So my boat is inop right now,and I've decided to hit a pond nearby that I used to fish as a teen. Haven't been there in at least 8 years,but Google Earth shows it as I remember...water appears muddy. When I fished this pond as a teen,I was really only targeting Catfish. Ive never fished any muddy water for Bass. What baits,colors and techniques are popular and productive in this color water? I suppose a larger,more visible target is in order and that finesse techniques wouldn't be too productive.

For me, spinnerbait colorado blade, a big one, gold,skirt color black or white and chartruse. I use darker baits and the bright colors I use are red and orange.

Sometimes bright colors and noise are good; sometimes not so much. We fished muddy water today for about 3 hours. We caught four 18" plus fish pitching dark colored beavers into brush and lay downs in 2' or less of water. A quiet presentation tight into the thick of it was the secret. This is not my favorite way of fishing, but we had a great time. Drop it on their plate from close range plate and hang on tight!

big colorado blades on 3/4 oz spinnerbaits

A bulky, black/red or junebug texas rigged plastic usually works for me. I have heard chatterbaits work well in muddy water, but I have never used one.

A black buzzbait or buzztoad usually gets some explosions as well.

A bulky, black/red or junebug texas rigged plastic usually works for me. I have heard chatterbaits work well in muddy water, but I have never used one.

A black buzzbait or buzztoad usually gets some explosions as well.

Muddy dark water usually equates to dark topwater baits for me as well especially if the water has any ripple to it at all.

If it's calm, a slow worked spook is what I will start with, and work my way down the water colum from there.

Dark or muddy water tends to make me move a lot of water to get noticed.

I fish my local river a lot and it stays very muddy. I have had success using chartruse colors. Judging by the type of bottom and cover located in the pond, using a crankbait or spinnerbait should hold some keys to success. One particular lure that works well is a War Eagle spinnerbait with a chartruse body and white extension on the skirt. It has a small red colorado blade and a large golden willow blade. If fishing some type of plastic use a bright color or I have more success with a june bug or black color.

Black/Chartreuse crankbaits

Now I am still learning and open to trying just about anything to see if it works.

The lake I fish is stained to murky (can see a white bait about 2 to 2 1/2 feet deep) and have had success with a range of colors and lure types. When the water gets cloudier I go with white - chartruese, or black - blue spinners and darker natural looking crankbaits that have rattles. It seems the muddier the lake the shallower my plastics work