Of course, a big advantage of dirty water is it helps position the fish. They feel secure in real shallow water and like to get tight to the cover. I’m amazed at how I can throw all onto the bank, pull my bait in the water and get a bite in places where I wouldn’t expect that to happen.
I’ve learned that a rod with some tip action will help you achieve a softer presentation whether throwing a jig, creature bait and spinnerbait.
A shorter rod helps, too. Because the water is dirty, you don’t have to make long casts. A shorter rod is less cumbersome when doing that.
The softer rod also helps you fish lighter baits, which can be important when fishing that shallow. Pitching heavy baits is easy with any rod, but that’s not the case with lighter lures. A softer rod tip will make it more effortless.
In dirty water, I don’t use anything heavier than a 3/8 ounce. My spinnerbait will have tandem Colorado blades to help slow it down and keep it in the upper part of the water. If pitching, I may go to a 1/8-ounce slip sinker on a Strike King Rodent or a ¼-ounce jig. Bulkier baits with a lot of appendages offer more vibration and stay closer to targets and that triggers these bass into biting.
Since I can’t see into the water, I try to visualize where a bass might make a spawning bed and give it serious thought before making the cast. Again, accuracy is critical.
So is patience. One of the hardest things for me to do is let a bait sit in one place for very long. However, this time of year you have to deadstick a bait, and when you move it, move it just a little.
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Remember, it’s all about the attitude!
