How to fish cold muddy waters

[JonnyBassBoat]

My local fishing hole is an old resevoir dam. Since we had all this rain the river is now flowing pretty fast. Also, the water is very muddy, and cold. My question is what tecnique i need to use to fish these conditions. Water is 12' in deepest places in the channel. banks are normaly shallow in the 2'-4' range. There is an abandonded train tresel with two concrete pilings and is 10.7 feet. Also, are a few bends in the river. Theres some structure with many stumps hidden under water that will devastate a fiberglass bass boat.  As you go up-stream the river forks and narrows from 40yrds to about 10-15yrds. left fork has very shallow water only accesable by flat-bottom with oars. and the right fork deepens to about 15' max with lots a bottom structure and fallen trees. So what would you all recomend.  

If Chris, the moderator reads this: I am refering to the Georgetown dam on the Little Vermilion River

[roadwarrior]

B double E double R, U N.

I can't catch fish in cold, muddy water. I say stay home or go home. I have tried, it doesn't work for me...Nothing works for me when the water is in that condition.

(Last weekend I did not go to the river for this very reason, but being the fool I am, I fished Friday afternoon, Saturday early and late and Sunday twice for a total of about ten hours. This is where I keep my "pet bass", it is a VERY productive pond...usually! I never had a bite, not a single bite!)

[Siebert Outdoors]

Here is what I do,  Fish a jig either black or black blue with a matching trailer.  If that doesnt work throw a tube, I have been doing well off white tubes in muddy water.  

If that doesnt work here is what I suggest

[cart7t]

Water under 50 degrees that's muddy isn't worth wasting your time on.  I just went out last Saturday fishing the same conditions. So much water was going over the spillway there was a a pretty decent current. Muddy, trash and debris in the water.  Dead shad everywhere, too bad the water wasn't clean, would've been a fantastic jerkbait bite.

anyway, tried fishing as many current breaks as possible with noisy jigs, spinnerbaits slo-rolled and some crankbaits just slowly bumped along the bottom.

Nothing, nada.

Shoulda stayed home.

[-Drums-]

B double E double R, U N.

LMAO!

[Chris]

Take the right fork and watch out for the iron rebar marking the channel under the RR bridge. Flip a electric blue jig (w/ rattle)with matching trailer or a black spinnerbait and fish tight to the edge of the weeds and bank. The left bank tends to hold more fish. There was an uprooted tree on the left side that I stuck a 5 lb bass out of.

[Rattlinrogue]

With cold AND muddy,I'd probably join roadwarrior for a round or two.But if I just had to go,I'd throw a big,noisey spinnerbait.Chartreuse would be a good starting point,with a thumping Colorado blade.Look for a reaction strike.

[Valascus]

Heh...I don't really care what the conditions are. If I think I even remotely have a shot of catching a fish or two (which I usually feel that way) I'll try everything I got. But in those conditions...big ole' rattling jig probably dark blue with a matching super chunk trailer and the head of the jog slathered up in some Megastrike fished SLOOOOOOOOOOW. That's what I would try anyway. If not that then what Rattlinrogue said...spinnerbait with single colorado.

[basspro48]

JIGS!!! This is one of those situations where a 1/2oz. or 3/8oz. jig in black/blue or blue/purple really shines. Toss it tight to heavy cover and work it SLOW, just shake it and gently drag it across the bottom.

[JonnyBassBoat]

Take the right fork and watch out for the iron rebar marking the channel under the RR bridge. Flip a electric blue jig (w/ rattle)with matching trailer or a black spinnerbait and fish tight to the edge of the weeds and bank. The left bank tends to hold more fish. There was an uprooted tree on the left side that I stuck a 5 lb bass out of.

Well it's nice to know that someone else here knows the river too. BTW the fork in the river is about 80yrds up river from RR trusel. Also i know about the rebarb too.  Thank you for the advice. Chris, how often do you fish G'town? Maybe we have seen each other out there before.? It would be cool to get together and fish, I can show you some fantastic catfishing holes. Maybe you can teach me to bass fish. I need to meet new fishing buds.

[JonnyBassBoat]

Truck and boat

http://www.chevytruckworld.com/gallery/kalinpk1500/223335.jpg

[Brad_Coovert]

Cold and muddy - other than drying up, this is the worst lake condition you will probably face.

