Best Bass Lures for Cloudy Days: Tips & Tricks
Cloudy conditions are often favorable days for bass fishermen. With more stable temperatures, we can generally fish all day in overcast conditions, and bass will often feel more comfortable feeding in lower-light scenarios. We do however have to consider the baits we throw when it’s cloudy, as bass will see their prey differently in lower light. In this article, we break down some of the best lures to throw for bass when it’s cloudy or overcast.
Understanding Bass Behavior on Cloudy Days
Many factors determine a bass’s feeding and general behavior, with water temperature being the most important. Cloudy days most likely be cooler days, and this means that water temperatures stay stable throughout the day. The great thing about this is that if you’re fishing in prime season, there’s a good chance bass will feed all day, meaning you can keep throwing your favorite baits without having to change your technique too dramatically.
With hot clear days. mornings and evenings will see the most active feeding behavior from bass, while the middle of the day sees higher water temperatures, which results in more lethargic behavior for bass. This often means we have to turn to finesse techniques, which are slower, often smaller, and more subtle in an effort to get non-feeding bass to bite.
Bass will also feel more comfortable to move around in lower light conditions when there is less direct sunlight. Another large reason why the early mornings and late afternoons are often the times we see the most aggressive feeding behavior from bass.
Top-Rated Bass Lures for Cloudy Days
You’ll notice that the lures selected here are very much power fishing lures. Cloudy conditions present an opportunity to throw these baits as bass generally feed more openly in these conditions. They’re also satisfying to fish, and we can cover loads of water with them. I’ll cover the baits along with the ways I like to fish them. Let’s get into it.
Some of the best bass baits for cloudy days are spinnerbaits, crankbaits, chatterbaits, and whopper ploppers. These baits create a bit of noise in the water which is key when visibility is slightly impaired for bass.
Spinnerbaits
Spinnerbaits are fantastic baits to throw on cloudy, overcast days because of the presence they create in the water. They create vibration and flash, but their action is also a proven killer when it comes to catching bass in almost any conditions. They’re especially effective in cloudy conditions as visibility is impaired for bass, and they rely more on their lateral lines for the detection of water movement, which the spinnerbait does a lot of through its blades.
Spinnerbaits thrive around rip rap and rocky cover, but they’re also fantastic around all kinds of other hard cover such as logs and docks. They’re also pretty weedless, so they deal with vegetation and avoid getting snagged effectively.
A slow, steady retrieve is my go-to cadence for the spinnerbait, making sure I feel the minor vibrations of the blades as I retrieve.
Squarebill Crankbaits
Crankbaits are also suitable lures to throw in cloudy conditions thanks to their vibration in the water. Again, bass rely heavily on their lateral line to detect water movement when visibility is low, and they’ll easily be able to detect a crankbait cruising if its anywhere near them.
Like spinnerbaits, crankbaits are the perfect baits to throw around rip rap and rocky cover. Any deflection off this type of cover adds to the action of the bait, and this deflection is something you should always look while you retrieve.
A steady, slow retrieve while nearing the bottom is the way I’ll always fish a crankbait. Depth control is key here, and this comes with crankbait selection and knowing how deep I’m fishing. For instance, if I’m fishing 8 feet of water, I’ll want to select a crankbait that runs to at least 8 feet. This ensures that the bait is bouncing off any cover that’s at the bottom.
Chatterbaits
I thought I had to include a jig variation within this list, and I’ve gone with the chatterbait, or the bladed jig. The chatterbait exhibits the features the profile of a jig, but with the added feature of a blade. The blade creates vibration in the water, making it louder than any other jig.
Chatterbaits are less effective in clearer conditions because of their unique profile, but they’re highly effective baits when visibility isn’t so great, making cloudy conditions the perfect time to throw one.
Chatterbaits absolutely thrive around grasslines and other shallow vegetation. I give them a slow, steady retrieve, which gets the ideal action out of the blade.
Topwater: Whopper Plopper
The Whopper Plopper creates massive commotion on the water, making it a bait that simply cannot be missed even in low-light conditions. Whopper ploppers imitate a fleeing baitfish on the top of the surface, just with a bit more noise and movement of water and they are known to elicit aggressive reaction bites from huge bass no matter the conditions.
Cloudy conditions allow us bass anglers to keep throwing topwater baits all day thanks to the cooler conditions and the whopper plopper is the perfect option if you’re looking to grab the attention of nearby bass.
Personally, I love throwing ploppers near shallow vegetation, and other shore-based cover. A steady retrieve is pretty important as it provides that propeller motion, but you can also give the lure a pause every now and then.
Factors to Consider When It's Cloudy
When bass fishing on cloudy days, there are a few factors to consider to increase your chances of success. These factors include water temperature and season, water clarity, and time of day.
Water Temperature & Season
Water temperature and season are crucial factors to consider when fishing for bass on cloudy days. As mentioned, cloudy days will produce cooler and more stable water temperatures throughout the day. However, the season you’re fishing will depict the general water temperature you’re fishing.
For instance, winter will be crazy low water temperatures, and a cloudy day will do zero warming of the water. Like usual in winter, bass feeding activity in winter will be low, and a cloudy day will be no different.
However, for favorable months like summer, spring, and fall, we begin seeing consistently high temperatures. Cloudy days will result in consistently warm temperatures all day during these seasons, meaning we can throw our favorite baits all day.
Water Clarity
While cloudy overheads play a role in visibility for bass, water clarity will further impact vision for bass. This will largely impact bait selection, and water clarity like always should always be a factor to consider even when it's cloudy.
In low water clarity, one should rely on baits that move more water and have a bit more flash on them, such as a spinnerbait or a chatterbait.
In clear water conditions with cloudy conditions, bass will still have a great idea on what they’re putting in their mouths. Natural colored crankbaits will do a fantastic job in these types of conditions as they’re fantastic imitators of baitfish.
Tips for Bass Fishing on Cloudy Days
When it comes to bass fishing on cloudy days, there are a few tips that can help anglers increase their chances of success. These tips are based on the behavior of bass on cloudy days and the types of lures that work best in these conditions.
Cover water
Cloudy conditions mean more comfortable and actively feeding bass. This means we should look to cover more water rather than dial in on specific zones. The above-mentioned baits are perfect for covering loads of water, and you can fish them all day when the sun is hiding.
Color Selection is key
The right color can make all the difference when it comes to bass fishing on cloudy days. Darker colors such as junebug or black, or a shock color like chartreuse tend to work best, as they are easier for the bass to spot in low light conditions.
Focus on shallower water
Bass tend to move into shallower water on cloudy days to feed, as the reduced light makes them feel more comfortable.
Fish all day!
The stable water temperatures that cloudy conditions bring means we can fish all day as bass will most likely keep feeding actively throughout the day.
Conclusion
Cloudy days are great days for bass fishermen, provided you're fishing in a favorable season. More stable water conditions means we can fish all day, and the lower-light conditions result in bass actively feeding comfortably, meaning we can throw fun baits all day.
Next time it's cloudy, make sure you're out on the water and keep the above-mentioned baits in mind.
