How many of you base your fishing approach strictly on water clarity? For example, if the water is clear, do you automatically fish deeper, and if visibility is only about a foot, do you stay in the five-foot-or-less range
 

do you stick to that depth if not getting bit?

I don’t.  I like to be where I can cover the shallow to 20+ feet with one cast.  

What is important to bass…feeding! Bass are located near their prey source, don’t forget that! Locate the life depth zone and prey depth that is where the bass will be, not where we want them to be!

 

Tom

Strictly no, there are too many conditions that play into the day's strategy for one to be the only deciding factor, but it definitely has an impact on what I will throw.

As for the second question, It's mostly a confidence thing. If they are showing up on the fish finder at a certain depth and I see baitfish following my lure, then I will switch up my approach before targeting a different depth.

Depends.  Most of the time it is a consideration, but not the only determining factor.  If the water is visibility is less than a foot, It becomes my main consideration, and I will not fish deeper than 10 feet, in water that is extremely muddy.  In clear water the bass can be anywhere from right on the bank to the bottom of the deepest hole.

I’ve seen fish in 6 inches of water down to 60+ feet in obnoxiously clear water, so no real adjustments there. 

I don't but I am trying to get better about incorporating it into my plan. Clarity has always been something that I consider when choosing a bait/color or even how they relate to cover, but I often forget to account for it when trying to decide if I'm going to start deep or shallow. 

If the water is super dirty I'm finding them very tight to cover.

 

If it's fairly clear, it all depends on shade availability.

 

Just me, no expert.

I always fish shallow in muddy water 10 foot or less, usually less. In clear water there are no limitations. I use to have a light meter , that Bass Pro sold. In muddy water, I'm talking just a couple of inches of visibility , the light meter showed zero just a few feet down. 

Well I live in PA where it's a miracle if we can ever see more then 2' in the water...

I'll change the lures I fish and I will chose the lakes for the day based on what I expect clarity to be, but it doesn't change my depth aside from the super clear lakes give you more leeway on a jig and minnow setup if you're chasing fish.  They can see it from further away so you don't have to be quite as on top of them, at the same time if the water is that clear then you need to stay way back from them.

The muddier the water the shallower the thermocline.

21 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

If the water is super dirty I'm finding them very tight to cover.

 

If it's fairly clear, it all depends on shade availability.

 

Just me, no expert.

I agree with this but how about depth don’t think it’s as important?

4 hours ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

I agree with this but how about depth don’t think it’s as important?

 

Well, if the water is fairly clear, and there's not much shade available, I would expect them deeper.

 

But if there's shade, say overhanging trees, I think those places almost hold fish 24/7.

 

Once again, NO expert.   

You ever caught a blind eye bass? Catching a bass with one eye is common is all types of water clarity and at night because vision is only 1 sense bass use to find prey. Basically both sides of the bass is a long lateral line ear that feels water vibrations to alert the bass that prey is around them. They also have close range hearing and a sense of smell, vision is another well developed sense but not essential to locate prey.

Water clarity affects depth of light for anglers to see and depth of baitfish that rely on their food source and affects where the bass will be located.

Tom

I take changes in water clarity into account. One of the lakes I fish never has visibility over 2-3ft. IMO, the fish have adapted to the point that their vision is still the predominate sense they use. 2-3ft becomes their maximum strike window. If the water muddies up, it's like fishing after a cold front, that strike window is reduced. Their other senses become more important and presentations that offer more vibration and sound get bit. The same goes for clear lakes where the visibility is significantly lowered.