Muddy Waters Make It Easy to Catch Fish

A lot of fishermen, myself included, want to know if it is worth fishing in muddy or stained water.

11 Ways to Fish Muddy Water Effectively & Catch Fish

1. Fish slow & deliberate
2. Use color & flash
3. Don't be afraid to use dull colors
4. Test out scents & attractants
5. Choose baits that give off vibrations or sound
6. Disturb the water's surface to draw fish in
7. Find locations with improved clarity
8. Use cover to locate fish
9. Opt for natural bait
10. Use sinkers & bobbers
11. Exercise patience

Each of these techniques has been proven effective by anglers across the country. Some of them may seem unorthodox but don't discount any of these tips until you test them. Why don't we break each of these points down further?

When water turns muddy after a storm or disturbance, many fishermen assume fish just won't be able to locate their bait. Some will even say the conditions make fish stop eating together. If the fish can't see the bait, why even bother? This isn't entirely based on fiction. Water visibility is greatly reduced not only for fish trying to locate food but also for anglers trying to spot fish from the boat. Muddy water, however,  affords determined fishermen a chance at great fishing while their competition takes the day off.

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1. Fish slow & deliberate

When visibility drops in water, fish have a harder time finding, and more importantly, recognizing bait. Imagine you are driving late at night and a deer pops out into the road at the outer edge of where your high beams reach. You may not recognize it as a deer for 1-2 seconds before abruptly pressuring the brakes.

If that same scenario played itself out during the day, you'd have recognized that as a deer way early affording you ample time to slow down. It takes your eyes and mind longer at night to recognize deer than during daytime. Fish have the same trouble in poor light conditions such as muddy or stained water.

Just like you should drive slower at night in deer country, you should fish slower in muddy water. Please do not speed spinners through the water. The only fish you'll catch will be ones who can't get out of the way in time and get snagged in the back. Unless you're interested in "foul hook" fishing, you're just wasting your energy.

Present baits at the bottom and give them time to soak. Contrary to popular belief, fish are still actively searching for food when water is muddy. Give them time to locate your bait. A minimal amount of action is required. A gentle tug on the line or a quick twitch is plenty. Let the fish come to you.

Also, it is important to be deliberate where you place your bait. By placing it in a good location near cover or current pools, you'll give the fish the best chance of seeing your bait.

2. Use color & flash

What's the most obvious solution to poor light fishing? Add light to the equation. The simplest way of doing this is by adding flash and color. Lure companies make countless colors and patterns for a reason and it's not just to separate you from your money.

Don't go too crazy here. If it doesn't look natural, it likely won't elicit a natural predatory response. A general rule a lot of fishermen like to follow when it comes to lure flash is to keep at a "golden shiner or below" level. What I mean is the sides of golden shiners have the brightest flash of almost any freshwater bait fish bass or walleye are ever going to see. Anything much brighter will look alien to a fish because it will be. Don't shy away from bright flashy lures but don't go overboard.

It can also be a great idea to test out different colors. Opt for whites, yellows, greens, reds, and oranges. Many fishermen report oranges work really well in muddy water perhaps because it mimics how crayfish (crawdads) appear in muddy water to a fish's eye.

In dark stained water, whites and yellows really show well and should be considered first. Blue lures typically don't show well in unclear water. I know I just rattled off every color under the rainbow but your best bet to start off would yellow, white, and orange.

3. Don't be afraid to use dull colors

Sometimes a simpler approach can do the trick. Most bait a bass or walleye will eat like frogs, fish, leeches, worms, snails, crayfish, and bugs are very drab in color. You find many neon pink shad swimming around. Yes, predatory fish may have a harder time locating these dull-colored baits. This is apparent. But you can be assured they'll more readily gobble up natural looking lures. If it doesn't look like food, it may not be.

Work jigs, plastic worms, and small spoons near cover and over beaks. Opt for natural colors like pumpkin seed, brown, black, and dark gray. I've read a lot of bass fishermen especially rely on pumpkin seed when the water clarity drops. Nothing will out-fish something that resembles natural bait.

4. Test out scents and attractants

When one sense fails you, other senses pick up the slack. With visibility reduced in muddy and stained water, fish often rely more on their sense of smell to locate food. Most attractants mimic natural odors produced by prey such as minnows, crayfish, worms, and frogs. Others, especially those targeting catfish, rely on stronger smells like chicken liver or blood. Adding a small amount of scent attractant to a lure can help your catch rate but it won't work miracles. Location, presentation, and bait still rule the day.

I'm not going to tell you which scents and attractants are best. There are many good ones out there. Do some research and match your target species with an appropriate scent.

5. Choose baits that give off vibrations or sound

The sense of touch is one of a fish's most important senses. Fish have a lateral line running the length of the body from the gills to the tail. This line helps the fish feel vibrations and even changes in water pressure in its environment. All fish rely on this sense to help them find food. Catfish, in particular, are masters at locating food using their sense of touch.

This way of fishing, however, can be difficult in muddy water since we are trying to slow down our retrieve. "Loud" baits like poppers or buzzbaits need to be fished way too fast to be effective in muddy water. I would honestly recommend something like a rattling bait or one with beads inside so it can produce vibrations with a slow reel-in.

