Zone 6 – July
Strike King and Lew’s pro Easton Fothergill gives insight to the best post-spawn fishing in Zone 6 during July.
In September, temps are starting to cool and fish are beginning to think about fall. This instantly triggers the fish to go into a feeding frenzy, which really lasts until the water temps dip into the 40s. Look for fish to be setup in deep water, getting near their wintering holes.
If the water is clear, stained or muddy, Easton prefers Pearl Flash. Pair the Rage Swimmer with a 1/2 oz squadron swimbait head and slowly reel on offshore points and humps. Make bomb casts and cover water until you run into fish.
If the water is clear, stained, or muddy, Easton prefers Green Gizzard Shad. Once you locate a school of fish, this is a great bait to really get the school fired up.
If the water is clear, stained, or muddy, Easton prefers Blue Gizzard Shad. Throw this rig over offshore humps or points. One of the best search baits this time of year to locate fish.
Easton says you can either throw this bait threaded on a jig head or on a drop shot. One of the best minnow imitating baits out there, throw this bait near any schools of baitfish you can find. He throws Pearl Blue Glimmer Back in clear water and Gray Glimmer Pearl Belly in stained or low-vis conditions.
Throw this bait around any green grass you can find. Make sure you make contact with the grass and feather the bait through. In clear, stained, or muddy water, Easton likes Mouse.
Zone 6 – July
Strike King and Lew’s pro Jay Przekurat gives insight to the best post-spawn fishing in Zone 6 during July.
For Zone 6 in the month of July you can expect the following things to be happening: spawning season dying down, water temperatures rising, and fish remaining on the bed. For the most part, everything will be in post-spawn or guarding fry after they leave the bed.
For Przekurat, he uses this opportunity to divide the bite into two different ways. “First way I will target these fish is fishing shallow/mid-depth areas, either close to where the fish spawn or just outside of them. Topwater baits, wacky rig stick baits, and jigs are my go-to for the bass that roam these flats looking to feed up after the spawn,” says Przekurat.
He continues, “The next bite to look after is the shallower bite. When I'm looking for these bass, I try to keep it simple. Drop shotting is my most effective way to target these fish. Big boulders, rock, sand, or anything that will hold bait fish is a good starting point.”
Looking into the next month Przekurat mentions, “As we approach the month August, you can expect the fish to live deeper as the weather gets warmer throughout the summer.”
If the water is clear, Przekurat prefers Clear Sexy Shad. In stained or muddy water, he switches to Bone.
He throws the 5" Filler Worm rigged on a drop shot around vegetation and hard spots. "The perfect 5-inch size makes it the go-to for getting those finicky large or smallmouth to react," Przekurat shares.
For clear water, he prefers Green Pumpkin. In stained water, he switches to Morning Dawn, and when the water is muddy, he goes with Dingleberry.
Przekurat’s choice for clear or stained water is the Blue Craw Hack Attack® Flipping Jig 1/2 oz and Rage Craw, while he opts for Black Blue if the water is muddy.
He opts for a Green Pumpkin KVD Perfect Plastics 4" Ocho in clear water, and switches to Blue Craw if the water is stained. He turns to Black and Blue in muddy water.
If the water is clear, he will throw a Grey Glimmer Pearl Belly 3X Baby Z-Too Soft Jerkbait, while more stained water calls for Arkansas Shiner. In muddy water, Przekurat prefers Pearl.
He opts for the Green Pumpkin Purple Swirl KVD Drop Shot Half Shell OPT 3.5" in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Triple Magic, while he will switch to Bold Bluegill if the water is muddy.