# Interesting springtime phenomena



## BASmead (Jan 11, 2008)

It was a few years back. I believe early to mid April, in a small lake I frequent in the Irish Hills Mich area. Super windy warm sunny day. Myself and a friend were having a decent day catching some nice pre spawn female largemouths. We were getting them on Husky Jerks, some very shallow, and some in transition areas. dropoffs just off the spawning grounds. it was windy enough that we were getting a few whitecaps, which is pretty rare in this little 150ish acre pond. in the back of this cove, towards the windswept side, we came across a piece of water that was maybe 20 yards long and 10 yards wide that was stirred up into a chocolate milk colored mudslick. the lake is generally pretty clear, albeit slightly stirred up from the constant hard wind that day. this mudslick was in fairly shallow water, maybe 5-10 feet deep at its deepest. in sort of a non descript area a little ways off shore. we proceeded to catch monsters one after another out of this mudslick on our Husky Jerks. Every cast pretty much, we would both catch one, then the wind would push us up to the shore while we unhooked and released the fish, then we'd double back above the muddy drift and do it again. just toss it in the mudslick and get bit immediately. all big females full of roe. and one hammerhandle pike in there for good measure. They must have been stacked shoulder to shoulder in this little area. It was one of those freak experiences that all bass fisherman dream about. We probably caught and released 5 or 6 giants apiece in 20 or so minutes. Ive never seen anything like it since. I did come across a similar looking mudslick a couple springs later, in the same area even. Of course i got real excited about it but i threw all kindsa lures in there and nada. Any theories on what could have been going on there? i heard that sometimes in rivers when carp spawn, bass will take advantage of the stuff getting stirred up off the bottom. Bass orgy, with a freaky Pike gettin in on it? Maybe some kind of cloud of baitfish spawning or something. Anybody ever witness anything similar? I have no idea, but id love to hear some theories..


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

I've had similar experiences. About two weeks ago I went to a small local pond (prob 20 acres) and on the blown bank it was chocolate milk for about 15-20 yards from the shore. I started making casts into it with a crawdad pattern gold bladed chatterbait and was ripping em out of there, one right after the other. And this was even on a fairly fast retrieve. Also, a similar situation this weekend. No fish in the deeper areas, none in the downed trees and couldn't find them in open water either. But, once we found the 1-2 ft of water the carp were hanging out in and stirring up, once again, one right after the other. It was the end of the day and my old man was getting tired, but I pulled 4 out of the muddy stuff within 15 mins. One coming close to 22". I think the cloudy water makes like cover for them. And I suppose the carp stirring up sediments and microorganisms get the attention of crawdads and baitfish and, in turn, big ole bass. Haha


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

I've done that very thing. Seems that the bass position themselves in the muddy water so they can see into the clear, but are nearly invisible themselves. Big pre -spawn females take advantage of every natural opportunity.


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## kapposgd (Apr 10, 2012)

I think you guys are missing his specific point in saying this was a little isolated patch far offshore while the rest of the lake was clear. BASmead was the patch on top of the water? I ask BC the only thing I can think of is a massive school of baitfish


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

This happens quite often on above ground reservoirs, when then catfish or carp are sifting through the bottom looking for crayfish. I will almost always catch a largemouth or smallmouth on the edge of the muddy spot. Somedays there are lots of little areas that are holding super aggressive bass, and I love taking advantage of it.






This smallie was caught off a similar area


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## BASmead (Jan 11, 2008)

thanks for the replies fellas. I'm leaning towards the carp theory. @kapposgd: the area was a little ways offshore but the area was only maybe 5-10 feet of water, and fairly close to some shallower water. i got up there for a couple days last week and found a couple big girls up shallow, despite a pretty shi**y cold snap. it's on..


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Nice fish and it's been on for a couple weeks now gotta love spring


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