Rains Can Mess With And Muddy An Angler’s Mind

Posted: June 12th, 2013 by Bill Dance

We got such a downpour/deluge the other day that critters around here suspiciously started lining up in pairs. Now, I am no Noah, probably couldn’t build a canoe, much less an ark, so it had me nervous. But I do have several boats ’round my house to launch in the event such rains continue. I just wonder if there’s enough bass baits loaded on board to fish for 40 days and 40 nights? A few peanut butter and crackers might not be a bad idea, either!

Seriously, for anglers a big rain can be a doubled edged sword, or fillet knife. We fishermen love water, right? The earth is three-quarters water, and sometimes it seems we still don’t have enough places to fish! Yep, water’s basically our playground. But, too much, too quick can cause problems. Among these problems is muddy to stained conditions in our favorite fishing spots.

Obviously, fish in muddy water can’t see as well and rely a lot on sound and smell. Light penetration is not nearly as good, and the oxygen content is much lower at deeper depths in deep water. The lack of light penetration at deeper depths

hampers aquatic growth, which is primarily restricted to the shallows. This is one reason why some of the biggest bass in muddy-water areas are caught in the shallows.

Muddy-water fish also feed more throughout the day and are often more object-oriented. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to target that isolated cover, like old stumps, especially on the muddy days.

On the plus side muddy and stained water warms more quickly, a good note for winter fishing. And actually, fish see much better in the dark stuff than most of us think. An element of sound, rattles, clicks or vibrations has gotta help your baits get bit.

Of course, at certain times of the year, warm water rains can create hotspots at locales where creeks pour into reservoirs where the water temps might be cooler.

Really high water is going to scatter the fish, object oriented or not. And a weather front has obviously passed through if it rained. And we all know, the bite after a front is often going to be very tough. So, sometimes you just have to (as hard as it is for me to say it) not go for a day or two, and let things settle down.

And oh sure, you can consider that (really) clear-water bass are spookier and can become hard to catch. They’ll school up and move around more, and should chase your lure father compared to fish in the stained stuff.

Pros and cons are all around when it comes to rain, lack of, and muddy and/or clear conditions. We just have to take the situation at hand and make the most of it. We have to be a pond is half full kind of person.

When you really think about it optimists are the best fishermen. They take what they have to work with and go fishing. Pessimists never leave the house, and that’s probably also where they are sitting on the couch when you call on the way home and tell them how “you shoulda been there!”

Either way, come hail or high water, I will catch you later.

As always, catch one for me!