Best Lure for Fishing in Muddy Waters

Everyone wants clarity, whether it’s in the sky, in the water, and just life in general. Unfortunately, we can’t control everything and sometimes things just get downright dirty and muddy. Whether it’s rain, snowmelt, or sediment, there are plenty of reasons why your local waters can get muddy. 

Once you find yourself in murky waters, you can bet that your chances of fishing success go down exponentially. Since most gamefish (such as pike, walleye, redfish, and brown trout) rely heavily on eyesight to hunt, all those pretty-looking baits and lures you have stashed in your tackle box are no longer as effective when the visibility is low.

When the waters get muddy, we don’t blame you if you want to pack up your rig and head home. However, with the right technique and approach, you can be just as successful in low visibility. There are plenty of aggressive ambush predators such as largemouth bass that can be caught in muddy waters that can detect prey using their highly sensitive lateral line.

In muddy waters, the name of the game is to increase the fish’s ability to detect your bait. While everyone has their own definition of what the best lure may be, here are some tips to help you find the best lure for fishing in muddy waters.

3 Important Things to Remember When Visibility is Low 

When the visibility is low, there are three main things your lure has to be: bigger, colorful, and loud.

1.Bigger is Better

Water clarity directly impacts visibility so using lures that are larger than usual makes sense. For example, if you normally use a 4 to 5-inch plastic worm in clear waters, around 8 to 11 inches for muddy waters is a good range to work with. Although it may seem exaggerated, remember that you’re no longer going for a subtle presentation. Besides, starting with an 8-inch worm always leaves you room to shorten it if needed without losing much action.

2. Let Me See Your True Colors

Needless to say, there is a wide range of colors to choose from when it comes to lures. However, you’ll want to use a color that creates a striking profile in murky waters. Some tried and tested colors to use would be blue, black, white, red, orange, and chartreuse.

3. Feel the Vibration

Some of the best lures to use in water with low visibility are those that produce sound or sound waves. Adding a rattle to your lure or bait can make an immense difference, as the sound will draw in the fish. 

The Best Lures for Muddy Waters

Now that we've discussed the main characteristics your lure needs, it's time for us to move on to the best lures for muddy waters. 

1.Crankbaits

Crankbaits are a great choice because they cover all the basics of what a lure needs in murky water: size, noise, and vibration. For starters, crankbaits are slightly larger and heftier in comparison to other lures. Secondly, they are an attention-grabbing bait that can produce significant movement and sound, especially if they have rattles on them. Finally, they come in a variety of bright colors. 

We suggest using shallow diving square bills in shallow water that have touches of orange, red, or white. They are great for bouncing off any obstacles or deflecting off cover to trigger nearby fish into striking. If you decide to go into slightly deeper waters, then a lipless or deep-diving crankbait is a better choice, especially when going after striped bass.

2. Spinnerbaits

Spinnerbaits are a popular choice for muddy waters with their flashy profile and prolific movement. If your lure is a combination of a spinner blade and a jig, these create more sound waves than others. You’ll want at least one of the spinnerbait's blades to be a Colorado or willow blade as they can create more vibration. When using larger blades, you can try going slower on the retrieve to increase your chances of hooking your target species. Using red or orange accents can help your lure stand out better in murky waters and are great to use on largemouth bass and redfish.

3. Chatterbaits / Bladed Swim Jigs

Chatterbaits or bladed swim jigs are similar to spinnerbaits as they emit a good amount of sound and vibration and let you cover a wide target area. It’s best to use these when fish are aggressive and feeding in shallow water, especially in grassy areas or near docks. They are highly visual bait with large swimming tails that attract loads of attention. You'll want to stick with a lure that has a combination of dark and bright colors such as black, blue, white, or chartreuse. 

Jigs

Once you find yourself a potential hotspot with active baits, you can try your luck with a jig. Using a dark black and blue jig with rattles can create quite a commotion in turbid waters. If you’re fishing in an area with plenty of vegetation, switch up to a flipping jig; if you're in wide rocky waters, a football head jig is more effective.

Texas Rigs

If flashy and active moving baits aren’t working, then you can call on the faithful Texas rig. However, you’ll need to use soft plastics with a bit of heft to them, such as large dark-colored worms or wider creature baits with “appendages”. Moreover, just like with the jig, you may want to up the ante with some rattles by placing a bead between the hook and weight for some clicking noises. As a weedless rig, this is a great option to use in dense cover without worrying that your line might get snagged. 

See the Difference

When the water has poor visibility, you’ll need to be more patient than usual. Even if you’re fishing in one of your favorite spots, don’t be surprised if you need to make multiple casts at the same point to catch the fish's attention.

Shallow waters and areas that are thick with vegetation are often the best spots to try your luck in muddy waters. Fish move to shallower areas to feed more efficiently and they seek vegetated areas because the water clears up quickly in those parts. 

Now that you're armed with this extra knowledge on the most effective lures to use, you should well be on your way to getting more bites even though the water is muddy!