Water Clarity

This is a big issue for lure fishermen and the opinions are many and varied but here is what I think I have figured out that is true for our Bass grounds. Many anglers that I fish with feel that mucky, murky or cloudy water is the kiss of death to their lure fishing. There is no doubt that I have far more confidence when the water is clear but I have caught Bass and sometimes really good bass in murky water. So what do you do if you arrive at your mark and find that the water is dirty, first thing if you think it wont fish then use your head, just because one mark is dirty dose not mean they all will be. The colour in the water may well be related to the wind direction and the direction in which the beach is facing, so do you know a mark that may be facing in a different direction and be more sheltered from the breeze.

If you are going to fish then a couple of tips, are walk your mark find spots where the water may be a bit clearer, this may increase your chances. If you are however on a mark where the water is regularly dirty then things are a bit different. I think the bass adjust to the dirty water and take plugs far more readily than fish that are used to clear water. I tend to use plugs that make a bit of noise so get out those rattlers, also jointed plugs can be useful when the water is dirty. I lived on the east coast for a bit last year where the water was regularly dirty and did well on a feed shallow.

The fish pictured was caught two years ago on a Wexford reef system where the water is normally crystal clear and you can see from the return photo that the water had turned well murky. Just before the ban came in I was on a Waterford mark that is very exposed and it was milky I fished for an hour with not a touch ten had a big fish turn right at my feet after following the plug all the way in, not catching this fish was due to not being able to see him follow, I was fishing blind and therefore did not stop the plug to get him to make up his mind! Sight fishing can be a big advantage. The Bass pictured earlier in the blog at last light in April was spotted following and therefore caught because I could adjust my retrieve.

So in short just because the water is not bang on dose not mean you will catch nothing, it may reduce the number of fish but there is still the chance of a fish or two, sometimes even a good one.