Strike King pro Mark Zona explains why October is his favorite time to fish in Zone 6 and highlights a few key patterns to keep an eye out for as summer fades into fall.
“October is absolutely one of my favorite months of the year because the schools are big, and the schools are grouped together very well – there is a mix of a shallow and deep bite,” shares Zona. When fishing during this time of year, Zona is “generally looking for a little bit of sand/rock/grass mix anywhere from 0-20 feet of water.”
In response to the changing weather, bass are adjusting their feeding patterns. “[Bass] are feeding up because it’s fixing to get really bad weather wise. So how I approach this is power and finesse. I want to cover a lot of water to find a biomass of smallmouth, but the key is don't ‘squat’ until you've found them – keep moving,” advises Zona.
Zona keeps a focus on flats during fall in Zone 6. “I love combinations of cover in the fall. To me, there are two different types of flats – shallow flats 0-10 feet, and deep flats 10-20 feet,” Zona shares. “Look for shallow flats. October forage that smallmouth are targeting will be at their largest size of the year. I'm not looking for big drop-offs. Smallmouth love flat ground,” Zona continued.
Ultimately, Zona encourages anglers to keep a few vital tips in mind. “The #1 thing to keep in mind is fast presentations, big profile baits, and covering water as fast as I can to locate schools,” Zona concludes.
Zona chooses to rig the Rage Menace vertically on the hook.
If the water is clear, Zona prefers the Green Pumpkin or Blue Craw with matching trailer. In stained water, he switches to the Chartreuse White or White with Pearl trailer.
“Thunder Cricket is possibly the most overlooked, big smallmouthbait on earth.” – Mark Zona
Zona’s choice for clear water is the Green Pumpkin Rage Bug, while he opts for Blue Craw if the water is stained.
Zona rigs the Rage Bug on a 1/2 oz Tour Grade Tungsten Swing Head.
He opts for the Clearwater Minnow Jerkbait 300 in clear water, and switches to AYU or Oyster if the water is stained.
If the water is clear, he will throw a Light Melon Purple Coffee Tube, while more stained water calls for Green Pumpkin Purple or Dark Melon.
“I'm using a 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 to cover water quickly. I'm fishing with a fast fall presentation. I want a reaction bite. The bait is always staying close to the bottom and I'm making 1’ – 18” ‘pops.’” – Mark Zona
He opts for Smokey Shad Z-Too in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw the Arkansas Shiner.
“1/0 dropshot hook. 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 oz. Covering water quickly. Three quick twitches then I reel. Faster presentation than what most drop shotters are using.” – Mark Zona
