Strike King pro Shaw Grigsby highlights his favorite baits for the rising temperatures in Zone 1.
“As all of us living in Zone 1 right now can probably attest to, there’s one major prevailing theme in July – it’s hotter than heck! For anglers, this could be a time of year where some of us might prefer to spend the afternoons around the A.C. instead of sweating it out under direct sunlight. Largemouth bass in Zone 1 will have this same mentality… beat the heat! For the bass, their version of A.C. is shade or current. As the day heats up, you’ll find a large percentage of fish seeking out heavy cover and thick vegetation. You’re looking to target fish that are either seeking shade or feeding on baitfish offshore around current. This time of year, you’ll absolutely want to take advantage of the morning bite while fish are aggressively feeding in and around vegetation. For choosing my top baits this month, I’m going to break things down with a morning bite strategy and then my afternoon strategy as the day heats up.”
“Walking-style baits are critical for capitalizing on the early bite in Zone 1. I’m throwing the Sexy Dawg around the edges of grass and lily pads. You’ll often find schooling activity in these areas as well as offshore shell bars that attract baitfish congregating in current. However, it’s critical that you have current offshore for these shell bars to be effective,” says Grigsby.
If the water is clear, Grigsby prefers Green Gizzard Shad. In stained water, he switches to Bone. For muddy water, he will favor Black Lab.
“One tip I utilize when throwing the Sexy Dawg and the KVD Splash – I like to throw 30-50lb braid with a short fluorocarbon or monofilament leader. I’m usually going with 15lb fluorocarbon here, as the short leader keeps the line from sinking and negatively impacting the action of the bait,” Grigsby says.
Grigsby’s choice for clear water is Chartreuse White Thunder Cricket and Pearl Flash Scounbug, while he opts for Black & Blue with Blue Craw Scounbug trailer if the water is stained or muddy.
“Bladed jigs are effective throughout the year in Zone 1. I’m throwing this in a lot of the same places as the Sexy Dawg. Grass edges and submergent vegetation are what I’m primarily targeting. The Rage Scounbug has quickly become one of my favorite trailers for the Thunder Cricket due to its compact profile and unique craw action,” shares Grigsby.
He opts for Natural Shad in clear water, and switches to White Shadow if the water is stained. In low-vis conditions, he will choose Bottoms Up.
“Frogging is a staple in Zone 1 this time of year. I’ll pull out the Poppin’ Perch as the sun begins to rise and bass begin relating more to shade. Look for holes or pockets in and around thick, emergent vegetation,” says Grigsby.
Grigsby typically uses the Rage Scounbug for punching grass with a 1-1¼ oz weight and 5/0 flipping hook.
If the water is clear, he will throw Blue Craw, while more stained water calls for Blue Bug. In low-vis conditions, Grigsby utilizes the Black and Blue.
“Typically, around 10:00 am I begin shifting my focus to an approach that either targets fishing seeking shade around heavy cover or moving to offshore shell bars with current. Punching matted grass with a heavy weight will be my primary approach for fish seeking shad. The key here is choosing a soft plastic with a small profile that allows the bait to easily penetrate emergent grass. The new Rage Scounbug has become my go-to here since we released this bait in 2022. While I also love a Rage Bug for punching, the more compact profile and unique action of the Scounbug makes this the perfect choice for this application. It has so much action in the craws without needed to do much with the bait. I can cast it and leave it there knowing it’s doing the work to trigger a strike on its own,” shares Grigsby.
He opts for Gold Sexy in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Chrome Sexy Shad, while he will switch to Gold Black Back if the water is muddy.
“Another staple for Zone 1, the Red Eyed Shad is a great choice when targeting offshore shell bars with current. It’s critical that you vary your retrieve in order to dial in the bite. I’m typically pumping the bait up off the bottom and letting it fall. Sometimes I’ll utilize a straight retrieve, but I typically find the rise and fall pumping tactic to be the most effective,” Grigsby says.
Hackney uses the Skip'N Buzz when in shallow, submergent grass, shoreline vegetation, or laydowns.
If the water is clear, Hackney prefers the Green Pumpkin. In stained water, he switches to the White. In muddy water, Hackney opts for a Black soft plastic trailer.
