Strike King pro Scott Suggs discusses how the thermocline impacts fishing in Zone 4 during September.
During September in Zone 4, the thermocline is starting to rise and forcing anglers to be intentional about the depths they are focusing on for their next catch. “The thermocline is so hard that you can see it in the daytime. When it gets really hard like that, it is building up for a turnover. When that happens, everything changes,” shares Suggs. Based on the rising thermocline, the available fishing area is drastically reduced with suspended fish hovering above the line, usually above 30-feet. “What is so amazing, I can take a bait and pitch it to ‘em, if they don’t get to it before it gets to the thermocline, they stop in their tracks. When it flips over, you’ll be able to catch them at all depths,” Suggs says. Suggs expects that the thermocline will flip toward the end of September, opening up the lake and allowing for the full acreage of the lake to be fished. One piece of advice that Suggs lends to anglers is that there is no thermocline in moving bodies of water, like the Arkansas or Mississippi Rivers, so the fishing depths are not impacted by the thermocline.
Scott find most success with the KVD Splash, Skip’N Buzz, Red Eyed Shad, KVD 2.5, and KVD Sexy Frog in Zone 4 during September.
If the water is clear, Suggs prefers the Chrome Blue. In stained water, he switches to TN Shad 2.0. For muddy water, he will favor Black Lab.
The special design of the KVD Splash allows this bait to deliver the perfect balance of spitting, chugging, and walking to entire topwater strikes. KVD Splash includes premium components such as a feather-enhanced rear treble hook, 3D eyes, and an ultra-realistic paint job.
His choice for clear water is Green Pumpkin, while he opts for White if the water is stained. Suggs will utilize Black when fishing in muddy water.
Strike King’s Skip’N Buzz is specifically built to help anglers target out-of-reach fish in places where few baits will go. The Skip'N Buzz features a 4/0 hook positioned perfectly to not hinder the baits skipping ability while maintaining maximum hook ups.
He opts for Natural Shad in clear water, and switches to Chartreuse Sexy Shad if the water is stained. Bully is his go-to when fishing in low-vis conditions.
The Red Eyed Shad has incredible action and features some awesome paint jobs, premium hooks, 3D eyes, and free-floating rattles to give you the best action and sound of any lipless crankbait on the market.
If the water is clear, he will throw The Shizzle, while more stained water calls for Chartreuse Sexy Shad. Suggs will opt for a Chartreuse Black Back in muddy conditions.
The KVD Squarebill 2.5 Crankbait is perfect for shallow water, power fishing. The squarebill design and unique “hunting” action will constantly emit erratic movement while still running true.
He opts for Bullfrog in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Bone, while he will switch to Green Pumpkin Gill if the water is muddy.
Strike King’s KVD Sexy Frog is the best of its kind – the sealed nose and free-floating rattle make this frog perfect for open water and heavy cover applications.
