I know cold muddy water is about as tough as it gets but I need any suggestions. I pond fish with a soft muck/leaf bottoms so anything heavy to drag is probably  out of the question. I'm pond fishing with a 12 ft max depth.  Heavy rains made most of my ponds about the same. I just want to get a bite or two to relieve the fishing winter "itch". 

https://www.bassresource.com/hank-parker-fishing/muddy-water-fishing.html

I like to use bright (shinny) baits and lures.  Crankbaits like the LC American Shad, T-rigged stick baits (senkos) black with yellow or blue tails, ribbon tail worms same color, and if it's a clay/mud bottom> drop shot. 

 

This is my favorite though, rigged with a 4/0 EWG, weightless. 

 

I think the key for me is to not to fish to fast as to disturb the bottom a lot but fast enough as to not to drag the bottom.  Bouncing a bait slowly also has worked for me. 

My best bait and technique has been to fish a black jig with orange pork frog tight to shallow cover  . Now that pork frogs are not available substitute with plastic . I'm talking one to three inches visibility .

a yellow road runner with a curly tailed grub, fished in the inflow current, or right up on the bank, has worked for me in the past. you’re liable to catch anything from bass to crappie to giant bream.

Bladed Jig/Chatterbait in black

Spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade reeled as slow as you can while keeping the blade spinning. You can even let it settle to the bottom and do a lift-drop retrieve back like you're fishing a jig. I had a solid red one with a big gold Colorado blade that I use to fish when I was a kid that I caught some big ones with when the water was really cold, black worked good too. 

I'm also going to slow roll a spinnerbait.  One with a flo red kicker blade just kills it around here.

If you need to keep the bait off the bottom due to the muck, one of the ways to accomplish this is to use a drop shot. You can vary the drop length according to the conditions you have, but know this.....fish can see a LOT further than we can in similar water clarity. I wouldn't worry too much about them not being able to find your offering.