Cold muddy water

[danielbasspro]

Im fishing a new lake its very small with a creek that runs to a waterfall where the water is clear. The main lake and most of the creek is very muddy and the outside temperature has been 26 degrees and the fish have slowed. what are some baits I should give a try? there are lillypads,a few sticks, but absolutely nothing on the bottom, just mud that really smells.

[Backwater Charlie]

A Jig of about 3/8oz and a crayfish trailer with a chartreuse end. Crayfish stay in the mud, if you drag the Jig across the bottom, the fish will think it's a crayfish. 3/8oz because you said it's a small lake, and downsizing can work in Winter.

[keithdog]

These conditions remind me of early ice out conditions here. I'd try a chatterbait. I've had great luck with chatterbaits in very cold water situations. I suspect it is because a chatterbait can be worked very slowly while maintaining an attractive action to the bass. My go to bait in these conditions for years was a Rattlin Rouge worked slowly. But the chatterbait has replaced my trusty Rouge.

[Tavery5]

I would try the jig also, I would use a good size trailer without allot of extra movement. A weightless stick bait might be an option.

[bamabassman]

Ok,,, gonna give oyu some advise on where to look my friend. Look at ZOOKER'S profile and go through his posts and threads. He LOVED muddy water. And he mostly used CRANKS in muddy water. So my advise is to use LOUD cranks. But like i said, look throuh ZOOKER'S threads and posts.

[BBD]

I've been having luck on chatter baits, jigs, weightless senkos, and shakey heads during this cold weather here in North Florida.

[Imgoodatwhatido]

If your gonna fish a jig I would recommend a pork trailer. They will always hold onto a pork trailer longer than plastic and it will also leave a scent trail. I like to take my pork trailers and remove the factory scent and replace it with a craw scent of your choice.

[lilmule]

Chatterbaits in darker colors fished more like a fast jg than a spinnerbait,senkos yes also mr money swimbaits used unweighted around those pads,and any time pads are up floating frogs are good as well does not matter if 50 f water and 36 f air temp,my first frog fish last year in ky lake occurred on march 29th,air temp in the forties but pads were up,water temp about 49.It hammered a king spro 1 oz frog.
Your area is warmer normally with a very early spawn,what feb ?
Target shallow bays or coves on the west side.
Note color of the grass,fish is a keeper over 15 in.

Those early pads are great fish hangouts even when sparce.

I live in Tn and have caught fish topwater 10 months of the year,9 on frogs,if I lived in fla would use one year round.

[Solidbad]

I agree with fishin a jig. Try a dark colored jig with a fairly subtle action trailer. In the colder water I like to fish a yum crawdad trailer. They have very little action and an extremely realistic look, which can be useful for cold water fishin. Just slowly drag it through the mud and it'll give off the appearance of a crawdad. I'd go with a bigger jig with the cold temps- around a 3/4 ounce or somethin similar. For scents, try the bang crawfish. This technique will not only catch bass when they're too picky for most other lures, but it'll catch the big bass you're after. Good luck man!