I took the rest of the week off to fish the Snake river opener....the only problem being the fact that the Snake now resembles weak hot chocolate. The last few days have really muddied up the water, and it's still raining. I'd really appreciate any advice on fishing this kind of water other than, "stay home." Thanks!

Fish use all of their senses to find your magic offering Unlike Bonneville was the whole season, the Snake will not be gin clear, so.....it will be more important to focus on smell. Make that lure stink....bait wrap, douse it in scent, use a scent pad to keep the smell on longer, eggs, these are all good bets. Also, since they won't be able to see things as far away, brigten up what you got. If it's a spinner, use the biggest polished silver blade you can..kwickies...always chrome and something. That's all I know, see ya out there...

Hey Drop tine....(good name )
My suggestion would be different having grow up on a nasty river that runs ugly all the time,I would suggest going large and dark!!! and Oh and smelly too,target mouths of smaller feeder creeks etc,where the clarity might be a little better and the fish will hold up here to,good luck....Os

Good suggestion about the clearer water lines near tributaries Os. Not only can the fish see better there, they often like to sit in cleaner water for awhile before heading up river (maybe to clean out their gills or just enjoy the view?). ... Drop', check out the "Best kind of Spin N Glos" thread for murky water fishing suggestions. Try using large ones scented with shrimp oil and used above good sized egg clusters or sandshrimp to slowly drift, backbounce, or plunk in the seams of slower water closer to shore rather than the strong currents further out. Same thing using larger K-15/16 Kwikfish or the T-50 Flatfish with rattles - fish them in just enough current in the seams to get a good action. Wrap them with sardine filets on the belly and add some extra baitoil scent too. While the chrome/chartruse can be good in murky water, the white ones or 'glo-in-the-dark' ones with lots of chartruse on them are the best color for the real murky water. Half bright orange with half bright white Mag Warts scented and worked along the same seams or in shallower wide tailouts for fish on the move is good also. Good luck over there, and let us know how you do.

Thanks guys for the input. The color advice was great and I'll put enough scent on to make a sturgeon puke! How about another question....What depth? thanks again DT

The depth you fish in heavier muddier flows depends some on the bottom structure. If it's rocky with a few larger rocks for the fish to get behind then fish at about 6" to 12" off bottom. If it's a sandy, silty, or muddy bottom the fish will often swim up off bottom a little more to keep those stirred up things from iritating their gills. In that scenario if you aren't getting bites at 1' then try 2' off bottom; sometimes even 3' off. Vary your depths until you get strikes - kind of like tidewater fishing on our coastal rivers.

RT