How to fish these conditions...

[keltonz]

BR - I went fishing this past weekend and got skunked so bad. I was fishing a shallow bay off a tidal river. Grass has been growing in. Water was ultra muddy (<6" of visibility), mid 70s temperature, very sunny. I got no bites all day. There were a few tournaments out of some of the launches, and I know fish were caught. I tried: chatterbait and spinnerbait along weedlines, around submerged wood - lipless over grass - jigs under docks, etc. etc. but nothing! How would you approach the situation?

[WRB]

What was the water temps?

Tom

[Hyrule Bass]

firetiger color in something that makes noise. also, sometimes you just get skunked. if the fish aint there or hungry then you aint catching them

[BrianinMD]

Which bay off of the potomac?

 

 

[Choporoz]

and which day? 

 

Friday was completely different from Saturday and both were different than Sunday...the only consistency was a relatively 'soft' bite -- hooksets have been a bit of a challenge the past week -- they spit it faster than you can set it, oftentimes --and even when I've had them coming in, I've lost more fish the past few days than I can remember.  Most success came when I crawled lure as slow I as I could stand

[keagbassr]

Was heading in last thurs. I found them hitting a double buzz in dirty water  over shallow grass. And they were finding it in a pretty good chop with bright sun.

[Bankbeater]

When the water is really brown I like to use a red or orange rat-l-trap.

[Armtx77]

6 hours ago, keltonz said:

BR - I went fishing this past weekend and got skunked so bad. I was fishing a shallow bay off a tidal river. Grass has been growing in. Water was ultra muddy (<6" of visibility), mid 70s temperature, very sunny. I got no bites all day. There were a few tournaments out of some of the launches, and I know fish were caught. I tried: chatterbait and spinnerbait along weedlines, around submerged wood - lipless over grass - jigs under docks, etc. etc. but nothing! How would you approach the situation?

Im assuming the bay is tidal as well?

 

Falling or rising tide and of course, at what rate?

 

I got skunked a bunch my first year fishing tidal waters. A very humbling experience, especially when your local wife does not see fish in the cooler...talking about rubbing salt on a guys wounds.

[WRB]

Water temps help to nail down seasonal period transitions like post spawn to summer.

Tidal rivers are especially complex eccosystems as the bass schedule feeding activity on the water movement.

if the bass are transitioning from pre spawn they are more aggressive then pre spawners that usually will not chase the moving lures being used with the exception of the jigs and those may have been falling too fast to get a strike.

Tom

[Boomstick]

A red colored lipless crank might be effective, especially if the water temp is below 60 where you are.

[keltonz]

23 hours ago, WRB said:

What was the water temps?

Tom

 

3 hours ago, Boomstick said:

A red colored lipless crank might be effective, especially if the water temp is below 60 where you are.

Water was mid 70s. Air temp was high 80s.

[Boomstick]

41 minutes ago, keltonz said:

 

Water was mid 70s. Air temp was high 80s.

The lipless crank may still work but I would also try a squarebill in that case. Also as others said, don't forget about soft plastics as well.

[WRB]

More then likely post spawn transition, the smaller males could be aggressive, the females not so much.

Slower presentations like a Senko or nail weight worm that falls slower staying in the strike zone may be a good choice. Find the spawning areas and fish just outside on the deeper breaks.

Tom 

[bhoff]

Chatterbait or spinnerbait with colorado blades would be my best guess, given the fact that there is low visibility and grass.