakes I fish got a lot of rain last year and got really muddied up. I caught fish pitching a brush hog around shallow cover. A big bait usually helps them to locate it and rattles would help too.

[bassacre]

Today I was pitching a black and blue jig with a paca chunk trailer close to shore and had a big bass on for about 10 seconds. I appreciate the help everybody! 

[Ozark_Basser]

Today I was pitching a black and blue jig with a paca chunk trailer close to shore and had a big bass on for about 10 seconds. I appreciate the help everybody!

Don't be afraid to cross their eyes when setting the hook on a jig. I see a big bass in your future. Good job.

[Mainebass1984]

 I have had a lot of luck in muddy lakes and ponds where tributaries bring in clearer water. Where these two different water clarities mix is an excellent ambush area.

[Ozark_Basser]

I have had a lot of luck in muddy lakes and ponds where tributaries bring in clearer water. Where these two different water clarities mix is an excellent ambush area.

I don't come across this sort of situation often, but I did last weekend. Got a bite fishing parallel to the break with a chatterbait.

[scaleface]

If that is the normal water color just fish it normally. Bass know their environment   . You could use a clear worm and the bass would know its there .

[Catch and Grease]

A chartreuse/black back squarebill can be killer in places like that, especially this time of year!

[Catt]

Bass in off-colored water are lateral line feeders so you would water lures that move a lot of water or lures with rattles or lures with both.

My jig would be a Lunker Lure's Tripple Rattle Back, black/brown//amber with a Rage Lobster in Fallcon Lake Craw. Crawfish & bait fish in off- colored water will be lighter in color.