Strike King pro Kevin VanDam highlights his most used lures in Zone 6 during June.
“Determining the best approach during June for Zone 6 can be largely dependent on the size and depth of the body of water you’re fishing. The bigger and deeper the body of water, the longer it will take to heat up,” shares KVD. With such a wide range of water temperatures, VanDam expects that there will be bass in various spawning stages. “In June, you can expect spawning conditions on big bodies of water, and post-spawn on smaller bodies of water. Either way, this is one of my favorite times of year to fish,” KVD says.
KVD heads into the month of June with one objective – covering water. “Covering water as quickly as possible will be my primary objective as I look for concentrations of smallmouth and largemouth. The first three baits are ideal choices for the shallower, smaller lakes that warm up quicker, likely putting fish into a pre-spawn pattern,” shares VanDam.
If the water is clear, VanDam prefers Pro Smelt. In stained water, he switches to Pro Gold. For muddy water, KVD will favor Pro Siren.
“I made the colors for the J300 Elite Jerkbait specifically for this region. I pretty much keep this tied on all year long. Match the forage hatch for making color selections,” says KVD. “One thing I have to mention here… a Siren-colored Caffeine Shad is my go-to for areas with thicker vegetation that makes it more difficult to fish a jerkbait. I don't go anywhere this time of year in this regional without extra bags of Siren Caffeine Shad,” he says.
KVD’s choice for clear water is Blue Craw, while he opts for Bruiser if the water is stained. Fire Craw is his main choice in muddy conditions.
“My next choice is the Tungsten Thunder Cricket. It catches both smallmouth and largemouth really well,” says KVD.
He opts for Spot Remover in clear water, and switches to Chartreuse White if the water is stained or muddy. VanDam chooses Black Lab in muddy water.
“A 1/2 oz Tour Grade double willow spinnerbait is another great option as well for fishing in more stained water with vegetation,” KVD advises.
If the water is clear, he will throw Clearwater Minnow, while more stained water calls for Bone.
“One of the major events going on right now that you’ll want to pay attention to is the mayfly hatch. This makes a popper-style bait absolutely deadly... This is when I work in the KVD Splash Jr. Dominant in clear to stained water,” shares KVD.
He opts for The Juice in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw the Green Pumpkin, while he will switch to the Too Siren if the water is muddy.
“I always keep some sort of finesse bait tied on. I love a Ned head with Baby Z-Too. Keep in mind, fry-guarding bass just can't stand chartreuse! Always throw Siren if you are seeing spawning fish. Casting to color change edges & weed clumps. Great cleanup lure,” advises KVD.
Zona fishes his Caffeine Shad weightless, rigged on a 4/0 wide gap hook. This weightless presentation allows the Caffeine Shad to pause near the surface and fall slowly when he stops his retrieve, mimicking an injured baitfish.
If the water is clear, Zona prefers the KVD Magic. In stained and muddy water, he switches to the Siren.
Zona fishes the Caffeine Shad on a Team Lew's Signature SeriesMark Zona Power Finesse 7’4” medium rod, pairing it with a Lew's HyperMag 300 spinning reel.
He fishes the Caffeine Shad rig on 8 lb fluorocarbon line.
Strike King pro Jay Przekurat shares the reasons Zone 6 offers a little bit of everything for anglers fishing during the month of June.
“This time of the year, you can expect water temperatures to be in the 60- to 70-degree range with all kinds of things going on,” Przekurat says. Because bass could be in any spawning stage during June, Przekurat recommends that anglers head out on the water with an open mind. “There will be pre-spawn bass, spawning bass, and post-spawn bass present. This is the time where there's not really a pattern happening, so most of the fishing I like to do is junk fishing or a little bit of everything,” shares Przekurat. But there is one technique that Przekurat finds himself using the most during June. “Covering water is my go-to in the month of June,” he says.
If the water is clear, Przekurat prefers Clear Ghost Shad. In stained or muddy water, he switches to Bone.
Przekurat chooses the KVD Sexy Dawg because it’s a premium, “walk-the-dog” topwater lure with great action. When bass are chasing bait near the surface, he always has one tied on.
Przekurat’s choice for clear water is Green Pumpkin, while he opts for Blue Craw if the water is stained. Black Blue is Przekurat’s choice in muddy water.
One of the best vibrating jigs to hit the market, Strike King’s Thunder Cricket Vibrating Jig has a Jungle-style flipping hook and ultra-stiff, stainless-steel blade for unmistakable movement in the water. The Blade Minnow trailer allows efficient movement through grass.
He opts for Green Pumpkin in clear water, and switches to Blue Craw if the water is stained. Black Blue Flake his Przekurat’s go-to in muddy conditions.
The Strike King KVD Perfect Plastics Ocho 4" has smooth, beveled sides to reflect light in different directions, creating a flash unlike any other soft bait. Ocho also has a slow sink rate and is versatile, but ideal for jerkbaiting and wacky rigging
If the water is clear, he will throw Chartreuse Sexy Shad, while more stained water calls for TN Shad 2.0. Przekurat opts for Blue Back Chartreuse in low-vis conditions.
The KVD Squarebill 1.5 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 Blue Craw in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Chartreuse Perch, while he will switch to Fire Craw if the water is muddy.
Taking the country by storm, the Hybrid Hunter is crafted for catching fish that traditional crankbaits miss. The Hybrid Hunter creates a hard-thumping, exaggerated hunting action and has an extremely loud rattle that causes fish to strike with vengeance.
In clear water, Przekurat goes for Green Pumpkin, but find that Blue Craw is most effective in stained water. Black/Blue is his go-to in muddy conditions.
The Rage Scounbug is built with two Rage Flange pincers that wiggle and swim, imparting a life-like, natural action and six legs for a realistic crawfish appearance. It has enough attitude and versatile action, perfect for being used as a jig trailer, on a jighead, Texas rigged, or Carolina rigged.
