Clear, Muddy or dingey?

What water do you guys feel are the most productive this time of year? I have a tournament This saturday. I have a practice day scheduled for thursday. The clear water is heavily pressured as well as the dingey. Would it be a good move to risk it all and swing for the fences by running to the upper end of the lake to fish muddy but less pressured water. I know Last tuesday when the temperature rose, the flippin bite was on at my lake(in muddy water) after about 1:00....Just wondering waht you guys thought?


Thanks,
Jonas Ertel

The muddy water may be less pressured, but you already know you'll have to slow down your presentation even more. Throw in some chartruese and go for it!!

Ive made some jigs to use for this saturdays tournament. I added a double rattle and put more chartreuse in the skirt.

go with the water temperature. that muddy water should be warmer than the clear water. this time of year a couple degrees in water temperature means everything. keep that in mind AND FISH THE MUDDY WATER IF ITS WARM.

Go by your practices and let the fish do the talking. If you are not getting the bites till late then don't waste a lot of time fishing dead water. If you know the lake pretty good (and I'm sure you do LOL) fish the waters that you know can produce nice fish and then go back to the waters that you are getting the late bite on when it is time JMHO

I've thought about your question, and I've tried to run it through my experience, and what I've learned through educational sources.

My first reccomendation would be to consider what is the normal conditions of the water? If the muddy water area is always muddy, then those fish will be used to the muddy water and will eat as normal. But if it is normally clear water, then the muddy water will work against you.

I personally prefer dingy water. Why? Well despite the talk about a fish's eye sight and its brain development not being able to see line in clear water unless that line is very flourescent or the thickness of a nickle, most here believe the fish can see the line. BTW, if they see the line and avoid the bait, why do they accept the hooks? Anyway, if you do believe all that, I'd go with the dingy. In clear water, I believe the light line works so well because it gives the bait a little better, but I've never had a lot of great luck in clear water, unless there is something like wind to break up the light penetration. I personally think it is the sight of our boats that scare the fish the most.

Lastly, let me quote Dave Stewart, find the bait, find the fish. So let the bait fish tell you the best place to fish. If it is muddly water, go with dark baits, and baits that move a lot of water.

Good luck,

Danny