Dirty - Cold water. no fish.

[Darth-Baiter]

i woke up to seeing stars poking thru the dark morning sky.  i walked out into my driveway, and saw no rain (with my untrained eyes)

 

i went in and woke my wife up. "i'm gonna go fishing for a little bit".  

 

i took a chance and hit a remote spot.  i risked downed trees and a very difficult u-turn on a tiny, narrow twisty road.  whatever.  i got there and a ramp i am usually see 300 yards from the water's edge was in the water!!  the lake truly came up 60+ feet.  i launched my kayak.  super windy, the water was nasty.  if i put my hand into the lake and scooped up a handful, it was full of grit.  i imagine it is like us in a heavy duststorm.  eating isnt a priority.  i know where the trees are, becasue they are typically sticking way up.  nope.  all underwater.  miracle, but i didnt lose my jig at all.  i thru it to the trees and there were some close calls, but i got the jig back everytime.  i stayed out 5 hours until i felt the wind approach "dangerous" and i went back in.  happy to be out.   no jerkbait, jig, dropshot, a-rig, tex-rig, lipless love at all.  

 

(rain tomorrow)

 

 

[Woody B]

I've been struggling with water like that in my favorite lake.   The good news is, a bad day fishing is still a pretty good day.   

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Cold and muddy water is without a doubt the toughest Bass fishing conditions I've encountered.

 

I had to take a week off recently because of an epic rain/flood.   

 

I'm not sure how hard it is on the fish during these times, after all they don't depend on sight 100% to feed.    

[RHuff]

Use loud, large profiled baits… big single colorado blades.. Big bladed chatterbait… something the fish can hone in on with their lateral lines.. Scent helps too. It’s tough conditions no matter what you do. Not a numbers day for sure…

[Functional]

Its the same way here for a few days after any rain storm at my home lake.

 

As mentioned, anything truly obnoxious. Big spinners, ripping rattle traps and aggressively fishing larger poppers or something on top that makes a lot of commotion. On the other hand, i've  also had excellent days fishing a NED at weed edges off the main lake in the same conditions. T-rigs, jerk baits, jigs, etc. do no produce for me in that slop though, its one extreme or the other. 

[PressuredFishing]

On 1/17/2023 at 3:41 PM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Cold and muddy water is without a doubt the toughest Bass fishing conditions I've encountered.

From what I've heard, I think your right, though I'd never know because most my fisheries are 3-30 foot and nothing lower generally. 

[TnRiver46]

Them ole bass can find a weightless senko sitting still in chocolate milk at midnight 

[Darth-Baiter]

well.  I am going to try again tomorrow.   

 

whatever.  as a kid I loved chocolate milk..:D

[LrgmouthShad]

40 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Them ole bass can find a weightless senko sitting still in chocolate milk at midnight 

Oddly specific. But yeah, bass on ol muddy have been notorious for tracking senkos in dirty water

 

Crazy, that photo is almost three years ago now.

 

Theres no doubt in my mind though that dirty, cold water makes for tough fishing. 

22 hours ago, RHuff said:

Use loud, large profiled baits… big single colorado blades.. Big bladed chatterbait… something the fish can hone in on with their lateral lines.. Scent helps too. It’s tough conditions no matter what you do. Not a numbers day for sure…

 

[Darth-Baiter]

to be clear.  (pun?)

 

I am talking about brand new silty water.  day after major storms.  I kinda think every real earthworm in the watershed is washed into the lake and feeding the fish.  and the water had to be difficult to breath.  grit in gills can't be a good time.  

 

I have done okay in water that is very muddy looking, but it is old silt.  new silt befuddles me.  

[TnRiver46]

42 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

to be clear.  (pun?)

 

I am talking about brand new silty water.  day after major storms.  I kinda think every real earthworm in the watershed is washed into the lake and feeding the fish.  and the water had to be difficult to breath.  grit in gills can't be a good time.  

 

I have done okay in water that is very muddy looking, but it is old silt.  new silt befuddles me.  

Well, in the eastern US it floods a couple times a week. Real earthworm is certainly good bait after a flood 

[scaleface]

  The conditions can be so bad that bites are almost impossible to come by. I like this bait in high muddy water with just an inch or two of visibility. Slow and shallow. .

[Captain Phil]

RT60 Rat-L-Trap.