Can You Catch Carp in Muddy or Murky Water?
I am quite lucky where I live, the majority of waters that I target carp in are crystal clear. However, there are a few bodies of water that are very muddy and murky. I once wondered, like many other newcomers to the sport of carp angling, can you catch carp in muddy or murky water?
Can You Catch Carp in Muddy Water?
Yes, carp have a very keen sense of smell and have no problems finding your bait in muddy or murky water. Flavours, glugs, oils and bait presentation will all increase the attractiveness of your baits, making it easier to catch carp in muddy conditions.
Over the past 20 years, I have targeted carp in all sorts of underwater conditions. I can say from experience that muddy or murky water provides some of the best carp angling there is. It is always exciting to watch carp feed in crystal clear waters, but I have had more success in the murky and muddy rivers near my home. I will delve deeper into the topic below and provide information on how to increase your chances of catching carp in muddy waters.
How Do Carp Find Your Bait When the Water is Muddy?
We all know that carp have a keen sense of sight. When the water is clear, I genuinely believe this is the most important way they find their next meal. I’ve noted many times on my underwater camera that a simple change in the colour of bait I’m using can increase catch rates dramatically.
When water is extremely cloudy, murky and muddy carp hone in on the food they eat and your bait by their keen sense of smell and taste. Carp have barbels on either side of their tube-like mouth; these are very sensitive and can detect minute changes in the water.
Carp are also quite different than humans. We have our sense of smell and taste on the inside of our mouth and nose, while carp have their sense receptors on the outside and underside of their heads. This allows the fish to effortlessly sense smell and taste as they move through the water. A topic which is covered in greater detail in this article: Foods That Carp Eat in The Wild.
Even when water conditions are clear, and you get some fish successfully feeding, it doesn’t take long for water quality to deteriorate. The tips and tricks I outline further in the article should even be used in clear waters with silty bottoms as they quickly become muddy and murky when carp show up.
Where to Target Carp When the Water is Muddy?
As you can’t physically see carp when the water is muddy, how do you go about finding them? One sure-fire way to locate them is to be watching for when they surface. When carp feed, they often jump and reveal their location, and where there is one fish, there are often many more.
My most successful locations when targeting muddy waters for carp are always areas where there are natural food sources to be found. There are always certain areas in a body of water with characteristics that attract the food carp eat and thus the fish themselves.
Islands
When I’m fishing a river that is relatively straight and wide, I usually look for islands or shallow areas. As the current flows around these obstacles, it often slows on the downstream side and deposits detritus and food that carp love to eat. These are always hot spots that I will target first.
Where a River Meets a Lake
I have some select areas where Rivers empty into the Great Lakes. In these locations, I will target the seam where the muddy water turns clear. Carp love to feed upon the natural food sources that deposit here. These areas usually have deep channels as well that are bordered on either side by shallow flats.
Inside Bends or Corners
As a river meanders around bends and corners, the current is always strongest on the outside of the curve; carp love slower slack water on the inside of these corners. Much like islands that break the natural flow of water, these areas collect debris, sediment and any tasty morsels floating downstream.
Narrow Sections
If you can find an area on a river where it goes fairly quickly from a broad section to a restricted area, this is another hot spot where carp love to hang out. These are also natural choke points that increase the chances of patrolling fish stumbling upon your bait.
Most muddy waters around my area are all rivers. The current stirs up debris and sediment, making the water so cloudy that you lose sight of fish an inch under the surface.
What Type of Bait to Use for Carp in Muddy Water?
As carp mainly hone in on their food in muddy water by their sense of smell and taste, they are most often rooting around on the bottom. I am a huge fan of pop-up baits, but when targeting muddy and murky waters, I will use a bottom bait the majority of the time.
If I do choose to use a pop-up in these conditions, I will pin it as close to the bottom as possible. I will move my putty or split shot weight onto the hair of my rig. Pinning the hook to the bottom and ensuring my bait is less than an inch off the silt or sand.
What Flavour Bait to Use for Carp in Muddy Water?
Flavour can be one of the most critical aspects of your chosen bait in muddy water conditions. It is not exactly the choice of flavour itself but rather the consistency.
There are two main types of flavours that carp anglers use, either sweet or fishy. I prefer sweet flavoured baits such as pineapple, strawberry, tutti frutti or anything fruity for that matter.
As stated above, flavouring is used for its consistency. This is where oily baits shine. Most of the big carp fishing bait manufacturers, sell the corresponding glug, oil or PVA-friendly liquid for the type of bottom bait you choose.
Oily baits work best because they are thick and stick around a lot longer than watery liquids. In murky rivers with strong currents, oily baits will slowly dissolve and leave the perfect trail of scent in the water for carp to hone in on. One such bait that I have discovered excels on all levels; I will mention it and provide a link at the end of this article.
What Colour of Bait to Use for Carp in Muddy Water?
Now, this is a topic that is up for debate among many carp anglers. We all have our go-to baits, but I find Colour doesn’t make that much of a difference in muddy or murky waters as colours don’t show up well; things down there are mostly dark and light.
I prefer to use white baits as they reflect the most light and almost glow in the murkiness. The second option is to go with a very dark or nearly black bait. The black bait will have very high contrast in the low light conditions and be outlined the best when the carp do find it.
Best Carp Bait to Use in Muddy and Murky Water.
The bait I have had the most success with when water conditions are murky and muddy is the Sweet Stim Line from Munch Baits. It ticks all the boxes that I look for in a carp fishing bait as described above:
The main reasons I love this bait for murky water conditions:
- Very Strong Sweet Smell / Taste.
- White – Very Bright and Visual.
- Pop-Ups, Bottom Baits and Wafters as Hook Bait Options.
- Highly Visual Stick Mix That Also Creates A Plume of Scent to Follow.
- Corresponding PVA Friendly Syrup that Dissolved Slowly in the Water Column and Penetrates the Bottom Substrate Around Your Hook bait of Choice.
For more information check out our Munch Baits – Sweet Stim Review.