"There's really only one or two places where you can get out of the mud," said Covington bass pro Jason Pittman, "but the fish aren't in them anyway. Since the Pearl drains most of the North Shore, any rain there or in southwest Mississippi is going to make it our way. It may not be muddy on the rise, but the mud is usually only about a day behind."

According to Pittman, the bass can be caught in these conditions if anglers slow down and realize that they've basically got to knock the fish in the head to get a bite. The only two options are either to fight the strong current in the West Pearl or to fish the slack, muddy water to the east.

"Look for fish to be thick on the outside bends," said Pittman. "These fish have yet to leave the river to find a place to spawn, and they'll eat tandem blade spinnerbaits with an orange lead blade or a black/blue jig with a bright trailer like chartreuse pumpkin."

Pittman's most favored muddy-water areas: the cuts and sloughs below Highway 90.

TOLEDO BEND
Muddy water at Toledo Bend is a tale of two sides: The northern part of the lake above Pendleton Bridge can get extremely dingy; the creeks on the southern side of the bridge hardly ever do. This is due in large part to all the grass that filters the water as it moves southward.

"Most people try to get away from the muddy water if they can," said Toledo Bend veteran Dennis Tietje, "but the muddy water is often where the biggest stringers come from during the early part of the year. Most people head down to the clear water, so the muddy water in places like San Miguel, Patroon, San Patricio, La Nana and Converse are less pressured when it's muddy."

Tietje remarked that while he might start the day fishing a big soft plastic like a Brush Hog, a big craw worm or a Sweet Beaver, he changes over to a Rat-L-Trap sometime around noon, after the water has warmed a bit. His most profitable colors are variations of orange or deep red.

"By that time the fish have moved off the cover by 3 or 4 feet," he offered. "The main thing is your presentation has to be either really loud or really slow. I like to key on fallen timber, big standing timber or thick brush if it's accessible. Leaning logs seem to be prime muddy-water cover."