Muddy water is part of bass-fishing life for anyone who fishes lowland reservoirs or even natural waters in agricultural areas. For the most part, anglers avoid it. But O.T. Fears is one pro who isn't intimidated by miles of Yoo-hoo (chocolate milk-colored) water.
Fears says he fishes muddy water whenever he has the opportunity in every season but winter, and particularly in tournaments. Why? Muddy water "has a negative psychological effect on a lot of fishermen.
"You can go to a really muddy body of water and 90 percent of the fishermen will seek out the clearest (creek) arm in that body of water. So muddy water eliminates most of your competition, and allows you to fish for bass that aren't pressured."
Fears also relies on his knowledge of bass biology, which he acquired during his former gig as a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to help his confidence. "I know how far fish can see in that nasty water," he says. "In water where you can't see 2 inches, bass can detect a bait 5 or 6 feet away.
"Bass that grow up in dirty water have no problem with it. Muddy-water bass have developed some sense to see and detect baits in dirty water." But it's different when a clear lake suddenly gets muddy. "Then you are at a disadvantage trying to catch those fish in mud," he says. "They don't react nearly as well as fish that are used to muddy water."
Just Throw a Spinnerbait
Fears keeps his muddy-water bassing arsenal bare-bones simple: "I like to throw a spinnerbait," he says. The one he likes he designed for Bulldog Lures.
"I developed a spinnerbait that I won the 1994 Superstars tournament on in muddy water," he says. "I use a blade I designed for high vibration called a Superdog Blade. It's in-between a Colorado and Indiana (it's equivalent to about a No. 5 on 1/2- and 5/8-ounce spinnerbaits, and a No. 4 on 1/4- and 3/8- ounce baits). That blade has a tremendous amount of vibration, which gives you an advantage in dirty water.
"I also use a high visibility bait," Fears says. "I've been working with the Color C-lector and talking to Dr. Loren Hill about bass eyesight and the colors bass can detect. Through that I've developed a color system that gives that bait high visibility."
That color system is a tri-colored skirt -- chartreuse, yellow and white -- with a pearl/chartreuse trailer and a small 1 1/2-size Colorado kicker blade painted either fluorescent orange or red.
Yoo-hooin' Tips
Here are a few more tidbits from Fears:
> Look for heavy cover, and consider trying out a pistol-grip rod. "Unlike most pros today, I use a pistol-grip rod which lets me place this bait accurately around cover and in small pockets and openings," he says. "With that rod I can do that more efficiently than with a long rod that has straight handle."
> Retrieve "depends on what the fish want. If they want it bumped, I'll do that. If they want a steady retrieve or want it dropped, I'll do that. You have to experiment with different retrieve techniques to see what the fish prefer that particular day."
> In muddy-water lakes, fish the same seasonal areas you would if the water were clear.
