Over the summer I often fish a brackish water bay that has VERY murky water due to a muddy bottom. Surprisingly there are largemouth bass in the bay with the mud bottom. So, to increase my chances in a tough body of water to fish, does anybody have a suggestions? How does one fish such murky water? Do plastics even work? I was thinking chrome crankbaits, but what else works? Thanks!

In murky water I like to use a spinnerbait with a Colarado blade or any crankbait with a wide side to side wobble. I have luck a lot of the time throwing deep diving cranks with wide wobble digging into the bottom.

J.

Brendan,  Here are some suggestions on fishing murky water.  Bass in dirtier water don't rely on sight as much,  they rely more on their "lateral line" which detects vibrations and movements, so... using big bladed spinner baits in bright colors like chartreuse, white,orange etc... also try vibrating baits like shallow running square billed cranks and lipless cranks also in bright colors.  As far a plastics go they do work in murky water.  Find a plastic with a bigger profile like a Berkley power hog.  Something that has a lot of plastic appendages to throw out vibration.  As far a colors go for plastics , go with darker colors like black,blue,purlple.  Also another thing to remember in darker water is that bass will hold tighter to cover so throw multiple casts to whatever available cover you have like;  docks, laydowns, stumps etc... On sunny days always hit the shady side first.  Whatever you decide to go with as far as bait whether it be crankbaits, spinners, you always want to make contact with the cover, bang that spinner on a laydown and let it flutter down.  Slow rolling big spinners can be deadly effective.  Hope this helps.

Alright thanks so much!

Here is your answer.   http://www.harttackle.com/blackhartspinner.html

Here is your answer. http://www.harttackle.com/blackhartspinner.html

Does this mean I should be fishing dark skirted spinnerbaits? Or is white okay too?

Horizontal presentations for murky water I like bright colors.  Depending on how murky the water is,  color might night be that important,  sound, vibration, and size will be a bigger factor.  Just remember to make contact with structure.

When I fish dark murky water, I always use dark colors. Spinnerbaits with a throbbing or thumping blade. No less than 8" worms or lizards if fishing plastics. Scents and vibration are key here. In murky water I will rescent every 4 casts. Also if you do use a spinnerbait I would try to use an Uncle Josh JUMBO black pork frog trailer.

When I fish dark murky water, I always use dark colors. Spinnerbaits with a throbbing or thumping blade. No less than 8" worms or lizards if fishing plastics. Scents and vibration are key here. In murky water I will rescent every 4 casts. Also if you do use a spinnerbait I would try to use an Uncle Josh JUMBO black pork frog trailer.

The largemouth ive caught in this murky bay are pretty small. I havent fished it a ton, so there could be some nice sized ones, but will the smaller ones bite big plastics?

When I fish dark murky water, I always use dark colors. Spinnerbaits with a throbbing or thumping blade. No less than 8" worms or lizards if fishing plastics. Scents and vibration are key here. In murky water I will rescent every 4 casts. Also if you do use a spinnerbait I would try to use an Uncle Josh JUMBO black pork frog trailer.

The largemouth ive caught in this murky bay are pretty small. I havent fished it a ton, so there could be some nice sized ones, but will the smaller ones bite big plastics?

I promise they will. I have caught 10" bass on 12" worms.  You can fish smaller if your want. IMO it's just better to give a bigger profile bait in lowlight/low visibility conditions.

I promise they will. I have caught 10" bass on 12" worms. You can fish smaller if your want. IMO it's just better to give a bigger profile bait in lowlight/low visibility conditions.

If it's shallow, try a chartreuse Manns Baby 1 Minus. I've caught a bunch of fish on these in skinny, muddy water

Try this, it gives off alot of vibration and has two rattles

http://www.wareaglelures.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=49

Uncanny but true, bass that live in perennially dark murky water are somehow able to track a lure

without any help from rattles or scent. Have you ever noticed that bass from muddy water

are just as fat or even fatter on balance, than bass from clear water lakes?

The ideal water visibility for maximum growth rate is estimated to be around 2 feet.

Given a choice, I'd rather fish a lake with 1½ ft water visibility than a lake with 4-ft visibility.

Roger

Although I don't understand how, bass living in perennially dark murky water

are very capable of tracking a lure without any help from rattles or scent.

Have you ever noticed that bass from muddy water are just as fat or even fatter on balance,

than bass from clear water lakes?

Given a choice, I'd rather fish a lake with 1½ ft water visibility than a lake with 4-ft visibility.

Roger

I fish a small lake that usually has about 1 foot of visibility and have wondered the same thing. I've caught bass on shad colored crankbaits and a buddy of mine used to kill 'em on a white lipless crankbait with a few black spots. I guess those fish have just adapted to the permantly dirty water. And because it's always dirty, you can count the fish always being shallow and relating closely to some type of cover. Other lakes I fish are clear and if they get the least bit stained, you're going to have a rough time catching anything.

i'd fish very tight to cover with black spinnerbaits, or black jigs with bulky trailers that push water. strike zone will be smaller than normal so id bang the baits right up on logs etc...

id fish a bigger profile than normal and something that creates a lot of water movement.

Yesterday I fished a small local pond from shore. Water temp was 43 degrees. Recent rains caused a heavy silting, resulting in vis <6". Fished the dam area with a max depth of 12'.

The tactic I used was a modified carolina rig; a 1/4 oz. brass bullet sinker with red glass bead....swivel....1 1/2' length of fluoro....Sweet Beaver, Texas rigged on the end.

Results: 2 decent largemouths; 1 1/2 lbs. & a an ounce under 3 lbs..

My theory was to scrape the bottom with a very slow crawl. The sinker on the glass bead made sufficient "noise" - if you will - and the short, bulky bait was too vulnerable to resist.

Just one of my cold water approaches that has worked for me when faced with "thick" water.

I grew up fishing the Calcasieu River near Lake Charles, La and the lower Sabine River between Texas/Louisiana. Both rivers are muddy to extremely muddy depending on rainfall, both drains through farm land while meandering southward to the Gulf of Mexico and both are brackish as they near the gulf.

You mentioned your river is also brackish which tells me it's tidal; I find that in tidal water it's more about when and where than it is about what. Tidal fishing timing is extremely critical, tidal fish move a lot but can be very predictable. When you catch them pay attention to time and tidal level and get you a tidal chart. Some spots are good on high tide, some on low tide, and some spots are good in between. Your job is to determine when a spot is best and then to duplicate the timing in the future.

Fish tight to any cover

Wide wobble crankbaits(With rattles)

Spinnerbaits with Colorado oversize blades

Large Plastics & Jigs with rattles

You need to move water and make noise

Any dark colored bait that makes lots of vibration and noise will work just fine.