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Strike King and Lew’s pro Shaw Grigsby shares his philosophy for topwater fishing in Zone 1 during May. |
“May is just a great time to fish no matter where you are in this zone,” says Grigsby, noting that fish remain in shallow waters after the spawn, making topwater action highly effective. He suggests targeting any cover close to spawning pockets, focusing on grass or wood. “You’re trying to throw lures that imitate anything that might eat their fry,” Grigsby explains, highlighting the Popping Perch for its versatility and the Sexy Frog for thick vegetation.
He also emphasizes patience, advising anglers to give fish a moment to fully take the bait, rather than striking immediately. When the fish aren’t feeding on top, Grigsby switches to the Magnum Rage Cut-R Worm, which swims like a 9-inch worm and can draw strikes below the surface.
Grigsby often uses Sexy Dawg along grass edges and in more open water to avoid getting hung up.
For clear water, he prefers Bluegill, while Bone is his choice for stained water and Black Lab for muddy conditions.
He fishes the Sexy Dawg on a Team Lew's Signature Series KVD Jerkbait 6’10” medium heavy rod, pairing it with a Lew's HyperMag 7.5:1 baitcast reel. Grigsby fishes the Sexy Dawg rig on 40 lb. braided line with a 17-20 lb. monofilament leader.
Most often used by Grigsby in matted grass, the Sexy Frog is great in thick vegetation.
Grigsby’s choice for clear water is Pearl White while he opts for Black in stained or muddy water.
He switches to a Team Lew's Custom Pro 7’3” medium heavy rod and pairs it with a Lew's Custom SLP 7.5:1 baitcast reel.
The Caffeine Shad 5" Soft Jerkbait is Grigsby’s top choice when fish are in cover, such as wood and shallow grasses.
He opts for Watermelon Red Flake in clear water but prefers KVD Shad in stained water. For muddy conditions, Grigsby favors Pearl.
Grigsby throws the Caffeine Shad on a Lew's Signature Series 7’2” Zona Spinning Rod and Lew's HyperMag spinning reel.
He spools the combo with 12 lb. fluorocarbon line.
Grigsby utilizes KVD Popping Perch in emergent grass, grass edges, along bushes, and when skipping docks.
If the water is clear, he will throw White Shadow while more stained or muddy waters call for Bottoms Up.
He fishes on a Team Lew's Custom Pro 7’3” medium heavy rod, paired with a Lew's Custom SLP 7.5:1 baitcast reel.
Grigsby spools his combo with 65 lb. braided line.
Shaw prefers to Texas rig the Rage Cut-R-Worm with a 1/8 oz weight to swim the worm along the edges of cover. If he is pitching into heavy cover, he will often switch to a 1/4 oz weight to allow the Cut-R-Worm to penetrate the cover a little more.
He uses Hard Candy in clear water, Green Pumpkin in stained water, and Black Blue Flake in muddy water.
Grigsby fishes the Magnum Rage Cut-R-Worm on a Lew's Signature Series Carolina Rig rodor Swimbait rod paired with a Lew's HyperMag 7.5:1 reel.
He spools this with 15-20 lb. fluorocarbon line.
Strike King pro Greg Hackney reveals his insights on where he anticipates bass to conceal themselves throughout May in Zone 1.
“Typically, in Zone 1, water temperatures are warm – in the 70’s,” shares Hackney. Because April was cooler than March in Zone 1, he expects that May will bring much needed warmer weather. “May is toward the end of the shad spawn that started in April and bass spawn is over by this time, so a lot of fish stay shallow in the flooded cover,” Hackney says. During May, the water is up because of rain and there are a lot of bushes. “Bluegill, and sunfish in general, are on the beds causing bass to stay shallow,” Hackney shares.
If the water is clear, Hackney prefers the Bluegill. In stained water, he switches to the Sexy Shad. For muddy water, Hackney will favor a Blue Craw. He will pair this with a Green Pumpkin Rage Craw trailer.
If fish are reacting to a faster moving jig presentation, Hackney will often opt for the Strike King’s Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig. It is designed with a strong and durable weed guard that will help you navigate through the thickest of cover and cut through the grass to find the big ones. If you're hauling big fish out of grass or wood, this is the jig for you!
In clear water, Hackney will use Black Blue and switches to Bama Craw in stained water. He picks up Texas Craw when fishing in low-vis coniditons. No matter the water condition, Hackney sticks with a Black Blue Scounbug 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 also features a premium hand-tied skirt that emits life-like pulsating movement and a heavy wire hook for exceptional hook-setting
He opts for the White in clear water, and switches to a Chartreuse White if the water is stained. Black is his first choice in muddy water. He throws the Buzzbait with a Pearl Gurgle Toad trailer.
Strike King’s Tour Grade Buzzbait is made with premium components, such as a sculpted quick-planing head and an exclusive Gamakatsu® hook, making it a go-to in his lineup.
If the water is clear, he will throw a White, while more stained water calls for a Chartreuse White. Hackney will pick up a Fire Craw when fishing in low-vis conditions. He will rig this lure with a Pearl Perfect Plastics Blade Minnow trailer.
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.
He opts for Sexy Shad in clear water. If the water is stained he will throw the Chartreuse Sexy Shad, while he will switch to a Cataouatche Special if the water is muddy.
The KVD 1.5 is perfect for shallow water, power fishing. The squarebill design and unique “hunting” action will constantly emit erratic movement while still running true.
