A New Standard for Bass Camps
Back Lakes Odyssey
Clear Water Tactics

Clear Water Tactics
Bill Rivers, Ontario Fisherman

North-country fishermen know all too well the unique problems of fishing clear water lakes, and they have learned, through experience, that these tough situations can still produce great fishing. By making a few minor changes in tackle and presentations, you can become a more successful angler and enjoy consistently good catches, even in the clearest of lakes.

Sometimes referred to as "finesse" tactics, the subtle and systematic changes needed for clear water angling success can be quickly accomplished and easily applied to many types of fishing. Then, if you have to (or want to) fish at clear water sites, the following tips will absolutely improve your angling technique, catches, and confidence.

The secret to successful clear water fishing is to employ a non-intrusive presence, lighter tackle, natural baits / colours / finishes, slow presentations, and strategic timing at key structural locations.

Using these tactics will help:

Distance yourself from the fish. Fish deeper water or suspended fish. Make long casts. Use an adjustable float / bobber. Tie long leaders for trolling approaches. Put out planerboards, side planers, jet planers, Dipsy Divers to get lures down and away from the overhead presence of the boat an prop wash.

Minimize your presence. Reduce noise in the boat and limit your movements. Along the bank or shoreline, keep out of sight as much as possible. Wear subdued, natural / earthy coloured clothing - even camo. Paddle or use an electric trolling motor. Watch where your shadow falls. Turn off the stereo.

Use thinner, lo-visibility line. If your fishing would normally call for 12-lb test line, move down to 8-lb test; from 6-lb to 2 or 4-lb test.

Remove unnecessary terminal tackle - e.g. snaps, snap swivels, leaders, split rings. Use a suitable knot instead.

Downsize all baits, lures and tackle including hooks, sinkers, minnows, lures. In clear water, smaller is decisively better.

Enhance the appeal of your offerings. Use live baits or scent / salt impregnated lures. For lures, choose natural baitfish colours or those which closely resemble indigenous crayfish, leeches, frogs, insects, etc.

Slow down your presentations (e.g. trolling speed, lure retrieval, lift & drop) and minimize the action imparted to the lure. Remove the rattles. Allow live baits to move freely, naturally. Crawl jigs rather than hop them along the bottom, and incorporate pauses into retrieves. Repeatedly present the bait / lure to visible fish. Avoid splashy lure entries when casting or the unnatural movement of baits.

Fish under the most optimal conditions such as during stable or improving weather conditions, on overcast days, through the low-light periods of the day (daybreak, dusk), at night, when there is a slight chop on the surface, and during pre-frontal periods prior to storms. Avoid bright, dead calm days when visibility is at maximum levels.

Fish prime spots with good cover / structure, near or in deep water. These include deep weedlines, submerged weedbeds & timber, drop-offs, points, channel ledges, sunken islands, island saddles and deep shoals.

Cover lots of water looking for cruising, active fish.

Fish in clear water lakes live in a fish bowl. In a competitive ecosystem, visibility translates to vulnerability, and fish in clear water either exercise extreme caution or quickly become the prey in the food chain. But feed they must and, as a result, fish can be caught consistently by strategic anglers who modify their tackle, baits, and presentations to fit otherwise challenging, clear water fishing situations.