Let’s face it, Strike King’s lures are a staple in the bass fishing industry. Their products help anglers smash tournaments countrywide, from topwater to jigs, each with deadly action, and August is a perfect time to get on the water and test them for yourself. Â In this post, I’ll narrow down some of the hottest baits for bringing on the bite in the heat of summer, and you’ll experience the competitive edge of this awesome industry-leading brand.
The 6xd
The 6xD Crank Bait is a hard-hitting bait for reaching off-shore fish. August is hot and many Bass will hunker down among deep ledges and lake points. The 6xD has noticeably powerful dive capability as it reaches off-shore structures fast and produces a wobble that fires fish up. This is the bait I pick up when I want my lure to get into the strike zone and stay there. Make a long cast across deep points and speed-crank the lure to your preferred depth and when you feel knocking (deflection) slow your roll. If fishing with crank baits is your go-to, don’t ignore these lethal deep dive options!
Strike King Caffeine Shad
The Caffeine Shad is an out-performing lure for late summer grass fishing. You can twitch it, drop-shot it, or walk it on the surface, add weight, too. But the grass is where it shines. Anglers will twitch and rip it loose when bass are held up in grass.
Rigged weedless, the unrestrained kicking and fall action is unrivaled and lets you slip through thick vegetation. These are particularly effective in early fall as bass begin gorging on bait fish. Best fished on a braided line to a leader in the grass. You can fish in open water on straight monofilament.
Rage Swimmers
The Rage Swimmers are one of my all-time favorite paddle-tail swimbaits. They have a rigid body mold which provides a violent tail kick, unlike other swimbaits. This makes the rage swimmer a perfect trailer for fishing with swim jigs as it provides primary and secondary action.
You can also throw it on the back of a chatter bait to simulate larger profile bait fish. Like all swimbaits, you can fish it on a jig head, Texas rigged in the grass, drop shot, underspin, etc. Trust me, you won’t find more in-your-face action on many other swim baits.
Strike King Rage Craws
The Rage Craw kicking action is perfect when water is above 70 degrees and bass are ready to ambush. Flip it under docks and low-hanging trees and you’ll see why. It’s also effective as a post-spawn lure when bass are up shallow recovering. They make great jig trailers and swim jig trailers. But they outperform when rigged with a simple Texas rig with a 3/8 oz tungsten flipping weight. You can drag it, hop it, or swim it, and achieve the signature flailing action. You can fish them from post – spawn all the way to early fall and get crushed.
Dream Shot
The KVD dream shot has a flat bottom and a triangular tail that allows the bait to plane out with subtle movement on the fall. The sensitivity in the long tail also provides additional movement without having to impart much action to the rod. These baits are perfect for deep-water and up-shallow bass. They come in standard 4″ and magnum 5″ with a range of tantalizing colors. As a finesse drop shot lure, you don’t have to work it much. Short rod raises now and them followed by stillness is enough to quicker the dream shot and entice a large bite.
Strike King Pro-Model Coffee Tube
The Pro Model Coffee Tube sets itself aside from other tubes with a unique coffee scent and finesse size. You can flip it Texas Rigged, throw a jig head in it, fish it weightless, or on light spinning tackle. The body shape imitates anything from a crawfish to a small bait fish. The coffee tube is perfect for late August grass fishing when bass are tucked in deep avoiding the summer heat. The narrow body profile allows it to slip through grass clean and under boat docks where heavy grass is present.
Strike King KVD Jerk Bait
The KVD Jerk Bait is an aggressive bass lure for the August to September transition. Â Bass are still up shallow and often submerged in the deepest cover. But some will begin pulling out and targeting bait fish in response to the cooling evenings. This is the time when a hard jerk bait will shine. The KVD jerk bait has a solid roll and wiggle action perfect for off shore and along shallow grass lines.
