You’ve been here before: A storm brought rain or snow a few days ago, and is being followed up by a days-long warming trend that has you itching to enjoy some winter fishing. You brush the dust off your gear, grab a pint of minnow at the tackle shop, and head for the local lake, pond, or river. But when you arrive you discover that the runoff or melting snow has turned the water murky and muddy.
Woe is you! So much for enjoying that break in the weather. But wait a sec—don’t give up on winter angling in tough conditions so fast, dear angler. Yes, it will be tougher to get fish to bite in that discolored water and no, you can’t expect epic-level action. But if you make a few modifications and give it a try, you can still scratch your fishing itch by getting a bend or two in those rods.
The Rivers Overflow
Rivers can become completely unfishable washouts, so one does have to note that these waterways may not be the best bet until conditions improve and choosing a different venue or having a backup plan is a good idea. That said, in all but the worst conditions you can still find catfish willing to bite. Cast offerings with odious appeal into the slowest moving holes you can find.
If the river isn’t a rushing torrent it’s also possible to snag into a smallmouth or two during the winter months even when the water’s off-color, but remember that these fish are sight-feeders and they’ll have a tough time spotting your offering. You’ll have to place your lures exceptionally close to the cover they favor at this time of year like ledges, boulders, and deadfall in deep holes, and keep it in the strike zone for as long as possible. This means tubes and worms you can dance while moving them as little as possible are often a solid choice. And although it sounds counterintuitive, dark colors like brown, black, or purple will likely out-perform light or bright colors in these conditions.
Tidal Tributaries Look Terrible
Whether you were hoping to target white perch or pickerel, all is not lost. You will be best served, however, by using natural baits as opposed to artificials. While offerings like tubes and spinners can work in winter for tidal species like these, when the water is murked up nothing beats a bait with some scent and natural wiggle. Look for the fish in the deepest holes and channels where the water tends to move slowly and expect to find the fish dead on bottom and hugging tight to structure.
The Millponds are Muddy
Again, fishing live bait like minnow is a good move, but if lures are your thing you should expect dark colors to work best. In these mostly placid waters the muddy-condition bites often come quicker if you add some vibrations into the mix, too. Blade-baits like spinnerbaits (for bass) and inline spinners or under-spins (for pickerel) are often the ticket. But leave the silver stuff in the box. In these off-color conditions copper, bronze, and matte black are usually the best choices.
Also remember that many ponds have a lone channel or two running through them, and you may be able to find entire coves or arms which aren’t exposed to the runoff to the same degree. It’s often worth making the time investment of travelling around and up the different arms to see if you can locate one that’s in better shape.
The Lakes Look Lackluster
In bigger waters the same basic rules apply when it comes to colors and blades, but there are a few additional considerations. First off, dark colored water does heat up faster than clear water. If the warming trend has lasted for several sunny days, in the afternoon you might locate largemouth bass in relatively shallow coves (with close access to deeper waters) that have warmed up. Secondly, remember that winter fish generally want to expend as little energy as possible to get as large a caloric reward as possible. So, bigger baits tend to work better.
If catfish are on the agenda, expect to find them along the drop-offs leading into holes and channel edges surrounded by flats. But remember that the cats tend to hunker down in a favored spot or two during the winter months, and likely won’t be roving around. If you don’t see marks on the meter or you don’t get bites, be quick to move on and try another spot. This doesn’t have to mean moving far, though. Sometimes a shift of 50 or 60 yards is all it takes to go from a blank to going gangbusters.
What about those winter crappie? They’ll still bite, though like other sight-feeders they may have a tough time homing in on your offering. This is when vertical jigging with a small blade-bait, which sends out a hum of strong vibrations, can be a killer tactic. Also remember that in off-color water crappie will sometimes stick uber-close to structure; when jigging vertically try holding your rod tip within a foot of a bridge piling or standing timber. The fish will also likely be suspended so either ID the depth they’re at via electronics, or try working your way up through the water column while keeping track of how much line you have out at any given time.
Will you catch more fish if you wait for the water to clear up before you try fishing again? Probably. Will you go stir-crazy while you sit inside waiting? That’s a question only you can answer. But if you feel the itch to fish, we’d say waiting is never the right answer.