hey guys..any advice about bassin in mid 40 degree very muddy water?

Color wise id go with Black or Grape. This time of year just hard locating fish.

Lures that move a lot of water, contrasting colors, & fluorescent colors

Fish structures you know, that have produced for you in the past. Fish slow. Dragging a dark tube can work wonders sometimes.

if theres any wood around, try it. Ive read that bass move to accessible wood in muddy water.

It sounds like a perfect application for a Chatterbait.

I cought a couple in the 4 lb range last weekend in that water temp and clarity with a black spinnerbait. Slow, slow, slow

Large big bladed, bright colored or black spinnerbaits

Jigs with rattles

Crankbaits with a wide wobble and bright colors.

The more water you can move the better.

If you can go down lake or stay out on the main lake river ledges and points where the water might not be so muddy. Hunt for the clearest water you can find.

If the whole lake or river system is off color the upper end and the back of the creeks will be the first to clear.

If the system has any grass hunt for it as it tends to filter and clear around it also.

Jack

thanks guys ..thats some great advice and remineded me that i have 3 new chatterbaits i havent tried yet!!!

mid 40 degree very muddy water?

Stay home.

Seriously, your time would be better spent lubing reels or reorganizing tackle. 

a black/blue/peuple jig with a rattle fished really slow may work. you have your work cut out for you though

XR75. Rayburn Red or chartrouse. Do it.

my expierence led me to try bright hyperactive colors. they failed me. ive stuck to blacks, i second the grape as a good one. and colors like green pumpkin.

i like tossing a jig with a chunky enough profile to move some water and a few rattles on it. work it slowly. a black jig with a few strands of blue in it and a half a berkely power worm in elec grape is a goto on a few of my local lakes/mud puddles. but this is ohio. ur in NC. i have no idea what the bass wanna see down there.

last thing to say, my oppinion on chatterbaits is to leave them at home. i hate the things. i can get similar noise and vib off a spinnerbait with this blade that has a colorado and a huge willow blade for the main blade. theyre riveted together. its this ugly thing, which the name of it is escaping me! (Sorry) but it puts out tons of noise and thump and its not as prone to snaging as ive found chatterbaits to be.

hope this helps some?!

mid 40 degree very muddy water?

Stay home.

Seriously, your time would be better spent lubing reels or reorganizing tackle.

You got that right. Cold muddy water is one nut I can not crack. And by muddy I mean chocolate milk muddy, stained is one thing...........in fact it may make a bite turn on in other wise gin clear water, but they seem to run from the mud when the water is cold.

mid 40 degree very muddy water?

Stay home.

Seriously, your time would be better spent lubing reels or reorganizing tackle.

You got that right. Cold muddy water is one nut I can not crack. And by muddy I mean chocolate milk muddy, stained is one thing...........in fact it may make a bite turn on in other wise gin clear water, but they seem to run from the mud when the water is cold.

curious to know where u two are from!? because i know in northeast ohio we fish any day of the year that doesnt include ice on the surface (someof us even fish then. but the idea of fishing thru a hole in the ice seems like a bad plan to me)

well as much as it has rained here so far this winter if i stayed home because of the mud i'd hardly ever get to fish..so instead i'm hopeing to pick up a little tip here that might help..so far i have managed a few fish on jerkbaits and also on rattle traps.

Buncha Pansies ;D

The lake I mainly fish has maybe 6-8" visibility and fluctuates from completely frozen over to 85* in the summer (water temps).  Anything colored like a crawdad gets destroyed.

Had good luck with a dt-4 hot mustard color.

On Saturday we had a club tournament, just after a huge storm had come through for about a week.  Out of 8 boats, 6 were skunked, the two that caught fish looked for clearer water.  I suggest trying to find the clearest water possible.  We were pretty much fishing chocolate milk the whole day

I agree, don't waste your time searching for fish that won't bite in weather that will.

Cold & muddy water makes for hostile conditions, when you need to move LOTS of water.

I use a wind-up soaky toy, and if it doesn't work,

at least I've got something to watch

                                                               

Roger

Went out yesterday for the first time in 6 weeks mainly to run the boat. Post front conditions and low 45* muddy water= skunked. Did find an 18' hole that I had not seen before and it had fish piled up in it on the sonar. Tried dropping a jig to em without sucess. Tried a 10" worm also, just could not get them to bite. Wish I would of had a heavy Spinner bait to slow roll along the bottom. If you can catch fish in these conditions you get my respect.

If there is clear water within 30min don't waist your time.

well as much as it has rained here so far this winter if i stayed home because of the mud i'd hardly ever get to fish..so instead i'm hopeing to pick up a little tip here that might help..so far i have managed a few fish on jerkbaits and also on rattle traps.

You got that right! My boat has been dry for a month and a half waiting for Wylie to look more like a lake than a chocolate milkshake. 

I have never had much luck in Wylie under those conditions. When it is warm at least you can go shallow and pick some up.

yea well at least its clearing up some on the upper end even around the hothole so maybe things will pick up soon

yeah just in time for the next round of storms Friday and Saturday, lol.

I am glad to hear it is clearing up a little bit. I usually launch out of South Point and it clears quickly usually. Hopefully I will be out there again soon.