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Location: 412 | I was fishing at a small shallow stained lake (around 700 acres).. you can only see like a foot and a half or so down even with the brightest of lures. It's roughly 6 -14 ft deep with average of probably 8 ft or so. Lots of lily pads and other plant/weeds on the edges of the lake. It's man made and doesn't have a lot of physical ground structure, some wood poking up in spots in random parts of the lake. I wouldn't said there's a lot of weeds because the sun can't penetrate the dark water.
Fished a total of around 30-35 hours with only 2 fish caught and a follow. Two people fishing. I'm relatively new to the sport, and I'm wondering what would your tactics be on a lake like this. The weather might have played an impact being that the two fish hit within the first hour or so of fishing on the first of four days (got hit with rain and temp drops). However, we fished it twice earlier this summer and got skunked. It's just we fished pretty hard and I was expecting a tad more considering this was an "action" lake. I know someone who once boated 11 muskies between him and his partner in one day.
Thanks for the advice,
MP
Edited by Musky Punch 7/3/2009 12:57 AM
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Posts: 1286
Location: WI | Sounds like a couple lakes I fish once in a while. If the water is really dark, make sure you figure 8 after every cast. |
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Posts: 106
Location: On Lake St Clair Michigan | Any suggested baits? |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | For heavily stained water, large bucktails are supposedly ideal. They give off a lot of vibration which helps fish key in on the bait. Llungens, Cowgirls and other large bucktails or spinnerbaits would be ideal. |
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| At a forum this spring I heard an expert on stained lakes opine that chartreuse and black is a good color combination for these waters. Unless it's over-used, firetiger also comes to mind.
In bucktails, for me, gold blade with yellow skirt has high visibility. |
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Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | These tips may help.
1. Full figure 8, every cast. Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they aren't there.
2. Jerkbaits are pretty much out. Possible exception of a Burt because with three .44 cal balls in it there is enough noise to find it.
3. Noisy baits.
A. Spinnerbaits (can work them through anything, I like single blade, but that's just me)
B. Double bladed bucktails (copper, brass, flourescent blades over black tails)
C. Loud topwaters (globe, super topraider, hawg wobbler, buzzbaits)
D. Minnowbaits (jake, both loud and flashy)
4. Loud colors aren't always best. Black is a great color in dark water because it is always darker than its background. Jailbird is worth considering too. I've heard a little glow on a bait is a sleeper but haven't tried it.
5. I've seen fish hold extremely shallow in very dark water. As in 1.5-2 feet shallow.
6. I'd try the thickest deepest weeds, even if that only meant 3 feet deep. I've never had luck with stumps, but have seen downed trees produce. If all else fails, I would try the breakline along the channel, especially where any bends occur.
Then the final thing to try...
7. Go someplace else. |
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Posts: 720
| Hi Punch,
I agree with Tyler. Louder and slower. Remember in water that stained you are going to miss seeing a lot of followers. If you know the fish are there throw on a Hawg Wobbler. Its a wonderful bait. |
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Posts: 1286
Location: WI | I'm going to disagree, I've caught fish on Smity bait jerk baits, and had lots of action on subtle topwaters like a Topper Stopper in very dark water. Loud isn't always necessary.
Blk/org for bucktails, and chart or orange have been good colors for me. Blk or org for topwater is always good it seems. |
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Posts: 1023
| fish can hear and see incredibly well in dirty water - way better than most humans could ever imagine. Anyone who has fished for trout with tiny flies or in coloured water with tiny flies will attest to that. Having said that, I would throw a chartreuse and black bucktail or spinnerbait (or orange and black). Then you give 'em noise, brightness and black all at once. |
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Posts: 2361
| I'm surprised muskies can survive in this type of water. Sounds like they are unable to catch much besides one legg'ed frogs. |
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Posts: 131
| It's amazing to me just what fish can find in dark, soupy water. I really like stained water because it seems that you don't always have to wait for sun-up or sundown windows to get into them. Seems like really dark water is cover in and of itself and you can often catch fish right in the middle of the day. |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | kyle@bigwoodmuskylur - 7/3/2009 10:46 PM
It's amazing to me just what fish can find in dark, soupy water. I really like stained water because it seems that you don't always have to wait for sun-up or sundown windows to get into them. Seems like really dark water is cover in and of itself and you can often catch fish right in the middle of the day.
I agree.
Stained water doesn't necessarily have to be viewed as a challenge or certainly as a bad thing. Sometimes the best fishing comes out of stained lakes... |
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Posts: 222
Location: c.wis | orange/ fire tiger/ chrome/black/chart- I agree with the others, my best luck has come in stained water, use it to your advantage- the fish cant see you, make sure you dont have to piss-sometimes the fish will sneek up on you-lol |
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Posts: 556
| I fish this type of lake all the time---Yes like others have said--Bucktails , Minnow twitchbaits and topwaters have all worked great for me. I use the bright colors not only for the fish but also for me so I can follow the bait better. Figure 8 and slow it down are great advice, I also have lots of hits and misses in this type of water--probably don't see all the followers either---But if you find an active fish he will get your bait---Love to fish these lakes on sunny or calm days when the clear water lakes are a little tougher to fish. I also see almost no activity when the sun goes down, so that's when I pull the boat out and head to a clear water lake. Good Luck and don't give up on the lake. I have caught many nice Musky out of these smaller stained water lakes. |
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| rumbler |
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Posts: 909
| Is this lake in PA? I might be able to help!
Brian |
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Posts: 145
| Brian, if thats not a lake that you fish then may god strike me here right now.......  I swear your part of this story somewhere.......
Jacob |
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Posts: 311
Location: Ontario | For what its worth, Suicks, Bobbies, Super Shad Raps and the colours 'white' and 'natural perch' are some of our best lures in really dark, shallow, weedy water. I'm pretty sure the aquaphone lure-testing posted here a year or so ago pointed to Suicks as one of the easier lures for fish to feel based on vibration, too. I can almost guarantee you that a jerkbait, bucktail or surface bait that kills fish in clear water will catch 'em where the water's dark too and vice versa. White's a great dirrty-water colour not many people mention. We're on water every week where you can go from gin-clear to coffee just by rounding a point or heading thru a little channel. Baits that work on fish seem to work on them in both types of water. My buddy catches fish on hot colours in the gin water and I get them on naturals sometimes in dark water lol. |
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | Orange or yellow suick, twist the tail so it shoots out of the water every three or four jerks. Dynomite on dark coffee lakes. |
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Posts: 909
| Jacob, The dude painted a pretty good picture of that lake didn't he! LOL!
Brian |
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Very Shallow Stained Lakes