Strike King pro Todd Faircloth offers valuable fishing tips for anglers to consider in Zone 2 during June.
Faircloth notes that fish will primarily be transitioning to an offshore
structure bite. He often finds big schools around humps, ridges, and
main lake points in the 10–20-foot range. If he is fishing a lake with
good vegetation, he will look for the outside edges of the grass to hold
fish.
For clear water, Strike King pro Todd Faircloth recommends Morning Dawn. In stained water, he switches to Watermelon Red Flake, and for muddy conditions, he prefers Lightning Bug to enhance visibility.
Faircloth will pair the Slither Rig with a Rage Menace to achieve the ideal swimming action of the bait. It is an exceptional choice for swimming around brush and vegetation. Faircloth fishes the Slither Rig on a 7’6” medium heavy Signature Series Rod paired with a HyperMag 8.3:1. He spools the reel with 50 lb braid to combat abrasions from heavy cover.
Faircloth suggests Green Pumpkin Craw for clear water, Black/Blue for stained water, and Black/Blue again for low-visibility conditions.
Faircloth favors a 6” Cut-R, paired with a 5/16 oz weight. This is a fantastic slower presentation for bass gathered near grass or wood cover. Faircloth fishes the worm on a Lew’s 7’1” heavy Signature Series to muscle fish out of cover. He opts for the HyperMag 7.5:1, spooled with 14 lb fluorocarbon.
For clear water, Strike King pro Todd Faircloth prefers Red Bug, while he opts for Watermelon Red in stained conditions and Junebug when fishing in low-visibility waters.
Strike King pro Clark Wendlandt reveals his strategy for Zone 2 in June.
“One of my favorite things to do in June is start with a topwater early in the morning,” shares Wendlandt. While it is typically pretty hot in Zone 2 during June and many fish have moved to deeper parts of the lake, Wendlandt advises anglers to also look shallow. “It’s usually hot and a lot of fish have moved off shore, but there’s always some fish shallow. Basically, getting out there early, fishing around grass, shallow rock – just about anywhere. Just really focusing on places where fish are looking ambush brim early in the morning,” Wendlandt says.
“Later in the day, most of the fish in June will be moving off shore or off shore already,” says Wendland. He is quick to note – “That doesn’t mean that it’s a long way off the bank, but it’s just off the bank.” Wendlandt loves using Strike King’s 6XD and 8XD in these situations. “My favorite way to fish for those fish are with a deep diving crankbait. I am targeting ledges that are 12-18 feet with 6XD and 8XD,” he says. His key tip for anglers when using these baits – fish them fast. “Usually, those baits work the best fishing them really fast. It sounds crazy that you can reel really, really fast and catch fish, but a lot of times that’s when you get the biggest bites,” Wendlandt says.
Wendlandt chooses the KVD Sexy Dawg Hard Knock because it’s a
premium, “walk-the-dog” topwater lure with great action and is perfect
for fishing around rocks and vegetation.
In clear water, he prefers Tennessee Shad 2.0, and for muddy or stained water, he opts for Bone.
This legendary lure set the standard for deep diving crankbaits. It is a
constant for Wendlandt when fish are holding off humps and deep
cover.
Wendlandt will reach for Natural Shad in clear water. In stained water, he recommends Chartreuse Sexy Shad. And for muddy water, he selects Citrus Shad.
Wendlandt uses the Pro Model 8XD when fishing in deep structure,
points, ledges, or humps.
In clear water, he opts for Natural Shad. For stained water, Wendlandt chooses Chartreuse Sexy Shad to provide a vibrant contrast. In low-visibility conditions, he relies on Citrus Shad.
Created to efficiently move through cover without getting hung up,
the KVD Game Hawg 4" is supple, and its totally natural build allows it to slither cleanly through vegetation with no loss of action.
In both clear and stained water, he prefers Green Pumpkin. When the water visibility is low, he switches to Black/Blue.
Strike King’s Thunder Cricket was designed by Greg Hackney, Kevin VanDam, and Andy Montgomery and has changed the game for vibrating jigs. Its innovative design provides maximum swimming action, flash, and thump, with a superior hookup ratio.
Pro Wendlandt pairs this bait with a Green Pumpkin Blade Minnow trailer. As for the Thunder Cricket, he uses Green Pumpkin in clear water for a natural look and White in stained or muddy water for better visibility.
Strike King pro Dakota Ebare shares his favorite places to target bass in Zone 2 during June.
“Water temperatures will be in the 75- to 85-degree range,” shares Ebare. Ebare expects that bass will be in their post-spawn pattern, with many staying shallow. “Some bluegill will still be spawning, keeping bass shallow. But a large percentage will be focused offshore depending on the fishery,” shares Ebare.
If the water is clear, Ebare prefers the Green Pumpkin. In stained water, he switches to the Red Bug. For muddy water, he will favor a Junebug.
This extra-large 9.5-inch worm is developed to emit an unmistakable tail action that mimics swimming baitfish, driving bass wild. The body of the KVD Zeus Worm is sectioned, so that anglers can easily downsize to a 7-inch worm without losing any of the life-like action of the tail.
He opts for the Green Pumpkin in clear water, and switches to a Red Bug if the water is stained.
The KVD Perfect Plastics Bull Worm targets giant fish with textured "meat" and a beveled bubble tail that trends upward on the retrieve. With the extra salt load, it causes fish to bite and hold on longer, increasing your hook-ups.
If the water is clear, he will throw a Green Pumpkin with Scounbug trailer. In more stained water, Ebare calls for a Blue Craw. Black Blue is Ebare’s go-to in muddy conditions.
The ultimate jig for deep water fishing – the Tour Grade Football Jig has a football-shaped head that gives a better feel of terrain and helps the bait stand on the bottom.
He opts for Bluegill in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw the Green Pumpkin Gill, while he will switch to a Black Shadow if the water is muddy.
Resembling an injured baitfish, the KVD Popping Perch skips, walks, splashes, and pops like wounded prey, resulting in the finest topwater, hollow body, popping lure.
