Bass fishing in clear water is a lot of fun but it can also be tough, intimidating and provide anglers with some unique challenges. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to fish a variety of crystal clear reservoirs and lakes in my home state as well as other parts of the country.
I’ve learned that one of the key elements of success to bass fishing in clear water is your lure, bait and technique selection. These are key components that every angler must consider when fishing in clear water.
So what are the best baits and lures in clear water? In clear water bass are mainly feeding off of site instead of sound or vibration. For this reason, its super important that you fish with natural looking baits and lures. In other words, you want to use lures that closely resemble what the bass are feeding on.
In this article I will share with you everything you need to know about catching bass in clear water including the best lures, baits, rigs, tips and techniques that you can use to help you catch more bass in crystal clear water.
Let’s get started.
9 Deadly Ways to Catch Bass in Clear Water
When the water is clear bass can see you and your presentation from a far distance. There is no need to throw noisy, bright colored lures to grab their attention in most cases. You are better of throwing something that looks natural.
To help make this decision process easier for you. I’ve compile the following list of the best baits, lures and rigs (in no particular order) to use when bass fishing in clear water.
All of these lures, baits and rigs are proven bass fishing techniques that can be absolutely deadly in clear water conditionns.
Here are the best ways to bass in clear water:
Drop Shot
Best for: open clear water in rocks and small vegetation on the bottom
Recommended Setup: Roboworm & Drop Shot Weights
The drop shot is an ultimate finesse fishing rig that excels at catching bass in clear water. You can fish it deep, shallow and anywhere in between.
This finesse tactic is designed to be fished off the bottom and really shines in clear water situations or when the bite is tough. It allows you to create plenty of action by shaking the rod tip and can draw in bass from a distance.
When the situation calls for a clear water bass finesse technique, the drop-shot rig is pretty hard to beat. It catches both size and quantity and excels in clear water and tough fishing conditions.
One of the keys to catching bass on the drop shot rig is selecting the right bait. Here are some of my favorite drop shot baits: Best Drop Shot Baits for Bass Fishing.
Here is a tutorial on how to rig and fish the drop shot rig by Aaron Martens who is a professional bass fishing angler that specializes in this technique:
Swimbaits
Best for: covering water and catching quality fish
Recommended Setup: Keitech Fat Swing Impact and Swimbait Jig Head
Swimbaits in my opinion are one of the best ways to catch bass in clear water. They are versatile bait that allows you to cover water and are one of the best ways to imitate natural bass forage.
One of the most affordable and best swimbait options is a Keitech Fat Swing Impact. They come in a variety of different patterns and sizes so that you can easily match the hatch on your lakes.
If you want to catch a lot of fish in clear water than a finesse swimbait is the way to go. If a trophy size bass is your goal than it’s worth investing in a larger more expensive swimbait like a Huddleston or a glide bait.
Check out this video below by Tactical Bassin who do a great job at going over the different type of swimbaits and the setups you need for each one.
Ned Rig
Best for: open clear water in rocks and small vegetation
Recommended Setup: Z-Man TRD and Ned Rig Jig Head
The Ned Rig has taken the bass industry by storm lately and for good reason, this simple rig is a killer way to catch bass anywhere in the country.
This is an unbelievably simple fishing method that can consistently catch you a ton of bass in clear water. If you haven’t already tried the Ned Rig then it’s something that you should consider giving a shot.
The Ned Rig consist of a simple light jig head and a soft plastic bait which is typically small worms similar to Senkos. Although there isn’t much to it by any means it flat out catches fish and shines in clear water.
For more information about fishing the Ned rig check out this in-depth article: Ned Rig – The Ultimate Guide – Tilt Fishing
The next time you are fishing for bass in clear water give the Ned Rig a shot, you’ll be surprised on the size and quantity of fish you can catch on this simple setup.
Jerkbaits
Best for: clear water, suspended fish in light wind and sunny to partly cloudy days
Recommended Jerkbaits: Strike King KVD Jerkbait
Another great lure to use when you are fishing in clear water is a jerkbait. This lure is especially deadly early spring and in the fall but can also be effective year round.
Jerkbaits are phenomenal at triggering sight-induced strikes from any nearby bass. It shines in cold and clear water conditions and is a fantastic way to catch both largemouth and smallmouth bass.
For more information about fishing jerkbaits check out my complete jerkbait fishing guide: Jerkbait Fishing – Everything You Need to Know.
Top Water Lures
Best for: Clear calm water and in low-light conditions (shade, cloud cover, sunrise/sunset)
Recommended Top water Lures: Whopper Plopper, Zara Spook, Popper
One of my favorite ways to catch bass in the spring, summer and fall is with top water lures. There is nothing like seeing a big bass blow up on your top water lure.
My favorite top water lures to use in clear water are the Zara Spook, Poppers and the Whopper Plopper. In clear water you want to select lures that will look as natural as possible for that reason I like ghost patterns and anything that closely resembles baitfish.
Check out this YouTube video below by Tactical Bassin. They cover how to catch bass using top water lures and share some helpful tips and techniques.
Senkos (Stick Baits)
Best for: all around clear water applications, deadly around docks, in shade, cover and other high percentage areas
Recommended Setup: Yamamoto Senko and either a wacky hook or ewg style hook with a bullet weight
Senkos are an absolute bass catcher this bait will catch fish anywhere, anytime and pretty much in any condition. This is a versatile bait that can be deadly wacky rigged in open water and Texas Rig when you are fishing in cover.
If you haven’t fished a Senko before or would like a refresher check out this article by Field and Stream on how to rig fish a Senko for bas.
