After heavy rains...

[OmegaDPW]

Like many of us in the South, we had more rain last month than normal. A lot more. Yesterday, we had severe thunderstorms and my favorite pond was much higher than average and the already chocolate milk colored water was even worse- no visibility to the bottom even an inch from the bank. I stayed about an hour and a half after church and never got a bite. 

 

 Thinking about it, I don't think I've ever caught a fish here after any noticeable rain. What's it like for you all?  

[Woody B]

When water temps are under 50 degrees I struggle after big rain.  When the water is warmer I do better.   

 

We had thunderstorms yesterday and fairly hard rain overnight.   I went to the lower part (near the dam) of a 13000+ acre lake today.  The water clarity hasn't changed yet but the lake is up a little.   There may be a mudline coming down the lake, I didn't go up far.  The landing I used is a good ways up a major creek.  It wasn't muddy yet.   After it get's muddy it's my experience that Bass will be hanging right next to or even in the middle of dense cover.   It's my belief that hanging in the cover lets them "know" where they're at, but I'm probably overthinking it.   During, or right after a storm I like to find places where (storm) water is entering the lake.   I believe this washes nutrients into the lake that attracts fish.  Throw a wacky, t rig or other soft plastic into these areas and more times than not I'll get bit.   Well after the storm when there's no storm water entering the lake I sometimes have success fishing the mudline.   Other times I've had success trying to find water that's "different".  "Different" could either be clearer water, or water that's even muddier.   I don't think the Bass have rules.   

 

My best day numbers wise in the past couple years was right after a hurricane had passed.  I'm a couple hundred miles from the coast, so a hurricane is basically just a bunch of rain.   I caught a BUNCH of Bass that day where storm run off was entering the lake.  

[OmegaDPW]

10 minutes ago, Woody B said:

 During, or right after a storm I like to find places where (storm) water is entering the lake.   I believe this washes nutrients into the lake that attracts fish.   

 

 I think the same. This small pond is attached to a fairly large creek. It flows through this pond into another pond and then enters a creek again down the line. Where the water flows into this pond is inaccessible from the bank. Same where the water flows into the other pond. The other pond is on someone else's land and I don't have permission to go there. So yeah, all those 10lb bass are probably chilling in these locations that I can't get to. 😃 

[FishTax]

I always wonder if the mud is on top or ask the way through the column? I don't want to drop a go pro on a string, but can't think of either way to know. Seems like that'd be relevant. 

I think cold and muddy is way more difficult than warm and muddy..

Yesterday we fished in the rain and it was so interesting to see the fish response to scattered showers. They'd be cruising the bank, then pull back, then push back forward. I learned a lot. Hope to do it again soon and continue learning! @Pat Brown is basically a bass scientist from studying their behavior and I greatly appreciate him letting me tag along recently on a few trips!

[Woody B]

I've pondered about the depth of mud before but I "think" mud spans most depths.  A well set up thermocline may change things.  I do believe water can be "murky" on top, but clearer deeper.  Again, I think mud sinks and covers all depths.  That's just my opinion.   I rarely catch Bass deep when it's muddy.  The few I caught earlier this year in cold, muddy water were all shallow, hugging cover.   I "think" one of the reasons I struggled was pretty much every chance I had to fish in cold muddy water was when the wind was blowing and gusting at 20+ mph.  This made accurate casting to the cover the Bass were hugging really hard.   

[Pat Brown]

I think a lot of times rather than over or under the mud kind of funnels through the clear water in these big muddy under water streams and places where the clear and dirty water mix can do really good. Beyond that everybody's been giving up good information here.

[BigAngus752]

If you have current, head right for the pinch points.  Anywhere it gets narrow for the water to get through.  If visibility is poor the bass will hang right next to something hard while facing the oncoming current.  I've gone from zero to hero running muddy, flooded lakes just going from pinch point to pinch point.  

[Team9nine]

3 hours ago, Woody B said:

 

My best day numbers wise in the past couple years was right after a hurricane had passed.  I caught a BUNCH of Bass that day where storm run off was entering the lake.  

 

3 hours ago, OmegaDPW said:

 

 I think the same. This small pond is attached to a fairly large creek. It flows through this pond into another pond and then enters a creek again down the line. Where the water flows into this pond is inaccessible from the bank. Same where the water flows into the other pond. The other pond is on someone else's land and I don't have permission to go there. So yeah, all those 10lb bass are probably chilling in these locations that I can't get to. 😃 

There is no more guaranteed bass catching situation in life than fishing the immediate area where water is pouring into a lake/pond right after a huge downpour in my experience   😆 😎 

@The Bassman

[Bass Rutten]

42 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

 

There is no more guaranteed bass catching situation in life than fishing the immediate area where water is pouring into a lake/pond right after a huge downpour in my experience   😆 😎 

@The Bassman

Water exiting a body of water has been good to me as well.

[Glenn]

 

[Swamp Girl]

3 hours ago, Team9nine said:

There is no more guaranteed bass catching situation in life than fishing the immediate area where water is pouring into a lake/pond right after a huge downpour in my experience

 

So true. I've also had good luck with an outflow current.

[Pat Brown]

It rained for 2 days this weekend. The pond I fish does not have a proper pump system so it kind of floods a little bit for a couple days until the runoff subsides usually.  It was pretty nifty this evening as the sun was setting. I could see at the outflow where the water was rushing out of the pond. The bass and sunfish were positioning themselves all directly facing into the current with their mouths literally gaping open.  So that gives you an idea of what they're doing.

[Bankbeater]

For me it depends on what is going on in the lake, and what the temp is like.  If it's pre or post spawn, and the water is fairly warm then I fish brush and weeds if I can find it.  If the water is on the colder side then I practice my pitching and flipping.

[Conrod]

22 hours ago, Woody B said:

When water temps are under 50 degrees I struggle after big rain.  When the water is warmer I do better.   

 

We had thunderstorms yesterday and fairly hard rain overnight.   I went to the lower part (near the dam) of a 13000+ acre lake today.  The water clarity hasn't changed yet but the lake is up a little.   There may be a mudline coming down the lake, I didn't go up far.  The landing I used is a good ways up a major creek.  It wasn't muddy yet.   After it get's muddy it's my experience that Bass will be hanging right next to or even in the middle of dense cover.   It's my belief that hanging in the cover lets them "know" where they're at, but I'm probably overthinking it.   During, or right after a storm I like to find places where (storm) water is entering the lake.   I believe this washes nutrients into the lake that attracts fish.  Throw a wacky, t rig or other soft plastic into these areas and more times than not I'll get bit.   Well after the storm when there's no storm water entering the lake I sometimes have success fishing the mudline.   Other times I've had success trying to find water that's "different".  "Different" could either be clearer water, or water that's even muddier.   I don't think the Bass have rules.   

 

My best day numbers wise in the past couple years was right after a hurricane had passed.  I'm a couple hundred miles from the coast, so a hurricane is basically just a bunch of rain.   I caught a BUNCH of Bass that day where storm run off was entering the lake.  

I got my PB the morning of a hurricane. I’m in central Florida so we just get some wind & rain and decided to sling a watermelon 6” plastic worm from the dock around 7:30am!