Where do you think bass go in muddy murky water?  Water had less than 6" of visibility and heard this lake stocked channel catfish a week ago.

I figured the bass would stay tighter to cover so I casted shallow into weeds, tules, and into rock piles with soft plastics only. I casted out into dropp offs as well but not a single bite. I am using high contrasted baits in dark brown, black, blue.

About a dozen of boats were out as well and no one was catching. I saw them casting top waters, blades, plastics, etc. Everyone looked stumped out there.

I would use a big blade spinner bait, buzz bait or a whopper plopper or a bladed jig or a square bill with a knocker in it or a rattle trap or something that gets their attention and is fairly easy for them to track. Target, shallow areas and heavy cover and try to get your bait to make contact with whatever cover is available.

What pat said, but just know that for the first week or so going from crystal clear to murky (either from mud or algal bloom) they get tough. It’s like someone turned the lights out for them and they don’t like it.

What Pat said, and hit that stump MULTIPLE times.

In addition to the vibrations suggested above I say try some flash and color. Spinnerbaits, underspins, pearl white soft plastic flukes all have helped me. With really murky water I find working a slow retrieve is good, as it seems to give the bass time to notice, locate, and bite your lure.

I think they move tight to structure.

Everyone has given excellent advice for these conditions, however I will just mention from experience that a recent stocking of fish can have a massive impact on the bass bite. I have no idea if it works that way with catfish stocking. I've never tried to fish a lake after catfish stocking, but I HAVE fished numerous times immediately after saugeye, walleye, and trout stockings.

With saugeye and walleye stockings I have loaded the boat with bass by 'matching the hatch', starting right at the dump point, and working my way out into the lake in all directions while carefully fishing every single piece of structure/cover. With trout stockings I have NEVER caught a bass with this technique. I have intentionally planned to fish saugeye stockings. It's a predator-eat-predator world under the water.

2 hours ago, BigAngus752 said:

Everyone has given excellent advice for these conditions, however I will just mention from experience that a recent stocking of fish can have a massive impact on the bass bite. I have no idea if it works that way with catfish stocking. I've never tried to fish a lake after catfish stocking, but I HAVE fished numerous times immediately after saugeye, walleye, and trout stockings.

With saugeye and walleye stockings I have loaded the boat with bass by 'matching the hatch', starting right at the dump point, and working my way out into the lake in all directions while carefully fishing every single piece of structure/cover. With trout stockings I have NEVER caught a bass with this technique. I have intentionally planned to fish saugeye stockings. It's a predator-eat-predator world under the water.

You may be onto something. Several lakes in my area have stocked Trout and I've seen a handful of anglers cast big swim baits to imitate trout to catch these Bass. But as for soft plastics it's nearly impossible to trigger a bite as I believe Bass are more keen to hunting Trout. Other murky lakes I've gone to that do not stock fish, and are self sustaining of bait fish, insects etc are easier to trigger a bite, but this is my opinion and could be unrelated to different regions and bodies of water. I have also avoided fishing when Carp are present when fishing for Bass.

Like I said above in my original post. I saw a dozen boats fishing for Bass targeting potential structure points, using flashy, loud lures, and did not see a single person land one during my outing. Those that were targeting catfish, caught them but as for the anglers targeting Bass everyone looked stumped. Weird day for sure, but a skunk day makes me think on how to approach is differently the next time this happens.

6 hours ago, Lottabass said:

What Pat said, and hit that stump MULTIPLE times.

I hit it MULTIPLE times, no bite. I guess it was just one of those weird days.

6 inches of visibilty is not uncommon where I fish. I throw a lot of spinnerbaits, bladed jigs,buzzbaits... Shallow and tight to cover . I use easy casting lures that I can cover water with quickly and precisely .I'm not accurate at predicting where the fish will be , so I cast at everything. They may be in the back of pockets, main lake and everywhere in between.

Adding to my post. Early in the year , muddy water is differnt than now. A big Colorado bladed spinnerbait for example, can catch bass . On the other hand . a properly placed lure, like a small spinnerbait may get slammed by bass . If a bass is occupying a stump a quieter lure will not sneak past it unnoticed. I will purposely try to sneak a less obtrusive lure past places where a bass may be waiting just to have it annihilated

5 hours ago, scaleface said:

Adding to my post. Early in the year , muddy water is differnt than now. A big Colorado bladed spinnerbait for example, can catch bass . On the other hand . a properly placed lure, like a small spinnerbait may get slammed by bass . If a bass is occupying a stump a quieter lure will not sneak past it unnoticed. I will purposely try to sneak a less obtrusive lure past places where a bass may be waiting just to have it annihilated

I probably set myself up to get skunked since I decided to a finesse only challenge. I did cast to areas of cover multiple times with no bites so it ruled out if Bass were in the area. I will have to approach it differently next time around and bring flashier baits for murky waters.

I like big plastics and big jigs in muddy water and sometimes you just gotta go low and slow near that heavy shallow cover! Another great muddy water target bait is the old popper. Just cast it near the laydown or grass line or brush pile and let it sit til ripples are dead and then bloop it good and let it sit and then bloop it again etc. Sometimes in muddy water fish will not chase regardless of how flashy or thumpy it is. You sometimes gotta stay in the strike zone for the whole “retrieve” to get bit.

I luv me some Muddy Waters,,,,,,

yeah, just throw a curly tail grub. they work magic in muddy water.

i usually fish in very muddy water, and i catch loads of bass

6 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

I like big plastics and big jigs in muddy water and sometimes you just gotta go low and slow near that heavy shallow cover! Another great muddy water target bait is the old popper. Just cast it near the laydown or grass line or brush pile and let it sit til ripples are dead and then bloop it good and let it sit and then bloop it again etc. Sometimes in muddy water fish will not chase regardless of how flashy or thumpy it is. You sometimes gotta stay in the strike zone for the whole “retrieve” to get bit.

I thought I was in the strike zone for a long time. Probably 10-15 seconds at a time before retrieving. But I'll give it a try the next time I head out there.

I seldom have brown water because of all the thick green grasses we have everywhere in South Florida. Lots of grass to filter the water. My biggest job is moving to the cleanest I can find, and away from dirty water. The only time I have experienced this is fishing Ga. after heavy rains and their red clay. I might as well been fishing the moon that day. I would use a big U-Vib and let that tail vibrate like crazy at different depths!

Is the water normally muddy, or did it just recently get really muddy? Water that is newly muddy, they'll take a minute to adjust, but then it's usually game on as those fish that are use to clearer water tend to be easier to catch and less wary about your presentation.

If it's normally muddy, they tend to stay very shallow and tight to cover, but I've found they can still be very picky about your bait and presentation. I think maybe it's because they're high percentage hunters in dirty water where their prey can't detect them as easily, so they learn that they can be pickier, which requires us figuring out exactly what they want to make them move.

I usually go for a lightly weighted, dark colored plastic or a dark colored bladed jig as my first option.