[oucorry]

Bass Fishing in Muddy Water Conditions

Muddy water is often a byproduct of rains and fronts. As a general rule we avoid fishing in severely muddy water, but when this is unavoidable we only fish shallow. In muddy water, the light penetrates only a few feet and the resulting darkness keeps the bass shallow.
We use only two baits when fishing muddy water:
(1) a jig-and-pig,
(2) a single bladed (#6 Colorado, gold or copper) spinner bait.
Please bear this in mind; there are degrees of muddy water. We like to fish dingy water, but if we can see raccoon tracks on top of the water, it is too muddy.
When confronted with raccoon tracks, we move toward clearer water, constantly assessing water clarity. We think the bass do the same. The bass move from muddy water toward clearer water until they find conditions they can live in, then they stop. So as we are moving toward clearer water we are constantly testing for fish. When we find where they stopped, we start fishing in earnest.
As we are moving toward clearer water, we often come upon a mud-line, and this is a signal to start fishing intently. We throw into the muddy water, and bring the lure through the mud-line into the dingy water. We expect the bite to come within inches of the transition between the muddy water and the clearer water