October is Strike King pro Kevin VanDam’s favorite time to fish in Zone 5. He shares his tactics for fishing Zone 5 in October.
With the changing temperatures, fish adjust behavior as they prepare for the changing seasons. “Fish start getting a lot more aggressive stocking up before winter,” says KVD. He suggests paying close attention to retrieve rate. “Fast retrieve in shallow water and slow retrieve in stained water,” VanDam shares.
The best place to target your catch of the day? “Shallow water over grass and rocks – fish push up as shallow as possible,” advises KVD.
If the water is clear, KVD prefers the Blue Glimmer with a Trailer Hook. In stained water, he switches to the Chartreuse/White. For muddy water, VanDam will favor a Super Chartreuse.
The Raz-R-Blade™ high RPM blades on The Burner allow the bait to be burned right under the surface to prevent blow out.
VanDam’s choice for clear water is the Bluegill, while he opts for Chartreuse Perch if the water is stained. In muddy water, KVD with reach for a Chartreuse Baitfish.
KVD favors the Red Eyed Shad because of its efficiency in covering shallow flats while also being great around rocks.
He opts for the Clear Ayu in clear water, and switches to The Shizzle if the water is stained.
KVD J200 is a lethal choice when fish are suspended over cover.
If the water is clear, he will throw the Light Melon Purple Coffee Tube with a Crackin' Tube Head. In more stained water calls for a Green Pumpkin Purple and Gold Flake. If the water is muddy, KVD prefers the Dark Melon.
He opts for Green Pumpkin with Scounbug Trailer in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw the Bruiser, while he will switch to a Black Blue if the water is muddy.
Changing the game for vibrating jigs, Thunder Cricket has a Jungle-style flipping hook and ultra-stiff, stainless steel blade for unmistakable movement in the water.
