Muddy water pre spawn fishing tips?

[Blake Riggs]

In Alabama muddy water is all their is and I've never fished a pre spawn here before. does anyone have some tips and techniques for me?

[georgeyew]

Chatterbaits work well in muddy waters. Give it a shot.

[HoosierHawgs]

When there are heavy stormfronts that come through in spring, it can really mess things up. The day after a stormfront are usually my worst days so I'm interested to hear answers.

[MainelyBASS]

Double Colorado spinnerbait with some chartreuse in it. Chatterbaits as mentioned, also rattle traps. 

Post spawn, some of the bigger females will have moved out deep and will be tough to catch. The males will stay shallow and guard the fry. Dont be afraid to fish a little deeper than normal.

[fishinfiend]

Where in Alabama?

[Fish the Mitt]

I'd probably clarify whether you're referring to pre or post spawn. Title says post spawn but your post says prespawn.

Regardless, muddy or dirty water means decreased visibility. Taking the visualization out of your presentation, you have to account for other means to attract fish. Noise, vibration, deflection, and heavy water displacement. 

[billgator]

7 hours ago, MainelyBASS said:

Double Colorado spinnerbait with some chartreuse in it. Chatterbaits as mentioned, also rattle traps. 

Post spawn, some of the bigger females will have moved out deep and will be tough to catch. The males will stay shallow and guard the fry. Dont be afraid to fish a little deeper than normal.

More great info! Water clarity notwithstanding, Are those deeper fish typically susceptible to bottom presentations like carolina rigs? I was thinking about dragging a vile craw or zoom speed craw around some deeper rock piles. Also, do you think the full moon on April 22 will be mostly post-spawn fish in north Georgia?

[Nitrofreak]

7 hours ago, SemperBass said:

I'd probably clarify whether you're referring to pre or post spawn. Title says post spawn but your post says prespawn.

Like anywhere, muddy or dirty water means decreased visibility. Taking the visualization out of your presentation, you have to account for other means to attract fish. Noise, vibration, deflection, and heavy water displacement. 

Good stuff in this post, I would include focusing on various areas of structure that normally hold fish during pre/post spawn, rock piles, brush piles in the areas of good structure that the bass use to travel, stage and spawn, muddy water will tend to make the fish cling tight to these small little feature areas when their vision is limited to short distances, if it suddenly muddied up while in some sort of staging pattern it may take a day or two for them to bite unless you can put your presentation right in front of them.

[Fish the Mitt]

21 minutes ago, Nitrofreak said:

Good stuff in this post, I would include focusing on various areas of structure that normally hold fish during pre/post spawn, rock piles, brush piles in the areas of good structure that the bass use to travel, stage and spawn, muddy water will tend to make the fish cling tight to these small little feature areas when their vision is limited to short distances, if it suddenly muddied up while in some sort of staging pattern it may take a day or two for them to bite unless you can put your presentation right in front of them.

Exactly. When vision is inhibited, the bass have to rely more on their lateral line.That's why they tend to stick around cover more and that's why you need a lure that doesn't rely on being seen. 

[trick worms]

Use dark colored , vibrating, loud baits

[TxHawgs]

These guys have pretty much covered it lol. Chatterbaits the spinnerbait mentioned above. Lipless crankbaits, here in Tx on lake Fork the fish are eating crawfish in cold water months before the spawn so everyone throws red lipless crankbaits. Also splitshot senkos in a dark color black with blue or red fleck. And flukes in green pumpkin with the tail dyed chartreuse to mimic bluegill.