First time fishing clear water, any tips?

[RenzokukenFisher]

I recently bought a fishing kayak and have a trip planned in a few days on a clear water fishery. 10ft+ visibility. Weather is looking like clear skies and low wind. I've only ever been a pond bank fisherman so I have way more confidence in dirty water than I do clear. Big jigs, big spinnerbaits, big creatures baits are my usual, connected to 15-20lb mono leaders.

 

What should I try using in clear water? I have some underspins, small t-rigged craw and worms, smaller spinnerbaits, would those work?

[NYWayfarer]

Worms and craws will work in clear water. That’s all I fish.

Make sure they are in natural colors like Green Pumpkin.

[Bird]

All the lakes I fish are tropical clear.

 

Use a fluorocarbon leader in 8 - 10# and use natural colors........Ned rigs, drop shot, creature baits and baby brush hogs work on the lakes I fish.

 

Not into the science but on cloudy days I've found nothing to beat a pearl or white suspending Jerkbait in clear water, pre-spawn. 

 

Enjoy yourself. 

[A-Jay]

Hard to say, general consensus may be to consider

down sizing your presentations a bit, make long casts, stay off the structure, cover & fish more than  perhaps you're used to, and remember the fish will be getting a very good look at your bait.

Calm can be tough, some wind is usually better, and if the conditions allow it, a little speed might not be a bad thing.

Otherwise break out the Ned rig and the Drop shot.

Good Luck.

A-Jay

[MickD]

As above + whites, naturals, not dark.  Think ghost.

 

[Jigfishn10]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

Hard to say, general consensus may be to consider

down sizing your presentations a bit, make long casts, stay off the structure, cover & fish more than  perhaps you're used to, and remember the fish will be getting a very good look at your bait.

Calm can be tough, some wind is usually better, and if the conditions allow it, a little speed might not be a bad thing.

Otherwise break out the Ned rig and the Drop shot.

Good Luck.

A-Jay

A-Jay is a little more eloquent than I am. So Ditto ?

[A-Jay]

1 minute ago, Jigfishn10 said:

A-Jay is a little more eloquent than I am. So Ditto ?

If you only knew . . .

?

A-Jay

[Jigfishn10]

3 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

If you only knew . . .

?

A-Jay

Well you’re doing better since your days at Kelly’s RB. ?

[Sphynx]

I'd generally run on the assumption that clear water magnifies a lot of things in fishing, the fish can see better and are going to be less forgiving about things that aren't right, splashy entries are going to blow opportunities more often on average in clear water than dirty water, obnoxious and bold colors aren't going to help as often, line size/material is more important, of course, all that said there'll be somebody somewhere who fired an artillery strike entry with a safety orange and chartreuse 10XD on 80lb braid that contradicts every experience I've had, but I guess there are exceptions to every rule or guideline

[txchaser]

The value of cover (grass, laydowns etc) is magnified significantly. Focus there. You might also checkout any structure that's deeper than the light penetration.

 

[Dens228]

Jigs, dropshot, underspins, silent cranks, swim jigs.

Once the sun is up look for shadow lines,,,,,this could also mean the depth where light no longer penetrates. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

It’s really depends on where I’m fishing.  Some places, deep and clear I fish tube, jigs, texas rig and small swimbaits or topwaters on 8-10llbs floro. Other places that are still very clear but are shallow and weedy. Big swimbaits, jigs, texas rigs and big topwater on braid, 20lb mono or 20lbs floro. 
 

I fish a lot of clear water. 

[Mbirdsley]

In gin clear water I have found that need to double the length of a flouro leader if you use one.  Obviously if your using flouro as a main that isn’t an issue 

[Deephaven]

The spot on the spot is more important than ever.  Casting location and presentation are the biggest keys IMO.