Hi everyone. I've been reading a lot here and it has generated another question. It seems that bait color selection depends a lot on water color. The terms tainted, stained, and other such terms are used. As I have no point of reference for a baseline I was hoping guys around here would tell me what they consider these lakes to be. The lakes Ive been fishing around here are:

Herb Parsons

Glenn springs

Sardis

Arkabutla

Pin Oak

beech lake

Tunica Cutoff (Yes, I keep a collapsible pole and some crappie jigs on board at all times. Good eatin' )

I appreciate all the help you guys so willingly giveThis is a great place.

Glenn Springs is pretty clear, at least compared to most other lakes around here, you can usually se 8-10' deep there.  Arkabutla is the polar opposite of that, it is rare to have more than 1' of visibility there.  The others on your list are what I would call stained water, 2-4' visibility.  Of course, rains and high winds can make any lake get muddy some of the time and lack of wind and rain can make dirty water clear up periodically.  As a general rule, go brighter, slower and noisier with your baits the dirtier the water & vice versa.

Herb Parsons Stained

Glenn springs Relatively clear

Sardis Stained/ Muddy

Arkabutla Muddy

Pin Oak Relatively clear

beech lake Relatively clear

Tunica Cutoff Stained

My definition:

Clear: Gin clear like the reservoirs of the White River

Relatively clear: 5-8' of visibility

Stained: 3-5' of visibility. Usually green (lakes) or sometimes grayish (Tennessee River)

Muddy: Mississippi River

All the ponds I fish in the metropolitan area are

stained except in the dead of winter when they

become relatively clear.

8-)

Thanks RW.  That gives me a great reference.  Sorry about the misplaced post.  I gotta learn the boards here better.

can only speak to Pin Oak/Beech watershed lakes--on a sunny day, with a big spinner bait, jigged up and down hard--you can't see them much past 3-5 feet deep 8-)(my opinion)....so, I would call them stained.