I'm with RW, stay home, have a brew and listen to that Todd Snider CD.

Brad

[dink]

Hey Cart,

Just curious where you fished those conditions last weekend.  They sounded almost exactly like the conditions I fished just outside of Nashville, IL.

[BD]

Noisy baits.

[basswagoner]

I fish cold and muddy waters a lot during the winter months in Ky around cave run and etc.  I usually throw into deeper water, flats, and such. I usually only catch a few bass if any in very, very cold conditions.   I throw bigger baits during this time period with the hope of either getting a bass or landing a great muskie from cave run.  If you are desperate to winter fish trying fishing the trout.  They will bite pretty good till conditions improve or spring comes first.  Then time to slaughter the bass and bring in the truck loads.  Well, you know what I mean...

[bassmanga]

The  thing that works for me buck tail hair jigs brown&orange with blue pig .When the water warms up to upper 50s go to R trap or SLOW ROLL #5 spinner bait . I make my hair jigs cannt find them down south[with weed gard].The cold muddy water beats work any day so all that other crap about staying home is for :-*, conditions not always the best but make the best fish SLOW.

[BiggerWorm]

Stained and cold is fishable.  If it is flat out muddy, look for some clearer water or stay home.  If you must fish, I agree with what many have said about using jigs.  Throw to cover, fish will be holding tight to it.

[Chris]

That picture you got on your profile is Georgetown boatramp. How did you do?

[cart7t]

Hey Cart,

Just curious where you fished those conditions last weekend.  They sounded almost exactly like the conditions I fished just outside of Nashville, IL.

Sorry this is so late.  I was fishing Perry county lake in Perryville Mo.

You must have been at Washington county lake.  That was a great big bass lake at one time.  I had a PB, easy 9-10lbs at the boat when it came unglued from the crankbait.  Used to catch 4-6lbers over there pretty regularily and then the bottom just sorta dropped out a few years ago.  

[senko_77]

black n blue jig.  flip it right into the brush.  i would say 95% of the fish will be right against the bank in brush or any kind of variation in the bank.  flip your brains out, and watch your line.  most of the fish you catch will charge at u with the jig, and settin the hook can be hard.  so make sure to use a fast reel.  also, u have to put it right on there heads, because they either arent goin to hear it, or they arent goin to move very far for food.  so flip into a brushpile, let it sit, hop it once or twice, give it a shake, and if nothin bites, move on to next spot.  but the key is noise, and right on there heads.  rattles would also help greatly for these conditions.  try a lunker lure triple rattleback jig.  there so noisy.  

good luck, those are about the worst conditions u can face.

[Bass Addict]

I'm going to be forced to fish these very same conditions in a tourney in two weeks.  There is no way the lake will clear up before then and the water is cold.  Right around 38 degrees presently.  I'm hoping it will get close to 50 before my tourney.  I'm heading out tomorrow and my plan is black and blue jig in the creek channel bends and main points of the lake.  I'll also rig a watermellon with red flake or a green pumpkin tube with a rattle to drag on the bottom.  Sometimes we have to fish these conditions but I would much rather fish it at a little warmer temp if possible.

[Deuceu72]

Cold Muddy Water = Head to the bar! ;D ;D

[senko_77]

forget the deep stuff.  flip right on the bank.  every brushpile, stump, rock.  anything.  those fish are gonna be shallow.  flip your brains out!!  it will definatly pay off.  if your throwin a worm, lose the watermelon.  throw a solid color that is gonna be visible in that muddy water.  my favorites are black, and red bug.  a ribbontail has more viber than straight tail, so use those, and also add a rattle.  use a big weight and a big hook.  the fish arent lookin for profile, so you need to tell them your there.  use jerkbaits with rattles in them.  but i wold stick with the jig in ultra shallow water all day.  and just flip and flip and flip

[senko_77]

also use a fast reel, because the fish are gonna charge out of the brush when they take that jig.  there gonna charge at you.  so u need to have a fast reel so u can keep up with them.  also try braid so your hookset doesnt have any stretch and give them a lil advantage of a weak hookset as they come to you.  im not sure if this makes sense or not to you

[deadeye32.]

I would grab the biggest chartreuse spinnerbait you have and slow roll it.  The conditions here in Indiana have been fairly high muddy water for the past few weeks and that is what has been working for me.  I'd give that a shot and when you find um, start using the jig super slow.