Advice for lure choice and fish location in HIGHLY stained water

[WFL_Bass]

Hello, 

 

My name is Joe and I fish for bass mostly in the West Central Florida area. My question today is about high stained water. Our lakes and ponds right now are stained a dark almost tea color. I've been using the typical black/blues and pumpkin green with no success (senkos, chatter baits, spinnerbaits, etc.). When the water is highly stained with tannins and not muddy, are there any good choices?   

[MIbassyaker]

Try junebug or something with chartreuse in it (or both)

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

Try junebug or something with chartreuse in it (or both)

Also something with more 'thump' than 'flash' - spinners with Colorado blades instead of Willow blades, a chatter with a more active blade, 'loud' crankbaits like a One-Knocker, etc

[NoShoes]

June bug or black Ol monsters work well for me in these same conditions. 

[LrgmouthShad]

I go slower and closer to cover in muddy water. Lures with attracting features such as rattles, hard vibrations, or bright colors I have not found to be necessary. Key is slow and close to something that the bass can keep their nose against 

[WFL_Bass]

Thank you all for the tips so far. As much as the Florida born and raised people tell me that fishing is different, it's more like where I grew up in Missouri. I haven't exactly had time (or the patience) to go out and literally try every color yet. Caught a nice pond monster yesterday on an antique jitterstick at 2:30 in the afternoon, after everyone kept telling me that top water only works in Florida early in the morning. Seems like I need to go back to what I knew from growing up.

[ironbjorn]

My advice is to stop worrying about the water and lure colors and throw the kitchen sink at them. Don't worry about contrast, vibrations, blades, etc. Fish what you would normally fish with success under ordinary circumstances. Bass do not starve to death when the water is dirty and their prey doesn't magically turn into contrasting colors.

[ThrowinPlugs]

Gold lipless cranks, white and chartreuse spinnerbaits with Colorado blades, or dark worms/neds. 

[Reel]

There are different shades of blue.  Try something that is black and very pale blue.

[Chris at Tech]

I'd suggest you try some kind of paddle tail worm as well, like an Ultra Speed Vibe.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Don't get too hung up on color.  Sometimes you catch some more fish but the majority of the time black is a safe bet especially in that kind of water.  Bama Bug, Junebug, Ok. Craw should get bit as well if you want to try something different.  If you dont have any wind/clouds go to a swimjig instead of the ChB or SB.  Take a second rod with a T rig on it and pitch to deepest cover you can fish in the day.  That combo has worked really well for me when things get tough. 

[ATA]

If I face some water like that, Ill go with anything make noise and vibration, Since most likely the visual is out of equation. 

[scaleface]

I fish muddy water a lot . Its the norm . Bass have no trouble finding lures . I use willow leaf spinnerbaits , plastic worms , Beetle spins . The dirtier the water the tighter they hold to cover .

[Mike L]

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

I fish muddy water a lot . Its the norm . Bass have no trouble finding lures . I use willow leaf spinnerbaits , plastic worms , Beetle spins . The dirtier the water the tighter they hold to cover .

Ditto 

Find structure and cover and pick it apart. 
Keep moving and cover water. 

Use dark colored plastics with maybe a rattle or glass bead for up close and personal and high vibration hard baits or swim worms for the perimeter. 
 

Again, Keep moving and cover water

 

 

 

 

Mike

[T-Billy]

4 hours ago, NoShoes said:

June bug or black Ol monsters work well for me in these same conditions. 

Black Ol Monsters work well for me in any color water. 

[BigAngus752]

8 hours ago, WFL_Bass said:

Our lakes and ponds right now are stained a dark

 

So they are a completely different color that usual?  If that is the case then by all means follow the advice you are getting here.  

 

If you are fishing "stained" water that is always stained then throw whatever you feel like throwing.  The fish have no idea that the water is "stained".  I fish a lake that, on the best day of the year, has 6 inches of visibility.  Usually there is less.  I can fish a green pumpkin ned rig and catch fish there.  The fish are used to the water.  

