clear water tactics

[goldie11]

Just wondering how you guys fish clear water lakes. Color? presentation? depth? i've been fishing a very clear lake that i know holds alot of fish but i cant get them to commit on any baits. any suggestions?

[cbrooks]

On clear lakes that I fish(Elk, Mantrap)I will use bulldogs, super D's or Shack attack pretty much exclusively except through cover. I will start fishing deeper out as well. Usually a cast length out from the first drop off and work myself in until I find a pattern. Some people will say fish windy and overcast days are your best bet for clear lakes.

[Andrew Erickson]

yeah i agree on the windy,overcast days, much better for clear lakes. The clearest lake ive ever fished was mantrap and we fished it on a bluebird day with no wind whatsoever. All the fish we saw were burning showgirls and smaller bucktails. faster the better. If your'e seeing the fish during the day but can't get them to commit, try fishing at night. Throw the big blades and slow them WAY down just to get the blades spinning. I've even had sucess with mags and pounders because they move so much water. Clear lakes can be dynamite at night. Natural looking baits are your best bet. Hope this helps. good luck

[RUNnGUN]

We had success fishing a very clear Minnesota lake last year throwing dawgs inside-out into DEEP water. Saw quite a few fish and caught a nice 4-footer. This is not an application to do every day, but this was a high sky, no wind, hot day. Anyway, something to possibly try when you encounter a day like that...

[Esox_Magnum]

I fish clear waters daily during season, about any color has worked over the years. My best day last year was 12 follows on a cloudy misty day, with a 47 to show in the net. Had another morning from sun up to 9am shouls have put 4 in the net but only got 2. Another day a buddy and I saw 9 in 2 hours got 1 should have had 3. We got alot of follows but also get many on the 8, night fihing for us just dont go for some reason so we just fish during the days. FWI our water clarity can be as good as 20-30' at times.

[goblueM]

We had success fishing a very clear Minnesota lake last year throwing dawgs inside-out into DEEP water. Saw quite a few fish and caught a nice 4-footer. This is not an application to do every day, but this was a high sky, no wind, hot day. Anyway, something to possibly try when you encounter a day like that...

interesting that you mention that, because my best day (3 in the boat) came doing that exact thing, on a clear lake, on a hot calm and high skies day

that said, night fishing on clear pressured lakes is probably the way to go

[-Marc V-]

FWI our water clarity can be as good as 20-30' at times.

No wonder you see so many follows! Just joshin'. Have to say it would be pretty frickin' neat fishing a lake that clear.

[Esox_Magnum]

Not always that good but can be. Pleasure boats stir it up plenty. But it is cool watching them come from half a cast away to nail your bait at the boat to.

[nater]

It's fun to see them coming in from a ways out in clear water but blows when peal off 5 feet from the boat for no apparent reason!!

[10,000 Casts]

Color- in clear water I don't think it matters as much. A little more life like/matching baitfish is a good idea. More Whites, Silver and Blue baits, But yellows, golds, coppers and black and reds can be good too. A good bait is a good bait. I like Perch color baits more in clear water.

Presentation- Everything can work if you are in the right places at the right times.. Big Blades, Small Blades, Dawgs/Medussas, dive and rise jerk baits and glide baits, Topwaters of all kinds. I really like smaller twitch baits.

Depth- 0 to suspended over 80ft. Inside weed edges, outside weed edges, buried in the weeds, way off of the outside weed edge in 30 fow, deep and shallow Sand/sandgrass, Rocks, Reefs, around sunken treasure, open water. Time of year and conditions i.e. cloud cover, pressure, wind, sun up, sun down, feeding times, night ect.

It sounds like you see fish but can't get them to go. Mark them on your gps and keep coming back on them until they go. different baits, feeding windows, moonrise, moonset, sunrise, sunset, different wind conditions, try at night ect..

[goldie11]

thanks for all the info guys

[RK]

Hiya -

Couple thoughts...

- I think boat control is a big deal in clear water. I tend to stay farther away from stuff and make as long a casts as I can. I will also fish off the edge and look for suspended fish more. Muskies sometimes seem to suspend almost like crappies do - at the level of the top of a piece of structure, but 30 to 75 yards off the edge itself. Usually within a cast length unless they're suspending over true open water (which they also do), but if you only cast to structure, you're missing fish.

- RUNnGun mentioned fishing spots 'inside out.' Very, very solid advice...

- I tend to fish speed baits a lot in clear water, whether it's fast topwaters like buzzbaits, small, fast bucktails, or flashy, erratic minnow baits.

- I like natural colors in clear water. That having been said - chartreuse can kick in clear water on bright days...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Dave_Williamson]

Somthing you might want to try is speeding up your retreive and covering more water. Or I would try working your lures with as much action as you can. One thing I have noticed on clear lakes is you want to do whatever you can to get those fish to commit before they see you and your boat.

[bemidjibasser]

Early in the season I like to throw small baits in clear water. Not necessarily your typical muskie baits either, more like bass size/type baits.

[Esox_Magnum]

Dave season opens May 21 here come on down and try your luck. Bring Jeff back down with ya, him and Trav make a good pair in Travs old dingy lol.

[Dave_Williamson]

Yeah.......That would be fun. I am planning on hitting up Pomme De Terre in Missiour some time in April and May. Maybe on the way back we could chase some of those Iowa muskies.

[Esox_Magnum]

Always can make room for you guys.