Cranks in stained water

[jwo1124]

The ponds I bass fish in are pretty stained. I'd say I lose sight of the lure after couple feet.  I'm sure the fish can see it a little better, but still, it's pretty stained water. Anyway, since a fish needs to se a bait to eat it, what would be the best option of crankbait. I was thinking a larger suspending version with a rattle, in a bright color. I say larger with a rattle to put off more vibration so the fish that may not be able to see the bait from a distance can locate it via lateral line. I say suspending because since the fish doesn;t locate the bait via sight first, it must locate it with the lateral line which may take some extra time or extra searching than just: BAM! I see it go get it. A suspending bait can be kept in the water column or strike zone longer enabling the fish to search and find it for a longer time which may be needed in stained water.

Any input?

[fishfordollars]

First off, a fish does not need to see a bait to eat it. The lateral line down the side of the bass helps locate. I have caught more than one bass over the years that was blind due to some sort of accident or other happenings. They were healthly other than not being able to see at all. I dipped one up with a net that swam by my boat that had one eye gone and the other had a growth over the other. As strange as it sounds the best dingy-muddy water bait I have ever used was a chrome/blue rattletrap. I absoultly rip them up river on Texoma, Rayburn, Toledo and most other lakes when the water is off color. Why, other than the sound I cannot answer, but it works a lot for me.

[Bankbeater]

Rat-l-trap

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

True though that the best choice a lot of time is a loud colored one.For example the dt series chart/purple back or parrot....Deadly!

[BIG M]

dark colors (solid black, brown, dark blue) put off the best silouet in muddy water.   Firetiger is another good color for off colored water.

Here is a color that I just kill the fish with in early spring when we have muddy water.  Pearl grey, black scales, hunter green with an orange throat, it's da bomb.

[mpharris1989]

i used this exact same rat-l-trap in some pretty stained water the other day and it produced a nice 3 pounder for me. I only fished for about an hour so i probally would have caught more with it

[mpharris1989]

ps

i got 2 of them in the bargain bin at my academy for .88 each  ;D

[Avalonjohn44]

Sound is very important, but I think vibration is just as important.  I like a nice wobbling bait with a rattle.  

I think of stained water differently than muddy.  Where I fish stained is usually a murky green, 1-4 feet of visibility.  If shallow, I will fish a white or chartreuse bait, I believe they are more visible at that depth.  A Bandit 100 In Pearl Chartreuse is my best producer.  A big Bagley Crank is another favorite.  If I'm going deeper than 4 feet, I will use a darker version of the same bait.

Muddy water is a different story.  I hardly even bother with color selection, black or blue, and slow it down.  Same deal with the sound and vibration though.

[krisjack69]

U might want to go to bass pro shop and get a vibra-trap.It has more vibration than the ordinary rattle trap which u need in staind water.

[coosabass]

Hard to beat a Norman gel coat--bumble bee or fire tiger!!!

[.dsaavedra.]

i have a theory and it has worked well for me.

my theory: go realistic.

i dont care if the water is crystal clear or muddy as hell. no matter what the water clarity, baitfish will always be baitfish and will always look like baitfish. so if you always closely mimic baitfish, the bass will think it is naturall and will just go for it. i will never go gaudy for any reason. the most i'll do is maybe fish a crank that has a slight rattle, or a little metallic flash, thats because the real baitfish are metallic, and the rattle just helps bass hone in on the lure. never will you see me throwing a bright firetiger or florescent orange crankbait. more than 80% of the cranks i throw are tennessee shad or gizzard shad or shiner colored.

just another perspective to try  

[basscatcher8]

Edwin Evers said at a seminar i was at a couple years ago. Think about sitting in your house in the dark and somebody comes and knocks on the window that it would spook you. That is what a rattle would be like to a bass sitting in really muddy water.

Im not sure what to think honestly. To me i could see going into an area thats muddy and using a rattle and catching the active fish. But i would wonder if you went into the same area with no rattle and see if you can catch the most active and some of the less active fish as well.

I guess it comes down to what you have confidence in throwing in any given situation.

[bait__Monkey]

no, no, no!

u ned all da colors.

day prette.  

git 2 of each in case you lose 1.