Entry 204-4
Bass Fishing in June with Mark Rose
Editor’s Note: Strike King caught up with Mark Rose of Marion, Arkansas, a member of the Strike King and War Eagle Boats’ Pro Fishing Teams, last week when he was fishing an FLW tournament on the Tombigbee River, which forms the boundary between the states of Alabama and Mississippi.
Part 4: Do It on Top
Question: Mark, you haven’t mentioned top-water lures at all for fishing for bass in June. Will you be using any top-water lures?
Rose: Absolutely. If I’m in more-open water, or if I’m fishing the edges of grass, I’ll be using top-water lures.I really like the Strike King Spit-N-King and the Strike King Pro Model buzzbait. If I’m fishing in weeds, especially sparsely-scattered weeds, I’ll be fishing the buzzbait. But if I’m in open water, I’ll be fishing the Strike King Spit-N-King.
Question: Do you prefer a black or a white buzzbait?
Rose: The weather and the water color dictate what color buzzbait I’ll fish. If the day’s dark or cloudy, I’ll be fishing with a black buzzbait. 
But if I’m fishing on a bright, sunny day, I’ll be fishing a white buzzbait. You can really get into color and have all different types of shades and color patterns that you believe in, but I try to keep my fishing simple and stay with light-colored lures on bright days and dark-colored lures on overcast or rainy days. That formula seems to have always worked for me, and I don’t see any reason to change.
Question: When do you decide to use the buzzbait instead of the Spit-N-King?
Rose: I fish the Spit-N-King more in open water - especially if I’m out cranking ledges or fishing a big plastic worm on drop-offs. Bass tend to school-up in June. 
If I find a bass chasing a school of shad, and I see the shad start surfacing in that open water, then I’ll use the Spit-N-King. With the buzzbait, I’m doing more target fishing over the top of grass or around lay-downs.
Question: Most people fish buzzbaits for the first hour or two of daylight. Are you ever fishing the buzzbait all day long.?
Rose: Absolutely. If the day is cloudy during this time of year, I’ll fish the buzzbait all day long when I’m fishing shallow water. If I’m fishing ledges, I won’t need to fish it all day. However, if I determine the bass are shallow, I’ve learned that they will eat the top-water bait all day long on a cloudy day and/or a day with misty rain.
Contents:
- Part 1: In the Heat of the Battle
- Part 2: Know What the Frog Knows
- Part 3: Where I Go Next
- Part 4: Do It on Top
- Part 5: How to Fish Shut-Down Bass
