When the water is cold, under 55 and less than 18" of visibility, do you guys prefer a thumping, high action chunk like a rage or paca or more of a dead action chunk like a zoom super chunk? As a rule I use the less active chunks in colder water, but was wondering if the thump would attract more bass in the low visibility even in cold water.

Cold muddy water is the worst to fish. You find yourself in a tough predicament because everything from experience and reading tells you cold water equals a dead action trailer. However everything about dirty water says vibration and action is what you want so that can fish key in on the bait. I don't catch many fish in conditions like this as it is just tough fishing but when your local lakes setup this way what is a guy to do. For me I may try a jig rod with both types of trailers on junebug or black/blue jig. Most of the time I can't buy a jig bite and end up going to something with more flash and vibration like a chatterbait or spinnerbait.

Yeah two times they have wanted nothing to do with jigs for me. It's all been on crankbaits or lipless cranks.

11 minutes ago, iceintheveins said:

Yeah two times they have wanted nothing to do with jigs for me. It's all been on crankbaits or lipless cranks.

 

The last time I had those very same conditions I blanked that day. Pretty sure I didn't get bit on anything. A few other times the fish seemed to prefer the reaction bait. Something with flash or in a brighter color. I remember an odd day several years ago where the fish were favoring a drop shot plastic with a lot of silver and gold flake and it outproduced everything else that day by a wide margin and accounted for all the big fish. Again the jig was untouched that day even though fish were relating to the bottom. As much as like jigs sometimes I just have to tell myself that the fish are into something else. Finding that something else is the tough part but it sounds like you have had success going with a plan B type of approach.

Black-blue jig with rattles, the trailer should have movement sitting still like a pork frog works good, some plastic trailers require faster movement to create water displacement.

Tom

Bass in off colored water are lateral line feeders; noise is essential.

 

Lunker Lures Triple Rattleback Jig

 

Trailer I ain't worried about movement while sitting still cause visibility is poor anyway & it ain't creating noise. All movement & noise is imparted by the angler.

 

The bass's strike zone is smaller in cold & muddy so ya gonna wanna flip/pitch tight to cover.