Strike King pro Todd Faircloth prepares anglers in Zone 2 for the hottest month of the year.
Faircloth expects for water temperatures to be in the 90’s, the warmest it will be all year. “The fish will be the most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon,” shares Faircloth.
There are a few key locations on the lake that Faircloth typically finds the most success at during August. “Main lake points, humps, and ridges is where most of the fish live during this time,” says Faircloth. Within those locations, Faircloth has some favorite areas of cover that bass hide out in the most, producing more bites. “Brush, stumps, and offshore grass are the areas of cover they will be hanging out in,” advises Faircloth.
If the water is clear, Faircloth prefers a Morning Dawn worm. In stained water, he switches to Watermelon Seed Red. For muddy water, Faircloth will favor Green Pumpkin.
The Strike King KVD Filler Worm is designed to be fished for a finesse presentation, featuring a wide head for added durability, increasing the strength of the plastic to last for multiple fish catches.
Faircloth’s choice for clear water is Peanut Butter Jelly, while he opts for Green Pumpkin Craw if the water is stained. Black and Blue is Faircloth’s top choice in muddy or low-vis conditions. He pairs each Football Jig with a Rage Craw trailer.
Created for deep water fishing, the Tour Grade Football Jig has a wide, football shaped head that helps the bait “stand up” in the water.
He opts for Sexy Blue Back Herring in clear water, and switches to Powder Blue Back Chartreuse if the water is stained. He opts for a Citrus Shad bait in muddy water.
One of Strike King’s largest deep diving crankbaits, the 10XD is intended for catching the largest bass. Available in Strike King’s most popular colors, the 10XD can dive up to 25-feet, reaching depths that most crankbaits can’t.
If the water is clear, he will throw Red Bug, while more stained water calls for June Bug. A Black and Blue Menace Worm is his go-to in low-vis conditions.
One of the most explosive, highest action worms in the Strike King line-up. The Strike King Rage Menace Worm is a 6” plastic worm designed with two Rage Flange tails that swim with realistic movement and appearance. With a twin-style tail, it offers twice the action and results in a proven fish catcher.
He opts for Carolina Chrome in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Bone, while he will switch to Black Lab if the water is muddy.
The Sexy Dawg was designed and reviewed by Kevin VanDam to be an easy to work, far casting, premium “walk-the-dog” topwater lure with great action. Thousands of fish later, we can safely say he got it right.
In August in Zone 2, Dakota Ebare expects extremely hot water and air temperatures.
In the dog days of summer, fishing conditions can be very tough. As the water temperature rises past 90 degrees, the thermocline will push more fish to suspend rather than sit on the bottom.
Dakota uses this to his advantage and finds bass suspended around offshore cover such as brush piles and standing timber. These suspended bass typically feed on baitfish, bream and crappie. He also will find these suspended fish feeding up shallow and chasing bait in the mornings and evenings.
The Rage Thumper Worm is one of Dakota’s favorites for picking apart offshore cover and dragging on the bottom. He will typically use a ¼ or 3/8-ounce weight on a Texas rig.
His choice for clear water is Green Pumpkin. In stained water, Ebare switches to Plum Apple, while he prefers a Junebug worm in muddy water.
Dakota will throw a Bottom Dweller Spinnerbait around structure to force a reaction bite on fish that wouldn’t normally be feeding. He chooses the 1 ounce and will cover lots of water.
In clear water conditions, he opts for Blue Shad. In stained water, he switches to White. For muddy water, Ebare will favor Chartreuse and White.
Dakota will throw a 4 ¾ inch Rage Swimmer on a jig head or as a line through with a treble hook. He looks for bigger suspended fish to target with livescope.
He opts for Ghost Shad in clear water. If the water is stained or muddy, he will throw a Pearl Swimmer.
Dakota will throw a Baby Z-Too on a light (1/16 or 3/16 ounce) jig head for a “Hover” or “Stroller” rig. He will typically utilize this technique when he has tough conditions and finicky fish.
His choice for clear water is Arkansas Shiner, while he opts for Pearl if the water is stained or muddy.
