It was the day after a rain. Water clarity was less than 2–3 feet, so it was more stained. I fished in less than 5 feet of water and caught one bass. The main issue was the grass—there was a lot of it, but most of it was dying due to the heat. It wasn’t quality grass, more like pond weed. What should I have done differently? I used a Texas rig with a 5/16 oz weight on a heavy rod and also threw a frog. I tried a squarebill, but there was too much scattered grass for it to be effective.

Keep moving and throw at different angles while rotating through your arsenal. 
If you find them they’ll tell you what they want. 

After a while with no hits, leave. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

big, flashy and noisy.

 

I'll usually throw a spinnerbait on with some big blades in either straight white or black/blue with a paddle tail trailer and slow roll it. My home lake is routinely stained like that and thats the best luck I've had. I'd also find some healthier grass and ultimately try and find the cleanest water. Fishing the "mud line" has worked for others in the past but I've never found a distinct edge on my home lake. 

I would have tried a spinnerbait.

 

What part of Iowa are you from?

Spinnerbait in 75 degree water?

4 hours ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Spinnerbait in 75 degree water?

Absolutely 

5 hours ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Spinnerbait in 75 degree water?

Absolutely. Most lures work all year it just dictates how you work them. 

6 hours ago, Functional said:

big, flashy and noisy.

I’ll throw “bright” in there too for color. Like neon green or white.

 

I fish a lake in the summer that looks like pea soup. Loud, vibrating, flashy, colorful lures are my staple there.

Spinnerbait for sure.

If you're in a boat stay tight to the bank and cast parallel.....a spinnerbait.

18 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I would have tried a spinnerbait.

 

What part of Iowa are you from?

Des Moines, you?

45 minutes ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Des Moines, you?

About 2 hours east of you.

 

Cedar Rapids area.

weightless tex rig worm... cast to the open pockets in grass.  let is sink sexy like.  

 

in dirty water, I think the bass cant see well at all, so they stay in closer contact with cover.  

I think bass will relate more to cover in shallow water when it's muddy and that sure is fun 🙂 

 

Shade-brush-laydowns-sparse vegetation that intersects with structure adjacent to deeper water that is tight to the bank.

If the fish are accustomed to clear(er) water, a sudden drop in visibility will put them on their guard. I'd treat it more like cold front conditions and go with smaller presentations with a lot of action. An UltraVibe Speed Worm or Craw on a light sinker in a bright or dark color over the tops of the weeds that are still green. A small, shallow running crank that will stay above the weed tops, one with a rattle should draw some attention also.  If you can find a different form of cover, they'll be holding tight to it, so choose something that you can place close to it. 

On 6/6/2025 at 7:32 AM, Pat Brown said:

I think bass will relate more to cover in shallow water when it's muddy and that sure is fun 🙂 

 

Shade-brush-laydowns-sparse vegetation that intersects with structure adjacent to deeper water that is tight to the bank.

I agree.  I had a guy tell me it is like being blinded in a smoke filled room.  we would immediately feel for the walls.  

 

same goes for the fish.  they need to be next to something according to him.  

On 6/6/2025 at 10:06 AM, Darth-Baiter said:

weightless tex rig worm... cast to the open pockets in grass.  let is sink sexy like.  

This.  I like worm or Rage Bug; 1/16 or weightless.  There will be bass in that grass, especially morning and evening.   Even if you can't see the holes, glide across, tickling the tops - when you can't feel grass, stop and let it drop. If your bait gets to the bottom and you feel grass when lifting, give it a slight pop, not ripping, but a little jerk.  

One more thing....I don't often catch bass in the dying black stinky grass, bit almost always very close to it.  Not sure why...I'd  guess the dying grass gives off oxygen,  but gets so thick and gunky that fish don't really go in it...or maybe they dislike the funky smell as much as I do

On 6/5/2025 at 1:15 PM, Mike L said:

After a while with no hits, leave. 

Stubbornness is my biggest fishing weakness... but this is such good advice. 

