The lake: River chute - Largemouth Bass

Water : stained to muddy

Air Temp : 51 F

Water Levels - Hvy T storms 2 days earlier

Structure Types: cypress, buck brush, logs, rock bank, boat docks

Deepest part : 20 - 30 ft

Time of Year : prespawn, early spring

How would you fish it?

big wide wobbling crank baits

drag a big plastic worm or ratlle jig slow accorss the bottom

...and a big spinnerbait slow-rolled.

I would use some kind of t-rigged creature bait and vibration baits like the Lucky Craft LV300 or similar.

When faced with stained/muddy pre-spawn conditions one should look for contour changes along the bottom. From your description I would target the cypress trees, buck brush, and logs because these are potential spawning areas. The bass will be hanging out near this cover until conditions are right for spawning, until then they will move shallower or deeper depending on weather and water temperatures. You also mentioned heavy thunder storms which may have produced a rise in the water level; this will not only move the bass shallower but scatter them as well.

Lure selections would be any thing you have confidence in that offers accurate casting

I think the fish would be cruising around the areas they will spawn in. I would try to cover alot of water with a big spinnerbait and crankbait since the fish will probably be spread out. If that wasn't producing good enough, I would flip some of the boat docks and maybe give the rock banks a try.  

Flipping jigs and creature baits at the bases of the cypress trees and right into the middle of submerged buckbrush bushes is tough to beat if the fish are there.  Definitely use braided line in this stuff.

big wide wobbling crank baits

drag a big plastic worm or ratlle jig slow accorss the bottom

Also rattle traps or spinnerbaits fished over flats and points near spawing areas.  If you find flats with fish using these, then slow down in that area and work it over top to bottom with a combo of search baits, and then fish plastics/jigs and pay real close attention on the drop.

Stained muddy cold water??? I'd fish jigs tight to whatever cover they are holding in. SLOW.

Flippin a 1/2 black jig with a blue trailer in the cypress, bull rush, and docks adjacent to deeper water. Early spring high water, muddy conditions are actually a plus in my area. It tends to push the fish a little shallower and they hang tight to cover. I have caught some of my biggest bass of the year under these conditions.

another thing to do is find the mud line where it meets clearer water especially near any structure. then i would like some guys said above throw something with vibration and noise.

I would drag a carolina rig near the docks, and use rattletraps over flats near channels. Probably use jigs near the rocks and the cypress trees. I like to line up with mudlines with a crankbait or spinnerbait, and make it run right down the line, making it swim in and out of the darker water like a baitfish. I would also bump spinnerbaits and crankbaits off of submerged logs to get some reaction strikes. If all else fails, I would cast my special dynamite crank bait into high percentage areas and force them out...  

Two rods needed:

Flipping stick with rattleback 3/4 oz jig for cypress and any wood. Use a contrast craw as your pig.

A ring worm with 1/2 oz t rig.. Fish as deep as posible in any strucure..

The fish will be way back in the woods.

Capt Mike

In muddy water I like to use a flippin stick with a 1/2 ounce blue and black jig with a rattle, flip it around cypress trees and any lay downs you can find. My second choice would be a either a 1/2 or 3/8 ounce white strike king spinner bait with colorado blades, slow rolled in and around cover.