Strike King pro Trey McKinney shares his secrets for getting big bites with topwater baits during October in Zone 4.

“This time of year can be truly a blast for moving baits and topwaters,” McKinney shares. Heading further into fall, he expects to see lots of active bass because of the falling water temperatures. “Going into October, we will see water temperatures in the 70’s and sometimes even the high 60’s, which really makes these fish get active, especially when the main source of food is shad and even bluegill,” he says. 

“One of the biggest keys to catching fall bass is matching the hatch,” emphasizes McKinney. Hungry bass will be following food, so locating shad is key to huge catches. “The shad tend to move to the backs of pockets and main creek arms which make them easier to locate. Most bait will still be smaller – which bass will key in on – so they will only hit the smaller types of shad resemblance baits,” McKinney advises.

“My favorite when the cooler water temps hit is to throw topwater,” says McKinney. There are a few key locations that McKinney targets during fall. “Sometimes in the fall you can get bites throughout the whole day, but your five big bites (and most bites) will come around shad or vegetation or transitions of rock or any scattered cover that they can ambush bait fish on. That’s the key to triggering those bigger bites,” McKinney

BAIT 1: Strike King Sexy Dawg

If the water is clear or stained, McKinney prefers Bone. In stained water, he switches to Black Lab.

McKinney 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.

BAIT 2: Strike King Skip'N Buzz with Toad trailer

McKinney’s choice for clear or stained water is Black, while he opts for White if the water is muddy.

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.

Bait 3: Sexy Frog

He opts for Stump Jumper in clear water, and switches to Green Pumpkin if the water is stained. Black is McKinney’s go-to in muddy conditions.

The KVD Sexy Frog has strong hooks and an easily collapsible, hollow body for better hookups. The best of its kind, the Sexy Frog has a sealed nose and free-floating rattle for superior performance.

BAIT 4: Strike King KVD Finesse Spinnerbait

If the water is clear, he will throw Gizzard Shad, while more stained water calls for Super White. McKinney utilizes the Chartreuse Sexy Shad in low-vis conditions.

KVD worked diligently to perfect the all-around perfect spinnerbait. Chief among the KVD Finesse Spinnerbait features is a smaller, redesigned Perfect Skirt® with natural colors for a realistic look and smaller profile in the water.

BAIT 5: Strike King Denny Brauer Baby Structure Jig with Rage Menace trailer

Strike King pro Scott Suggs discusses all things thermocline and how it can influence angling success all over the country, but especially in Zone 4.

“To set yourself up to have the most success during the fall in Zone 4, or anywhere else in the country for that matter, it essentially comes down to understanding one critical indicator of fish location – the thermocline,” Suggs begins.

The thermocline is crucial in understanding fall fishing patterns, but what is it? “The thermocline is a vertical boundary or layer within the water column where there is a rapid and substantial decrease in temperature with increasing depth. The most defining feature of a thermocline is the abrupt change in temperature as you move deeper into the water. Above the thermocline, water temperature tends to be relatively uniform, while below the thermocline, the temperature drops rapidly,” shares Suggs.

“On almost any reservoir in the U.S., the thermocline typically establishes itself around mid-May to early June. You can expect to find it in 12- to 14-foot range using sonar on a fish finder. From that point on, the thermocline will continue to drop deeper and deeper into the water column as the water temperature above it continues to rise,” he says.

“One critical thing to keep in mind – the fish will never be below the thermocline, because it’s too cold. Follow the thermocline from May until it bottoms out in October, and you’ll find the fish. By October, the thermocline does something we refer to as ‘bottoming out’ when it hits the lake bottom and then turns over. This occurs typically within 30- to 35-feet in Zone 4. The lake ‘turns over’ when the top of water cools, falls down and meets other water, and which point the water temperature will be uniform from top to bottom. When this happens, the fish decide to either go deeper or go shallow. This is when I’ll go from catching fish in 26- to 29-feet above the thermocline to catching them anywhere from 50-feet to less than 5-feet in the backs of creeks. This might sound like it would make it harder to locate fish, but it actually makes them more predictable. You’ll either find them at the mouth of the creek or in the back of the creek. Start by fishing either the first ¼ of a creek or in the back ¼ of the creek. If your area experiences rain before you head out, always head to the back ¼ first. Keep this in mind and you’ll save yourself a lot of time finding fish,” advises Suggs.

“Another important key to remember – identifying the thermocline to locate fish only applies primarily to reservoirs. Rivers with current will not have this thermocline to rely on,” Suggs concludes.

Here are his top choices for breaking down Zone 4 in October.

BAIT 1: Strike King Filler Worm

If the water is clear, Suggs prefers Morning Dawn Filler Worm. In stained water, he switches to Magic. For muddy water, he will favor Tequila Sunrise Orange Flake.

“This is a big deal in October with any lake that has standing timber. I’m using to a 3/16 oz. to a ¼ oz. weight in 25-to 30-feet of water. I cast past the timber and essentially swim the dropshot slowly through the timber. It’s truly an incredible bite,” says Suggs.

BAIT 2: Strike King Ned Ocho

His choice for clear water is the Ned Ocho in Green Pumpkin while he opts for Summer Craw if the water is stained. Black and Blue Swirl is his favorite when fishing in low-vis conditions.

“This time of year, I’m fishing a lot of creek ditches, especially those with a lot of rock around them. On a high-pressure day, the fish will be right on the edge or at the deepest part of the ditch. Make sure you’re only fishing areas above the thermocline. By this time of year, the fish have likely received a lot of pressure. Going down to a finesse presentation can be the difference in a bad day on the water and one of the best days you’ll ever have,” shares Suggs

BAIT 3: Strike King 3.75” Rage Swimmer

He opts for KVD Magic in clear water, and switches to Pro Blue Red Pearl if the water is stained. Suggs opts for Pearl in muddy conditions.

“The Rage Swimmer is a year-around bait for me in Zone 4. Fish tend to set up around brush on creek ditches. I’m targeting brush in 20- to 25-feet using a ¼ oz. to 3/8 oz. jig head. I wind it 1- to 2-feet over the top of the brush pile. I also use this whenever fish are schooling near the surface, except for in this situation, I’m burning it over the top of the school,” Suggs advises.

BAIT 4: Strike King 6.5” Finesse Worm

If the water is clear, he will throw Green Pumpkin and Redbug, while more stained water calls for Candy Craw. In muddy water, Suggs prefers Blue Flake.

“I’ll use a Finesse Worm on either a Texas rig or a shakey head. For creek turns and ditches with timber, I Texas rig it so I can easily work it through potential hang-ups. For creek turns/ditches with no timber, I’m putting it on a shakey head. If you have any hydrilla in your lake, make sure you’re fishing this around the outside edge,” Suggs suggests.

BAIT 5: Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten Thunder Cricket with Scounbug trailer

He opts for Olive Shad with Pearl Flash Scounbug trailer in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Falcon Lake Craw with Green Pumpkin trailer, while he will switch to Black & Blue with matching Scounbug trailer if the water is muddy.

“The Thunder Cricket is such an incredible search bait. We get a lot of fall rains this time of year. When the water starts coming in, I’ll target the fresh water that coming into the lake. This will likely occur at the backs of creeks after the thermocline is no longer a factor,” shares Suggs.