Cold murky shallow stumpy lake

[gannon311]

This lake is shallow about 8 to 10 foot in the channels and 0 to 6 everywhere else except for the levee,it's around 30 with rip rap on it. The water is 45 degrees with 6 to 8 inches of visibility. What would u do for a pattern?????? The water is a little clearer on the levee. The water is going to warm this week. Going to be 55/60 for 4 or 5 day before tourney. Just need some input. Don't have time to pre fish.

[LOZman]

The water won't warm much, maybe a degree or two. I would use a dark color jig. Black, black/blue, black/red should work well. 45-50 degrees are the temps for a slow retrieved jig. I have a great color jig called Midnight Magic on the Flatlands Custom Tackle site that is great in these conditions.I would also try a slow rolled spinnerbait in the channels and a shallow crank or light weight spinnerbait worked slow around the stumps. Use lures with some vibration for that water color. If the water at the levee is at least 2 ft. clear, try a jerkbait. My first choice would be to fish the channels with the jig and slow rolled spinnerbait.

Good Fishing!

[dchance]

good advice here. I might add that a crankbait can also be effective retrieved slowly.....like a Wiggle wart. another bait to look at may be a bladed jig like the chatterbait with a fluke type trailer. just remember the water is still cold so slow is the key

[WidowMaker]

I would throw a top water bait paralel to the rip rap area on the dam. I would keep the bait one to two foot away from the rip rap for the entire length of the cast. This way the bass will think they have their prey "backs against the wall" so to speak.