Strike King pro Tristan McCormick shares why he refers to October as “splash month” in Zone 3.
“October is probably my favorite time of the year. I call it ‘splash month!’ October is known for topwater,” asserts McCormick. With the drop in water temperature, bass feeding patterns are changing and topwater baits reign supreme during October. “Weather starts cooling off, leaves start changing, and the bass start chasing bait and feeding like sharks! You can literally pick a topwater up and never put it down all day,” shares McCormick.
There are a few key baits that McCormick utilizes during October, especially the Sexy Dawg, Tour Grade Spinnerbait, and KVD 1.5. “Sexy Dawg Hard Knock is my go-to for covering a lot of water, usually fishing from the bank all the way out to shallow bars in the middle of the lake. The more wind you have the better, in my opinion. The wind gets the bait active, and the bass will be right behind them. A spinnerbait is just as good, especially shallow going down riprap or fishing around docks. I would also have my KVD 1.5 on standby to follow up with the spinnerbait!” advises McCormick.
If the water is clear, he prefers Clear Sexy Shad. In stained water, he switches to Carolina Chrome. For muddy water, McCormick will favor a Bone.
Strike King’s Sexy Dawg Hard Knock maintains all of the premium “walk the dog” action of the original with an added rattle chamber for a deeper knocking sound to grab attention and entice strikes.
McCormick’s choice for clear water is Green Gizzard Shad, while he opts for Oyster if the water is stained. Powder Blue Back Chartreuse is McCormick’s top selection in muddy conditions.
The KVD 1.5 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 White Silver in clear water, and switches to Chartreuse White if the water is stained. In muddy water, McCormick will pick up Spot Remover.
With heightened effectiveness in cover, the Tour Grade Spinnerbait is designed with a light wire frame to help produce maximum vibration and comes complete with a hand-tied skirt.
If the water is clear, he will throw Sexy Shad, while more stained water calls for Oyster. McCormick prefers Carolina Chrome in low-vis conditions.
Built to fit the specifications of Kevin VanDam, the KVD Splash is the perfect balance of chugging, spitting, and walking action for huge strikes.
He opts for The Shizzle in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Gold Sexy Shad, while he will switch to Chrome Blue if the water is muddy.
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.
Strike King pro Mark Menendez recommends that anglers use run and gun tactics in Zone 3 for the month of October, as bass are scattered relating to shad and/or wind.
Menendez favors Pro TN Shad 2.0 in clear water and picks up a Sexy Shad 2.0 when the water is stained. Pro Siren is his go-to when fishing in low-vis conditions.
The new KVD J300 Deep Sinking Jerkbait allows you to fish a jerkbait in depths that no other jerkbait can get to. Watch it sink down on your forward-facing sonar until it gets to the depth you desire, then start ripping it back to the boat and watch the fish go crazy. The jerkbait is weighted perfectly to sink nearly 0.5-feet per second and maintains the amazing erratic action of the standard KVD 300 Deep Jerkbait.
He opts for White in clear water and Black in stained or 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. Pair with a Rage Toad trailer for the perfect set up.
If the water is clear, Menendez prefers the Blue Shad. In stained water, he switches to the Chartreuse/White. For muddy water, Menedez 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.
Menendez picks up a TN Shad 2.0 for clear water, while he opts for Bone if the water is stained. In muddy or low-vis water, he reached for Black Lab.
Menendez chooses the KVD Sexy Dawg Hard Knock because it’s a premium, “walk-the-dog” topwater lure with great action.
He opts for the Chrome Blue in clear water, and switches to Oyster if the water is stained.
The Red Eyed Shad has incredible action, premium hooks, 3D eyes, and free-floating rattles.
If the water is clear, Menendez will throw a Sexy Shad, while more stained water calls for a White. He chooses a Black for muddy water.
The Tour Grade Buzzbait is made with premium components, such as a sculpted quick-planing head and an exclusive Gamakatsu® hook, making it a go-to in Menendez’s line up.
He opts for Pearl in clear water. If the water is stained or muddy, he will throw the Hot Chartreuse.
With a unique and exclusive tail design, the Rage Grub provides anglers with a custom, hi-grade soft bait with superior action.
Strike King pro Andy Montgomery calls out a few tips when fishing in Zone 3 during October.
With temperatures hovering around 70 degrees, fish are more active and likely to congregate near structures such as rocks, docks, and submerged wood. However, the key ingredient for a successful catch in this zone is the wind. The movement generated by wind tends to stir up the water, creating feeding opportunities and encouraging fish to venture out of their hiding spots.
Montgomery’s choice for clear, stained or muddy water is White.
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. Pair with a Rage Swimmer trailer for the perfect set up.
If the water is clear, Montgomery prefers Carolina Chrome. In stained or muddy water, he switches to Bone.
Montgomery 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.
If the water is clear, he will throw a Green Pumpkin Craw with Rage Bug trailer. In more stained water Montgomery uses Black Craw. In muddy water he will grab Texas Craw.
Designed to be the ultimate jig for skipping under docks, Strike King Tour Grade Skipping Jig is built with a super strong and sharp Gamakatsu® hook for strong hooksets and resistance to bending when fished in hard cover.
Montgomery’s choice for clear water is Blue Glimmer with Black Flake, while he opts for White Silver if the water is stained. Chartreuse White is Hackney’s choice in muddy conditions.
With heightened effectiveness in cover, the Tour Grade Spinnerbait is designed with a light wire frame to help produce maximum vibration and comes complete with a hand-tied skirt.
Montgomery’s choice for clear water is Carolina Chrome, while he opts for Black Lab if the water is stained. Bone is Montogmery's first option in muddy conditions.
The KVD Splash is the perfect balance of spitting, chugging and walking to entice topwater strikes. Splash features premium components, feather enhanced rear treble hook, 3D eyes, ultra-realistic paint jobs and strike-inducing action.
