Strike King pro Mark Zona explains why September is a unique time to catch smallmouth bass in comparison to other fall months.
“For the most part, September is a unique month compared to what we just came from in August, a month where the fish are mostly offshore in deeper depth zones,” shares Zona. Because of the change in temperature during September, smallmouth are on the move. “In September, it gets more complicated because the smallmouth start to go shallow, but there are still deep fish. So, you need to be prepared to fish from 3- to 30-feet of water,” Zona advises.
In order to locate bass, Zona has a specific technique that he uses. “How I approach this month is moving baits and then transitioning to more finesse presentations when I find them,” Zona shares.
If the water is clear, Zona prefers the 5XD in Green Gizzard Shad. In stained water, he switches to Chartreuse Perch. For muddy water, he will favor Powder Blue Back Chartreuse.
“This is my go-to search bait to find big groups of smallmouth in the month of September. I can cover a lot of water with it, and the fish are typically not scared of a larger plug. This bait shines for numbers and for getting big bites. The unique thing about this bait in September is that I rarely want it to touch the bottom. The fish are feeding up chasing suspended bait fish,” says Zona.
“You are not slow crawling this bait – you are burning it while also keeping it up off the bottom. This is how you’ll trigger the most aggressive strikes,” Zona shares.
Zona’s choice for clear water is Smokey Shad, while he opts for Arkansas Shiner if the water is stained or muddy.
“After I locate fish with a 5XD, I’ll always back this up with a Z-Too on a dropshot or on a 3/8 oz. jig head. The bait is typically bigger this time of year, so I’m opting for the larger Z-too. They want a meal, not a snack,” says Zona.