Also, another great option for muddy water would be a jig-n-pig or a plastic worm rigged Carolina-style. The lead heads gently tapping off the bottom could be enough to entice a fish to investigate further. Slightly louder baits could even draw fish in from several yards away.

6. Disturb the water's surface to draw fish in

This one may seem a bit odd but it's been shown effective for many species of fish. A delicate tickle of the surface can entice panfish or trout in thinking maybe a grasshopper or spider was in reach. Larger disruptions or splashes could indicate a frog jumping in or an injured baitfish thrashing at the surface.

Play around and try to make the size of disturbance with the size of potential prey for target fish. Much like vibrations, fish rely on their sense of hearing to zero in on potential food when water conditions limit visibility.

It should go without saying but don't go overboard with this technique. You want to make a fish curious, not terrified. Less is more. A frog only enters the water one time.

A grasshopper will only push around at the surface so long. A moth will stop pulsating once its wings are water-logged and it runs out of energy. Match your splashing with the behavior of your prey-type and you'll stand a good chance of bringing in big fish eager for a meal.

7. Find a location with improved clarity

Almost all bodies of water will have areas where visibility is clearer than the surrounding water. Regardless if it's a lake or river, you can find water clearer than the rest if you look hard enough. The lone exception I can think of is if you're fishing a storm drain where the flow is constant and there are no pockets of alternating currents or breaks. But on most bodies of water, you can locate their clearer sections.

Depending on the nature of the run-off, in streams, the clear water could in the main channel or off in the side slow water behind rocks. In lakes and ponds, focus on areas near thick cover or weeds. Often times, the debris will trap or disrupt the mud sediments from the water affording slightly clearer water to exist.

You may search for an hour without finding any noticeable difference but it is certainly worth a little time investment. Fish will often congregate in these pockets for better visibility so fishing action could be hot once you find a good pocket.

8. Use cover to locate fish

If you can't find any clear water to fish, at least you can assume there will be fish hovering around cover. If you are unfamiliar with a body of water, focus on cover you can visually see like logs, lily pads, or boulders. If you have a more intimate knowledge of the water or have fishing electronics, you can also target deep cover too.

This technique is the simplest option here but it's a basic fishing strategy. Find cover. Fish cover. Muddy water doesn't affect fish behavior that much. You can bet they'll still be on cover when the water clouds up.

9. Opt for natural bait

It's been said that nothing outfishes live bait. As a matter of fact, that has been stated a lot. Nothing beats the real thing. You'd be more likely to bite a ribeye steak than a plastic ribeye look-alike.

Natural bait gives off the same scents, the same swimming or struggling action, and the same appearance predatory fish are accustomed to. Furthermore, every baitfish has a heartbeat and those beats put off tiny electrical pulses in the water. Fisheries biologists believe many fish locate their prey by honing in on these electrical impulses.

Some popular choices of live bait include bluegill, shiners, minnows, earthworms, salamanders, frogs, and crayfish. These baits work well in low visibility water. They produce enough scent and natural action to entice predatory bass, walleye, and catfish.

(If you have interest in fishing bullhead catfish, I wrote a comprehensive fishing guide. This article covers everything from approach, bait, and tactics. There's no better fish to catch in muddy water.)

Don't forget about cut bait. Cut bait can be made of anything from halved bluegills, to perch eyes, to chicken parts. Popularized by catfish anglers, cut bait can also work well on walleye, pike, and bass. The smell of blood and fresh fish or chicken parts can be very tempting to fish. In scenarios like muddy water where fish are using other senses to find prey, the smell of cut bait can be just what the fishing gods ordered.

10. Use sinkers & bobbers

This tip seems obvious but if you are going to target specific locations with natural bait, keeping that bait in place is key. Sinkers and other weights can be a great way to present cut bait or a live shiner to hungry catfish. In flowing water, a couple split shot weights can keep your bait from being carried out of the zone. The added weight also helps with casting distance.

Floats and bobbers are great as strike indicators. Bobbers aren't just for kids. Musky fishermen have relied on large floats while fishing with white suckers for decades. When the water is muddy, you will need all the visual aids you can get to properly set the hook.

A word of caution though, current or even wind can cause your floats to move your bait away from where you place it. On very windy days, bobbers can act like the sails of a yacht. You can remedy this by adding a single split shot to your line to anchor the bait in place regardless of what's happening to the bobber at the surface.

11. Exercise patience

Lastly, perhaps the most important tip is to remain patient. Muddy water fishing can be frustrating but it can also yield great fishing when much of your competition decides to stay home. Muddy water fishing is trickier than clear water angling. Your quarry wants to eat but finding food is much harder when one of their senses is hindered. Mix and match some of the techniques covered in this post next time you hit the water.

The key is to remain patient and have fun experimenting. If you can catch fish in muddy water, you are a good fisherman. It will make you a better fisherman in clear water too. Your determination and drive will pay off.

In Conclusion

Muddy water fishing can be just as hot as clear water fishing. Having the right mindset and approach beforehand will be huge for your success. Fish behave a little different in muddy water. But they are still fish and they still have their primary drivers. Don't let a storm keep you off the lake for days after. Some of the best fishing can be had in muddy water. Muddy water fish are more satisfying to catch because they require more effort.

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Source: https://freshwaterfishingadvice.com/11-ways-to-fish-muddy-water-effectively-catch-fish/

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