Hi Dilly....the answer to your question is not quite that simple...while it is "possible" to partially clear the water, it means it will get bad again quickly...Alum, if used, should always be used to clear ALL clay from the water column!!! Clarity should only be reduced via a planktonic algae bloom, never from suspended soils! The clay is a gill irritant for fish, but worse, the reduced light penetration from clay, greatly reduce oxygen production from a planktonic algae bloom, The algae bloom is what give the water the deep green look of healthy, fertile water...it is also the base of your food chain for your fish! Clearing ALL the colloidal clay allows sunlight to penetrate deep enough to start an algae bloom...this bloom produces a LOT of oxygen and limits the light penetration in the proper way an ecosystem needs it done...The algae bloom also acts as a filter to keep colloidal clay from suspending again, assuming bare exposed clay is not washed into the pond on evey rain event....
Btw, that "cold" water you think your bass will like, is actually an acid and hydrogen sulfide filled toxic soup that your fish avoid like a plague! Add some cover such as felled trees or add a floating island or two. Bass do just fine in the Texas heat as long as there is enough plant life, aeration, or wind/wave action to keep your water well oxygenated.
