How Bass React To Muddy Water: We mistakenly picture bass as creature at the mercy of their environment. Being cold blooded, bass are affected by water temperature. But as successful predators, bass have learned to adapt and survive in a variety of conditions, including muddy water. Of the many myths concerning bass behavior in muddy water, the most prevalent is that bass leave a muddy environment to find clear water. This implies a mass migration to a clear-running tributary. Bass generally don’t move far in clear water. When visibility is limited, they move even less. How would a bass in muddy water in the middle of the lake know the water was clear a distance away near the dam? When water turns muddy, bass have options. 1. They move shallower. This occurs in reservoirs and rivers. Even smallmouths acclimated to deep-lying structure move shallower when their habitat turns to chocolate milk. Fish can see better in shallow water. One to three feet isn’t too shallow for bass in muddy water. 2. They move closer to objects. Bass in clear water roam from a home base such as a sunken tree or rock pile to find prey. In muddy water, visibility is reduced, so bass tend to hold close to objects. They seek the security of a dock, brushpile, or boulder, perhaps using the object as a reference point. Present lures as close as possible to cover. 3. They move out of increased current. Muddy water and high flow usually coincide. Largemouths in particular don’t prefer fast water. They hold in slack-water pockets, backflows, or behind objects that break current. Smallmouths are at home in rivers, but they also avoid heavy current. Look for them in sloughs or downstream from cover objects. 4. They use other senses in addition to sight. A bass has to see a lure before striking it. Vision is their primary sense even in muddy water, but the lateral line, which can sense vibrations over 10 feet away, becomes more important as visual range is reduced. Bass also use their inner ear to sense sound produced even farther away. Smell is also important in muddy water.
