With heavy rains forecast for the East Coast the rest of the week, I thought I'd share a quick tip for those itching to hit the water after the storms pass. With rain comes runoff and said runoff causes lake waters to muddy in tributaries and creeks, sometimes even the main channel. The rain water and muddy runoff causes two things: the water will warm for a brief period (this is more true in winter/early spring) and a "mudline" will form. The warmer water will help jump start cold, sluggish fish to become more active and they in turn will tend to setup along mudlines. Have you ever been out on your favorite lake and suddenly go from clear or stained water to muddy water? That is a mudline for all extensive purposes.
Though often times conservationists want to fight storm water erosion and runoff, it does actually provide important nutrients for the water, resulting in healthier and larger fish (the down side is water quality is affected and some fish species may be pushed out of a body of water due to this). With fresh nutrients in the water due to recent runoff, forage species such as shad and herring will be concentrated in these muddy areas. Of course we all know that predators follow the prey and fish such as bass and catfish will do the same, often being found adjacent to or just inside the transition from clearer water to muddy water, especially if there is good structure around that they can relate to (a hump, standing timber, a sunken brush pile, a shallow flat next to a channel or deeper water, etc.).
So keep that in mind while you are watching it rain these next few days, ready to go as soon as the first peek of sunshine breaks through the milky gray sky. Or tough it out and get out there while it is raining (as long as the wind doesn't want to blow you off the lake or it's raining so hard you can't see the end of your rod), taking advantage of the rains impact on the water as it happens. Either way, remember to look for those water clarity transition areas and be ready to set the hook. Tight lines!
-C.B.
Though often times conservationists want to fight storm water erosion and runoff, it does actually provide important nutrients for the water, resulting in healthier and larger fish (the down side is water quality is affected and some fish species may be pushed out of a body of water due to this). With fresh nutrients in the water due to recent runoff, forage species such as shad and herring will be concentrated in these muddy areas. Of course we all know that predators follow the prey and fish such as bass and catfish will do the same, often being found adjacent to or just inside the transition from clearer water to muddy water, especially if there is good structure around that they can relate to (a hump, standing timber, a sunken brush pile, a shallow flat next to a channel or deeper water, etc.).
So keep that in mind while you are watching it rain these next few days, ready to go as soon as the first peek of sunshine breaks through the milky gray sky. Or tough it out and get out there while it is raining (as long as the wind doesn't want to blow you off the lake or it's raining so hard you can't see the end of your rod), taking advantage of the rains impact on the water as it happens. Either way, remember to look for those water clarity transition areas and be ready to set the hook. Tight lines!
-C.B.
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