Elite Series angler Bill Lowen breaks down his early summer attack for Zone 4.
Bill acknowledges that weather can impact how long fish stay on the spawn. Most will be fully in a post-spawn phase in June, but Lowen does not completely sidestep the opportunity. He concentrates his time on shallow cover and pays special attention to cover adjacent to deeper water. His primary reason he stays shallow in June is the forage spawn that keeps bass prowling the shallows for prey.
Lowen pitches a spinnerbait around shallow cover looking for bass that are keyed on the shad spawn.
He fishes a white double-willow in clear water. If there is some stain to the water, he will utilize a willow-Colorado combination. When the water is muddy, Lowen will switch to a White/Chartreuse model.
Lowen pairs a Lew's HyperMag 7.5:1 reel on a 7'2" Team Lew's Signature Series Rod. His primary line is 20 lb fluorocarbon.
This is an ideal topwater for Lowen to prowl shallow cover looking for bass feeding on bluegill.
He prefers the Bone and Bluegill patterns in clear water and stained.
Lowen turns to a 7-foot KVD Signature Series Top Water Rod by Lew’s with one of his favorite reels, the Lew's Custom SLP 7.5:1. He will typically use 30 lb braid to keep the Sexy Dawg walking.
Lowen turns to the KVD Toad Buzz to fish shallow brush, grass, and laydowns when he needs to cover water quickly.
Whether the water is stained or clear, Lowen favors Black or Black/White.
Lowen’s ideal rod for the Toad Buzz is a Lew’s 7-foot Worm Rod paired with a Custom SLP 7.5:1 reel. Like the Sexy Dawg rig, he keeps it spooled with 30 lb braid.
Lowen pitches the Game Hawg on a 1/4 oz weight with a 4/0 straight shank hook. It is a phenomenal bait for a slower presentation around shallow cover.
Like many pros, Lowen is quick to pick up the Green Pumpkin in clear water, but if the water is stained, he will move to a Black/Blue to help the bass find the hog crawling through the cover and grass.
For the Game Hawg to work its magic in heavy cover, Lowen turns to a 7’6” magnum heavy Custom Speed Stick by Lew’s, paired with a Custom SLP 7.5:1. He keeps it spooled with 17 lb fluorocarbon.
If he really needs to slow his presentation in shallow cover, Lowen will pitch a Shim-E-Stick weightless on a 1/0 wacky hook.
Like the Game Hawg, Lowen will fish the soft plastic in Green Pumpkin, but will often switch to Watermelon Red. If the water is stained, Lowen threads a Black/Blue on the wacky hook and goes to work.
For the Shim-E-Stick, Lowen throws a 7’3” magnum hammer Custom Speed Stick paired with a Custom SLP 7.5:1 reel. Fifteen pound fluorocarbon gives him the ideal fall rate for this weightless worm.
