Strike King pro Kevin VanDam shares his “go-to” spots for targeting bass in Zone 5 during the hottest time of the year.
“Surface temps are at their highest levels and the fish are locked into solid summer patterns across the region. This means that most of the population is either on main lake offshore structure or outside of weed lines and matted vegetation,” shares KVD.
Optimal fishing locations in Zone 5? For KVD, he looks for, “super-shallow boat docks, ‘cheese mats,’ duckweed, and algae on the top of the grass where bluegill is the main forage.”
If the water is clear, KVD prefers the 5XD Green Gizzard Shad. In stained water, he switches to Chartreuse Perch. For muddy water, he will favor a Black Back Chartreuse bait.
VanDam frequently utilizes a drop shot when tangling with aggressive smallmouth throughout the year. He opts for the Z-Too to imitate smaller species of baitfish but will also keep a KVD Dream Shot and a Fat Baby Finesse Worm tied on depending on the size of the forage on a particular body of water.
VanDam’s choice for clear water is Z-Too Arkansas Shiner, while he opts for a Fat Baby Finesse Worm Morning Dawn if the water is stained. In muddy water, KVD picks up the 5” Ocho in Black Blue Flake.
The Rage Punch Bug is KVD’s top choice when punching around matted grass.
He opts for Green Pumpkin in clear water, and switches to Okeechobee Craw if the water is stained. He chooses Black and Blue in muddy water.
VanDam pairs the 3.75” Rage Swimmer with a swimbait head when fishing near the bottom.
If the water is clear, he will throw KVD Magic, while more stained water calls for Green Pumpkin/Pearl Belly. In low-vis conditions, KVD grabs the Pearl Swimmer.
Strike King’s KVD Sexy Frog is VanDam’s top choice when fishing around matted vegetation.
He opts for Black in clear water. If the water is stained, KVD will throw Leopard Frog, while he will switch to a Pearl White Frog if the water is muddy.
Strike King pro Mark Zona shares his favorite lures to utilize during August in Zone 5.
Zona finds there are two distinct extremes in inland lakes - bass are either very deep or very shallow. "I fish either 1-3ft or 20ft-40ft. That's where you'll find your greatest concentration of forage. It's all about Bluegill," Zona advises, "August is when the bass are focusing on bigger forage."
He opts for Green Pumpkin in clear water. If the water is stained or muddy, he will throw Blue Craw. He pairs the 1/2oz Denny Brauer Structure Jig with a matching Rage Bug trailer.
Zona uses the Structure Jig primarily in shallow water. “Pontoons and docks are critical. I’m fishing everything in front of me and everything in between,” Zona says. “The Structure Jig is insane for skipping.”
Zona's choice for clear water is Blue Gizzard, while he opts for Bone if the water is stained. Bluegill is Zona’s first choice in muddy or low-vis conditions.
He fishes the Sexy Dawg both shallow and deep. “The best bite window is between sunrise and 10 a.m.,” Zona says. “I’m targeting deep sand grass and any structure I can find—this is where you’ll find bluegill congregating.”
He opts for Green Pumpkin Craw in clear water and switches to California Craw when it’s stained—pairing both with a Green Pumpkin Scounbug trailer. In muddy water, he goes with Black and Blue, matched with a coordinating trailer.
Strike King’s Compact Tungsten Casting Jig is built with a premium tungsten jig head that is 40% more dense than lead for greater castability, sensitivity, and performance. “It was designed to have a compact profile that can be fished deep on 12-pound line,” Zona says.
