Favorite Stained Water Techniques, Lures And Colors...12-18" Visibility 4-6' Deep

[primetime]

I was curious to see what colors and techniques you like to use when facing stained/muddy water with the best visibility being 18" but overall the lake is in the 8-12" range, bottom is mostly soft with some areas having firm bottom and is a good mix of surface weeds, pads, and open water. Some of the lake has emerging weeds that grow a few feet from the surface and it is all productive weed growth that holds Fish in all areas.

 

I know some like Bright colors while other's like the darker black and blue or laminate/two tone colors, rattles, etc.

 

 I am curious as to what colors and types of soft baits and lures people would choose in a situation like this.....I have the itch to buy some new tackle so all advice is appreciated.

 

I have noticed that using the Tube of Megastrike on both soft baits and hardbaits seems to help even more in muddy water which makes sense.

[Ozark_Basser]

A white chatterbait is probably at the top of my list for stained water. A chartreuse and black squarebill and red lipless cranks are up there too. Black and blue jigs pitched to heavy cover can work well also.

[fishballer06]

Chartruese rat-l-trap

[smalljaw67]

Lipless crankbait, square bill in chartreuse with black back, big jigs and topwater when the temp is right.

[bassin is addicting]

good answers above..

my favorite texas rigged plastic is a Zoom Speedcraw in Junebug. that has been my no. 1 producer in muddy stained water.

[primetime]

I have not thrown a trap yet, but that is for sure going to be on my line next time out. I love throwing lipless cranks, I have been focusing on the heavy cover with jigs and plastics and I have done well with a chatterbait but I have not tried white, although I know a lot of people like white in that color water...The black and chartreuse pattern has been working well in both topwater, jigs, and plastics....I was thinking a brass and glass Carolina rig with a big senko or sluggo...

[Bluebasser86]

A dark colored bladed jig or a dark colored jig are my go to baits in dirty water. Sometimes I'll mix in a squarebill as well. 

[shanksmare]

I would use a single spin spinnerbait in the 1/4 - 1/2 oz range in chartreuse/white or golden shiner color. I would be using a large colorado blade preferably in hammered copper or gold finish. I would fish it slowly with a stop and go action.

[scaleface]

I fish water with that little visibility  " green tint "   most of the time , minus the vegetation  . Thats  normal in Northern Missouri .I dont necessarily  go bright and noisy .  I use rattleless cranks more times than not.. The bass know the bait is there and  rattles are not needed. I also like cranks that have a tighter wiggle. Yellow , bluegill , perch , gold foil are good colors .Some good cranks are tight wiggling Rebel Wee  R's and Deep Wee R's ,  Rapala Fat Raps ,  Shad Raps ,  and particularly Rogers shallow diving Big Jims .  Spinnerbaits are so popular here that the bite dies in spring but a lot of anglers keep throwing them trying to force bass to eat them  With spinnerbaits I go smaller with less visibility    . A single gold # 4 willowleaf blade and yellow "not chartreuse" skirt is a good bait after the bite gets tough due to fishing pressure  .Top waters are good , particularly buzzbaits in bad weather.A Bomber Long A with silver flash insert is good choice for bigger fish . All jigs and soft plastics work.. Night time fishing is often great in summer. 

 

Secret weapon. Heddon Perch colored Bayou Boogie "rattleless" of course.

[eyedabassman]

A dark jig and after that a dark jig!!!!! Buy if I get bored and want to cover alot of water then a spinnerbait with big blades or a rattle trap.