Jigs
Best for: targeting bass in heavy structure and rocks
Recommended Jigs: Strike King Finesse Jig
Jigs are one of my favorite ways to target big bass in heavy cover and in open clear water. They are a great way to imitate crawdads and other bass forage and are solid options for both largemouth and smallmouth bass.
In clear water I found that the more finesse jigs tend to outperform bulkier jigs. The smaller profile will allow your jig to look more natural in clear water and get you more bites.
For some tips and tricks about fishing a jig, check out this video tutorial by Scott Martin who is a professional bass fishing angler and is a jig expert.
Neko Rig
Best for: targeting fish on the bottom in rock, grass and other high percentage areas
Recommended Setup: Senko or Stick Bait with Neko Weight and o-ring
Another great technique that will trigger a lot of strikes when fishing in clear water is the Neko Rig. This is another finesse presentation that consist of a soft plastic stick bait, a nail weight and o ring where you place your hook.
This setup is designed to be fished near the bottom and excels at catching all species of bass in clear water. The next time you are fishing high percentage areas in clear water give this technique a try you’ll be surprised with how many fish you can catch on this simple rig.
For more information about the Neko Rig check out this video by Jacob Wheeler a professional bass fishing angler that breaks down everything you need to know about the Neko Rig.
Shaky Head
Best for: open clear water in rocks, vegetation and all around fishing situations
Recommended Setup: Shaky Head Jig Head paired with a Robo Worm Fathead Straight Tail or Big Bite Baits 6-Inch Squirrel Tail
If you are fishing in clear water and want to catch a lot of fish than the shaky head is an excellent choice. This technique works especially well when you know the bass are in a certain area or on heavily pressured fish.
A shaky head rig is a small jig head with a light wire hook paired with a soft plastic bait, typically a worm or creature bait. This technique excels in tough conditions and shines all year long in clear water.
Check out our in-depth Shaky Head guide for more information about catching bass with this rig:
Shaky Head Rig – Everything You Need to know!
The Shaky Head is a killer option when fishing in clear water and can be used all year round to catch a ton of bass. If you haven’t already given this technique a try I would highly recommend you do so.
Fishing with the right bait or lure is critical for clear water bass fishing success. However, there are also some key strategies and techniques every angler should be aware of when targeting bass in clear water.
Let’s discuss some tips that will help you catch more bass in clear water.
Tips for Targeting Clear Water Bass
When bass fishing in clear water simple mistakes can be costly and result in you not being able to catch fish. However, there are some key and simple things that if done right can result into some amazing days on the water.
Here are some strategies and tips that will help you catch more bass in clear water:
Make Long Casts
Making long cast will not only help you stay in the strike zone longer, but will also help you catch a lot more fish. This is especially true when fishing in clear water. If you can see fish, then they can see you and will be less likely to bite. Make longer cast and you’ll see your catch rate go up.
Use Light Line
When the water is clear it’s best to power down in line size. Lighter line is less visible and will allow your baits to look more natural. A small line size change can make a huge difference and can result in a lot more bites.
Be Stealthy
Being quite, keeping your distance and not splashing your baits as they hit the water are always important in fishing, but in clear water they are an absolute must. In dirty water the bass tend to be more forgiving and aren’t as picky.
However, this isn’t the case in clear water. So make sure to quietly stock your fish by keeping a distance and being quite. You will catch a lot more fish that way.
Downsize Your Lures
If you are fishing in clear water and you aren’t having any luck, try downsizing your baits and lures. Often times more finesse style baits and lure sizes will be more productive and allow you to catch bigger fish.
Shade is Key
Bass will often utilize the deepest, darkest shade in an area. Simply put shady areas are likely to hold big bass. For this reason, it’s important to target these areas in clear water. Stick baits, worms, flukes, jigs, are all great options in these situations.
Use Natural Colors
Clear water bass fishing is all about sight. Your objective is to make the bass think they are after a small bait fish, crawdad or something they are used to eating. The more you can closely resemble the bass forage the more success you’ll have. That’s why fishing with natural colors is so important.
I’m not saying that bright and unnatural looking colors won’t work in clear water but the odds are natural colors like green pumpkin, browns, whites and blacks are going to be your best bet most of the time.
Learn How to Skip
Being able to skip a small jig, fluke or wacky rigged senko in clear water can absolutely be a game changer. Skipping will allow you to get to the heart of docks, laydowns, brush and other types of overhanging cover where the bass live and reach bass that other anglers simply can’t get too.
Here is a video by Wired2Fish that illustrates how to make skip cast with a spinning setup.
For more information about catching bass in crystal clear water check out this article by Tactical Bassin: How to Catch Bass In Crystal Clear Water
Best Bass Fishing Colors for Clear Water
A key component of any bait or lure is its color or pattern, especially when fishing in clear water for bass. Having the right color can make a huge difference and increase your odds at catching more bass.
So, what are the best color of lures and baits to use for bass in clear water? In clear water the best colors are going to be natural colors. You want to use colors that closely match the baitfish and forage in the water that you are fishing. In most waters the best natural colors are: green pumpkin, brown, black, white or any color that resembles baitfish.
Now, I am not seeing other colors won’t work in clear water because there is definitely a time a place when bolder and bright colors catch fish but in general stick with naturals colors when fishing in clear water, you’ll have a lot of success that way.
Best Line to Use in Clear Water
Having the right gear and equipment is super important when it comes to bass fishing in clear water. A common question I get from other anglers is: what is the best fishing line to use in clear water for bass?
In my opinion the best fishing line to use in clear water is fluorocarbon. It’s super sensitive and the least visible underwater, making it a great option for clear water and line-shy bass.
Final Thoughts
Clear water bass fishing can be both challenging and rewarding. The next time you are targeting bass in clear water give these baits, tips and techniques a try and let me know how it goes.
Best of luck out there
Aaron