Fishing after a rainstorm

[texasbasser]

its raining pretty hard here and should keep going for quite a while...Ill be able to go out tomorow at the state park and was wondering what ya'll would use after a rainstorm?

[lizardsrule]

If the water is rising the fish will usually be along the shoreline. If it's falling then they will back off the shoreline. You may have both of these after a hard rain depending on how long you fish, and what is draining into the lake. If the water is muddy, then the bass will usually stay close to cover, so pinpoint casts are a must.

Lizards

[bassinbob]

For me the best action after a rain is around laydowns. Flipping creatures with a weighted T-rig.

Bob

[flamez]

superflukes spinnerbaits and buzzbaits maybe even a rattlin rogue or an xrap

[FlyRod]

TB, (cough, cough.)

As a general, not absolute, rule, heavy rains (Yeah, Buddy! We got clobbered here in San Antonio and more predicted for later.) will cause an increase in turbidity. Even our usually clear highland lakes, such as Medina, Canyon, Travis, and Lil' Ol' Boerne City Lake, will cloud up. Sometimes the entire lake, or at least the upper reaches or areas with considerable runoff, will go from "Gin" to "Latte" in short order.
In those conditions, you might do well by putting away the more translucent and subdued soft plastics (watermelon, smoke, pumpkinseed, etc,) and throwing more visible shades...Chartreuse, pure white, hot pink, etc...or, perhaps better yet, "Loud" lures. Spinnerbaits with Colorado or Oklahoma (Boomer Sooner!) blades and chartreuse/white skirts a may be the answer in the shallower waters. A trailer hook, cover permitting, will be a helpful addition. White or chartreuse blades, rather than chrome or gold, could help too. Don't be afraid to experiment.
Maybe a "Chatter"-type bait? How about inserting a rattle in a hi-vis soft plastic or casting a rattling jig with a white skirt and a white or chartreuse trailer?...Key word; Noise!
Also; cranks, medium to large, in the more vivid shades might produce. Suspending baits in vivid colors, fished with frequent pauses, might work well too. If you are fishing deep, so much so that you can't get a crank down to the suspected "hangout", then a large (1/2-1 oz.) Rat'l Trap, Rattlin' Rap, etc., in Chartreuse/Blue Back, Chartreuse/Purple Back, and so on, might be the ticket. You can count it down to whatever depth and try varying retrieve rates, including a "Crank, Stop, Fall, Repeat."
Remember that as the water clarity declines, the bass's target acquisition increasingly depends on sound and vibration rather than sight. Still, the bulkier and larger (= more visible) profile if a 1 oz. 'Trap vs that of a 1/4 oz. will likely be the better choice.

FR