muddy water tips

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i found a lake near my house that is filled with fish, two guys could shoot 100 a night easy but it is really muddy when we troll we cant see a thing until we're right on top of them and they spook and by then its too late. I would say clarity is less than six inches. anyone have tips on shooting muddy water tactics?
 
I guess it all depends on what, if anything, you can see on the fish. If all you can see are mud boils where the fish in rooting around in the mud, lots of luck. In the places where I shoot carp the water is often so muddy that sometimes all I can see is their tail fin just below the water. In these cases about all you can do is give it an educated guess where you think the rest of the body is, aim there, and hope for the best. And most of the time even then you'll miss.
 
yea were seeing mud boils especially in one small bay. Anyone ever tried anchoring and dumping a can of corn or dog food to get them to surface?
 
If the water is muddy everywhere, there are some options. Fish gotta eat even in the mud, and they are able to find food. After all, a bass can find a black plastic worm on a dark night and a crappie will eat minnows at night, so they don't have to see them. They do react by holding closer to cover and don't chase food as far though.
 
Well first off, since you did not specify I hope these fish in question are legal fish to shoot in your location/state. When shooting in chocolate like that can be tuff and it surely does take some luck. If you are in a boat at night I assume that you are using lights of some sort. I have found the more the better in these types of situation b/c it doesn't necessarily penetrate better but gives you a little more coverage over the water to get a shot off. Sometimes you just have to deal with fish that might be flighty and you have to make quick shots cause thats all you have. Also, you may try to shoot these fish from the bank if you have access that way and possibly during the day. I have found common carp feeding like this while sight fishing around mid Spring and I would just watch the boil where they were feeding and wait till I could see enough of them to take a shot. Another option is to wait till the commons start spawning when there will be many of them together usually in shallower water and near the bank.
 
Also some locations/states it may not be legal to bait/chum for fish so make sure to check local and state regs. A lot of times when fish are breeding they don't care a whole lot about feeding right then.... :mrgreen: they busy!!!

Other options when water clarity really stinks is to find areas of backwater that may not have continously flowing water which may be a bit better. Also check "pinch points" where water may be funneling through confined or shallower areas because a lot of rough fish love to swim up stream at times and these types of areas can concentrate fish to where you can see them as they swim through. Washouts in old road beds, culverts, flooded roads are just some examples. Dave.
 
i dont know how your getting close to the fish but you might cut a long sapling and try poling close
 
Deadmeat said:
I guess it all depends on what, if anything, you can see on the fish. If all you can see are mud boils where the fish in rooting around in the mud, lots of luck. In the places where I shoot carp the water is often so muddy that sometimes all I can see is their tail fin just below the water. In these cases about all you can do is give it an educated guess where you think the rest of the body is, aim there, and hope for the best. And most of the time even then you'll miss.
Try to see even a fin and fire away!!
 

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