In order to be a successful angler, you must first accept one simple fact. There are times when fishing is tough. Wind, weather, and any number of factors can effect our ability to locate and catch fish. They are, after all living, breathing creatures. And this reality is what keeps folks coming back. Don’t get me wrong, we all like those days when it comes together, but it would be a bit boring if you could go out and catch boat loads of fish on every outing. Over time, fishing would lose it’s appeal. It’s like the old saying goes, the thrill is in the chase.

On the other hand, no one likes to get skunked. Fishing is a sport that is learned by trial and error, but if you don’t catch anything it is hard to establish if it was the weather, the presentation, or the location that were to blame. In other words, a successful pattern must be established before an unsuccessful one can be eliminated. Tough circumstances will sometimes dictate that we abandon what has been working, and try something new. It is these times that define us and our abilities as anglers.

Spring is probably the favorite time of year for most fishermen. Warm weather brings the fish to shallow water where they are easier to catch. But along with spring time comes the dreaded “blue bird”. These are the days directly following a spring cold front. Blue bird days are marked by gusty winds, blue skies and a high barometer. Largemouth bass seem to go into an absolute lockjaw under these conditions.

Bass have an area of interest known as their strike zone. If you can present a lure in this strike zone you are likely to entice a fish to bite. On blue bird days this strike zone shrinks. Fast moving lures such as crank baits and spinners that worked before the front, will often not register interest during this period. The ticket here is to go to small, slow moving lures. Jigs and soft plastics should be your first choice. Another key is to target structure. Bass like the comfort structure affords, and will stay very close to docks, stumps and grass lines on these bright, clear days.

An absolute stumper during the spring can be muddy water. According to your water temperature gauge the fish should be there. They were there yesterday. Then the rains came, the cove muddied, and now you can’t buy a bite. Believe me they’re still there, they’re just harder to catch.

Bass feed by using two major senses, sight and feel. Muddy water reduces their ability to see prey so they must rely on feel. Feel as it relates to fish is associated with vibration. Much like our ears give us the ability to hear, fish feel vibrations through their lateral lines. Using these lines they can determine the size, speed and direction of approaching prey.

My “go to” bait when the water gets muddy is the jig. With multiple rubber strands, a large pork chunk or crawworm, and loud rattles, a jig can often save the day. A very good fishermen once told me, “never fish deeper than your waist in muddy water”. And this is sound advice. By reducing the depth, you increase the chances of a fish finding and striking a lure.

If you need to cover a lot of water, your next choice for muddy conditions should be a spinnerbait. But don’t make the common mistake of throwing the same spinner that worked in clearer water. Change over to a darker color like black or brown, add some rattles to increase vibration, and by all means, switch to a single large Colorado blade. This combination of color, sound and vibration will draw vicious strikes in off-colored water.

Over the next couple of months, you will probably be confronted with these two tough fishing situations. Don’t be discouraged, the fish are still there you just have to work a little harder to catch them.