The Best Inshore Fishing Tactics When Water Clarity Changes

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During the Florida summer, water clarity along the coast can change daily. One day a big incoming tide will push in what seems to be half of the Gulf Stream into the Intracoastal. Come the afternoon, Mother Nature will follow up with torrential downpours. This rain water has to go somewhere and that’s right into the river and where the ocean water quickly becomes silted and tannic. This may apply to different times of the year in different parts of the state, but the tactics stay relatively the same.

Tackle Water Clarity

When the water is clear, lighten up your tackle. The flats are where these techniques shine but can be applied wherever you find clear water. Starting off, I’m usually picking up my 7’6” Fenwick Elite Finesse Spin; a 6- to 12-pound rod like this is perfect for long casts with lightweight finesse baits. A little more length and lighter rodtip allows for less effort and more distance when casting, often necessary in clear water where fish can be spooky. A light sidearm “lob” cast works well in this instance, especially if sight fishing. It keeps that bait at a lower trajectory, keeping the splash of the lure to a minimum. It also keeps your silhouette and movement to a minimum, reducing the likelihood of spooking out the fish. Spool up your reel with 8- or 10-pound braid and prepare to drop down in leader size. Fifteen- to 25-pound fluorocarbon covers the majority of Florida’s inshore fish (depending on teeth) in this clear water. For super skinny water, rubber-lipped species, like bonefish, 8- to 12-pound fluoro is a good leader option.

Bait Choices

When it comes to baits, in clear water, the lightest you can go given the depth you’re in and a natural color pattern is your best starting point. I always divert to a shrimp imitation, something like the Savage Gear Weedless Manic Shrimp, which I think is about as natural as they come. You’ll often find grass in the clear water, so going weedless never hurts. Don’t overlook the other senses of fish. A hard vibrating lure can often turn fish off in this clean water, where they can be on edge. On the other side of the coin, take advantage of their olfactory senses. A bit of stink can help convince that fish to eat. It doesn’t matter how good the cast is, species like black drum are notorious for breaking your heart until they pick up a bit of smell off your bait. Berkley Gulp! is the standard in this situation.

Now let’s flip the script in the chocolate milk water. Bump up the rod size, as we will be throwing bigger baits. Why’s that? Bigger profiles give off more of a silhouette in the turbid water, where spotting prey can be difficult for some fish. There seems to be some controversy over color choice in this dark water. Some anglers prefer bright colors like chartreuse and neon pink. And hey, I’m not saying I haven’t caught fish on them, but these are some of the first colors to disappear on the light spectrum when under water. Being that light can’t penetrate as deep when water is dark, dark colors like a rich blue and black give off the best silhouette.

What About Scent?

But outside of color choices, these fish depend on those other senses we talked about above. Scent is never a bad thing, but instead of convincing a spooky fish to eat in clear water, scent helps fish find your bait in this instance.

The main thing these fish use to find food in this water is their lateral line. It’s their eyes in this dirty water, where they can feel the vibrations of prey and pinpoint their location. They can track a bait for far distances just using this. Lipped crankbaits, hard-thumping paddletails, and even blade baits like Chatterbaits give off the vibration these fish can key in on. Jumping up that leader size won’t hinder bites in this case, nor will it affect the lure’s action.

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• This article was featured in the June 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe

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