[NoShoes]

2 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Black Ol Monsters work well for me in any color water. 

Fair enough

[huZZah]

1 hour ago, BigAngus752 said:

The fish are used to the water.  

This. For me the murkier the water the more noise/thump I do. Color is my last thought when I can’t see my boot 3” in.  I just use the same colors I always do. 

[ironbjorn]

3 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Black Ol Monsters work well for me in any color water. 

Yep, Ol Monsters are always good. I'm hitting up a dirty pond tomorrow and have a June Bug Ol Monster T-Rigged and a 4" Watermelon Red Senko Wacky Rigged ready to go. Color based on what has historically been the best and not at all based on water color. It's pressured too, so super sized and/or down sized is always best.

[flyfisher]

muddy and tea stained water are completely different for me.  I fish an area that has a high tannin content and on a clear water day it is dark like strong tea.  

If this is a somewhat normal color then the fish are used to it as well.  My rule of thumb is bottom baits I try and match the bottom color, moving baits are either flash or match baitfish, topwater it doesn't matter really.  

The area I fish I do very well with moving baits (flies in my case) that imitate bluegill as that is the main forage as long as they are pushing some water to appeal to that lateral line.  

 

[NoShoes]

What are y’all doing for senkos in black water?  Worth even throwing?  I’ve tried black and GP in my local hole and only the gar and pickerel seem to enjoy. 

[WFL_Bass]

7 hours ago, Mike L said:

Ditto 

Find structure and cover and pick it apart. 
Keep moving and cover water. 

Use dark colored plastics with maybe a rattle or glass bead for up close and personal and high vibration hard baits or swim worms for the perimeter. 
 

Again, Keep moving and cover water

 

 

 

 

Mike

Sounds like some real Florida bass advice here. The lake I have the easiest access to has mostly hydrilla/vegetation for cover, is a natural lake with not much current/movement. I'll try these options also with some chartreuse thrown in there tomorrow and give it a whirl. Focusing mostly on the 'lower' section of the lake where it should be more rich in nutrients, creek openings, etc. 

5 hours ago, BigAngus752 said:

 

So they are a completely different color that usual?  If that is the case then by all means follow the advice you are getting here.  

 

If you are fishing "stained" water that is always stained then throw whatever you feel like throwing.  The fish have no idea that the water is "stained".  I fish a lake that, on the best day of the year, has 6 inches of visibility.  Usually there is less.  I can fish a green pumpkin ned rig and catch fish there.  The fish are used to the water.  

Yeah, so mostly here in my area of Florida the freshwater is somewhat stained with tannins. About a month ago (before we started getting tropical storms and 'summer rains') it went from lightly stained to HEAVILY stained. The hydrofoil on my outboard is a light grey color and usually looks 'yellowish' in the water, now it looks almost rust color or red. Like a dark brewed iced tea.

 

I hadn't gotten much luck or time in fishing this lake before the water got super stained so I have no real gauge to say what is normal as far as the fishing. I just got another boat from a little hiatus, so am familiar with the water and such just not the bite at this point. 

[ironbjorn]

18 minutes ago, NoShoes said:

What are y’all doing for senkos in black water?  Worth even throwing?  I’ve tried black and GP in my local hole and only the gar and pickerel seem to enjoy. 

Watermelon Red [watermelon with red and black flake] (not to be confused with Watermelon Magic) is my best producer in both heavily stained, almost muddy water, and clear water. 

[GreenPig]

I fish one lake that goes from 2 - 3' visibility to a couple inches of visibility from a light sprinkle of rain. I'm speaking of mud not dark tea and our two most effective lures are a  Shakey Head black Trick worm coated in MegaStrike and a Spro(light colored belly) Popping Frog. Our bass move very shallow and tight to cover. We keep the boat a short pitch from the bank and the guy in the back mostly cast to the same spots and catches 75% of the fish. Don't be afraid to cast to a spot 2 or 3 times because we do and it works.

[Bankbeater]

I'd be fishing with a black jig and craw.