Okay. I just recently got into bass fishing. I can fish lakes and ponds no problem. But when I go fish the river I catch mud fish. Does this mean there aren't any bass in the area?

Check good for the river you are fishing in. Usually your local wildlife admin will be able to list the types of fish in your river. I doubt that there are no bass.

Also, what bait are you using?

lemmie guess you're fishing in stagnant backwaters off the river with a craw. lol i've done it too many times. i always fish ON the main river when there's not much current.

Yeah its no current and really dark water. I usually fish with a lizard,craw, or a good rapala crankbait. Im going fishing in a lake Mayer's in baxley,GA. Its a dark blueish colored water. I think I'm going to use shinners and then switch to artificial baits. Ill take pics of the catch

Don't ever be afraid to use a spinner bait; they are my favorite. The thing is, you can cover a lot of water with one and vary your reel in speed as well. If there is a bunch of water cover (moss, branches, leaves, etc.) you may have issue getting snagged. In that case from what you are describing, I would try the weedless lizards. Try and get the body in a red or green speckled in glitter with a neon green tail if possible. A 1/4 bullet weight is good and be patient. Rivers like that do hold good bass and if you can find a downed tree or similar big structure, then go for the lizard there too. You will get them! - Joe