I once went fishing with 3 in the boat.  Delta somewhere.  water was dirty.   one guy got on on a seiko tex rigged.  we kept doing our own thing.  me on the free rig and my other friend pitching a creature.  mr Senko kept catching.  so we in desperation switched up to try and catch up.  nope and nope.   

 

a few weeks later, they went again.   Mr Senko after a decade of fishing together (finally gives up his secret) said, he rigs up his Texas rigs with the hook eye sticking out of the end of the worm prominently.  that way the tungsten weight as something to "click" on.  

 

not sure if that was the diff..but yea.  

I love fishing 1-2' visibility and I rarely have that here.  Most of my lakes are natural lakes or reservoirs with small streams feeding them (or no stream feeding them) so water clarity is usually 5-8'.  Two lakes around here will have 10-20' visibility depending on the day.  When the visibility is a little reduced, the fish are a little less wary but they can still see/feel a bait from enough distance that you don't have to comb every last inch of the lake.  Lures with vibration and noise play a little more which means using more moving baits or plastics with aggressive kick.  All things I prefer to fish.

 

But, as noted above if the fish are used to 5'+ clarity and it suddenly drops to 1-2', the first day or two can be tough.  Better is when the visibility drops to 1' from a storm and then a couple days later it clears to 2'.  That's when the fish will start to get aggressive again on clear lakes.  If the water is always 1-2' of clarity then all the better. In your case, I think you might have hit the tough day.  In that case, a spinnerbait or vibrating jig until you find where they are holding (shallow/deep, tight in cover/edges of cover, etc).  Then you can tune from there.  I'd expect them to be holding tight to cover in this situation.  If that means grass then a spinnerbait can get tougher to throw efficiently so a swim jig with a flappy trailer can work (and also fish up and down the column).  If they are tight to cover and you can pick out the right cover then a big chunk of plastic on a texas rig can be enough to grab their attention.  

On 6/10/2025 at 10:31 AM, Darth-Baiter said:

I once went fishing with 3 in the boat.  Delta somewhere.  water was dirty.   one guy got on on a seiko tex rigged.  we kept doing our own thing.  me on the free rig and my other friend pitching a creature.  mr Senko kept catching.  so we in desperation switched up to try and catch up.  nope and nope.   

 

a few weeks later, they went again.   Mr Senko after a decade of fishing together (finally gives up his secret) said, he rigs up his Texas rigs with the hook eye sticking out of the end of the worm prominently.  that way the tungsten weight as something to "click" on.  

 

not sure if that was the diff..but yea.  

Love how you called him "Mr Senko." Oh that we could all have names like that at some point. 

On 6/6/2025 at 7:09 AM, GoneFishingLTN said:

Des Moines, you?

I’m in the Des Moines area. Fishing been tough with all the rain staining and making muddy water. Not to mention the heat 

18 hours ago, Joedodge said:

I’m in the Des Moines area. Fishing been tough with all the rain staining and making muddy water. Not to mention the heat 

 

We just got another 3" or so last night.

 

I've barely fished in the last 2 weeks.

 

My coffee might have more clarity.

 

 

I haven’t been by there yet but with that much rain like we hit the places fish I guarantee you are up 3-4 feet and solid mud 

Our local lake (330) acres has been pea soup since day 1 this year. Not sure if the mild winter had anything to do with it, but the water is just nasty with what I call "puss". That stringy, dense garbage of dead weeds that you have to pick off the hooks, sinkers, etc.. The excessive heat hasn't helped either. It is the worst I have seen in 24 years.  I have had good days once I figure out what get their attention. This morning I got one on a buzz bait and one on a wacky worm which must have fallen on that Bass's head. I am in Northern, IL. 2 weeks a go I caught 40+ in a beautiful lake in Wisconsin. Night and day. 4 weeks a go I visited a Marine Corps buddy in Minnesota and we caught so many that we couldn't leave until our Wives called and said COME HOME!  I need to move.