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not too far from my place, theres a part of a river that turns into a shallow muddy creek. it cant be more than 10-15 feet wide at the widest part and maybe 5 or 6 feet deep max. i went out there today with some buddies and caught some smallmouths and sunfish. i caught a little small mouth with this crankbait i was using but the problem is it got snagged quickly after, then i lost a jig and two rooster tails. it seems like theres rock and fallen tree branches hidden all over. how can i fish this type of water without losin so many lures while still catchin fish?
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If you have structure and Smallies together, I would be fishing Tubes or weedless worms.[cool]
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Also, I sometimes like to use floating crank baits, and let them come to the surface and retrieve in little bursts so they don't dive too deep. Keeps them above the snags, and fish seem to love this type of retrieve.
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That is very effective too.[cool]
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most people fly fish these type of rivers, I have several by my house, we even fish set lines right on the bottom of the river and do well, tho the action is not as exciting as much as bait casting or fly fishing. It do have its rewards, I can set a bell on it and pay more attention to those I am fishing with.
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Hey,
Your best bet is going to be a flashy color (as you said the water is murky). Go ahead and try chartruse/white weedless worms and poppers, that should help you conquer the tricky makeup of that body.
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thanks guys, i went back there except it had rained really hard beforehand so the water level was a few feet too high and it looked more like a mudpit than a river, so i got skunked :/ but i have faith
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I might use crankbaits that block the hooks from getting snagged. I make most of my lures to work like this because the best places to fish are the thick structure you are talking about. If the hooks of the crankbait run under it usually the top of the lure will hit the structure and you'll make it through.
I love fishing crankbaits in structure. Plastics work well too, but I wouldn't be shy about using crankbaits. The only problem is that no one who buys lures wants to fish crankbaits in structure. If you're just the average Joe it would cost you a fortune because you would lose too many lures. I make my own crankbaits with some very simple tools that most anyone has around the house. My lures are basically free minus the hooks, so I don't mind chuck them into structure.
I highly recommend trying crankbaits in structure. Once you get some practice you learn how lose fewer lures.
In that murky water, try spraying you lures with w-40. It often will attract fish.
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