August Tackle Warehouse Staff Picks

Water temps are still warming significantly in most parts of the country, and the bite can be tough. I believe that the slender profile and great color selection of the Missile Magic Worm make it one of the most effective worms on the market to get bites when fish become less aggressive. If you ask any finesse angler about their top worm selection, I would put money on it that a Roboworm is somewhere in that mix. The Missile Magic Worm is a fresh take on the legendary and proven straight-tail worm design by Roboworm. The 6-inch version is my go-to size for the Magic Worm.

I almost exclusively fish the Missile Baits Magic Worm on a dropshot; however, it would be a great option for a darter head as well. You can throw this worm anywhere depending on the fishery, but I mostly target areas with significant depth changes and cover changes nearby.

The biggest decision you'll want to make is whether to fish the worm on an open dropshot hook or Texas-rigged weedless dropshot hook. My favorite open hook is the Ryugi Fog Shot Drop Shot Hook TC Coat, and my favorite weedless hook is the Roboworm Rebarb Hook.

My favorite all-around color in this bait is John’s Juice. It is a color designed by Elite Series Pro Angler and Missile Baits founder and owner John Crews. From clear water to slightly stained, this is one of my confidence colors. If I am fishing in more heavily stained water, I recommend fishing the Junebug Dream color.

I do not have a single memorable catch on this bait, but I can tell you it has accounted for many fish over the 4–5 lb range for me. This is a bait you throw when you just need a bite. Any serious angler has those very few baits they rely on when the bite gets especially tough—this is mine.

I really like the Daiwa Tatula Cork Spinning Rod 7’3” M XF (TTUL731MXS) and the Megabass Orochi Spinning Rod XX Whipsnake 6’11” (discontinued). For a reel, the Shimano Stradic FM Spinning Reel 2500HG (ST2500HGFM) is my top choice. I prefer a braid-to-leader setup for its sensitivity and casting performance. The Seaguar Smackdown Braid Flash Green 15 lb coupled with a Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon leader is an outstanding combo. I'll typically size my leader as light as I can get away with, often choosing 6 lb but stepping up to 8–10 lb around cover.

With water temps often in the low 90s in the Deep South, you need to make fish react. A Deps 1.2–2.0 Evoke Squarebill is a great bait to cover shallow water and get reaction strikes from bass that may not respond to more subtle baits.

While a squarebill is a great lure to beat the bank with, I like to take it a step further. I'll often use my electronics to find isolated cover off the bank in the back of creeks with cooler water or up a river on main lake flats in 1–5 ft of water. I spend time side scanning and marking any high percentage isolated cover and then go run those places. There is a lot of dead water this time of year, but you can still find groups of fish living on these isolated spots.

I typically like bright “shock colors,” including chartreuse colors like Brown Back Chart and Biwako Chart.

While no one day stands out, I've had some great late-summer tournaments in Alabama targeting backs of creeks on Lake Martin with the Evoke.

For this type of shallow-cranking setup, I want a little longer rod than what I would use for beating the bank. I prefer the Shimano Expride 7’2" MH glass rod with a Shimano Metanium XG (8.1:1) spooled with 15 lb fluorocarbon. I like as fast of a gear ratio as I can get away with for the sole purpose of surprising the fish with the bait and making them react. A slower ratio brings the bait towards the target for a few seconds longer before it deflects off the cover, giving the fish more time to realize something is “off” with their environment. The fast ratio gives the bait the art of surprise and makes fish react when it deflects off cover.

Despite hot weather and warm water temps, the SPRO Rat Wakebait produces some awesome surface bites in August. It has a realistic appearance and natural action combined with a knocking sound that definitely adds extra drawing power.

The SPRO Rat Wakebait is perfect for throwing in various areas, including shaded pockets, near laydowns, and along docks. I especially like throwing the bait along banks and cover in the backs of coves, with a steady slow-to-medium retrieve working very well. I like the original tails that come with these baits, but if they wear out or you want to switch up the appearance or action, you can just replace them with a small finesse worm or even fish the rat without a tail.

I like the Brown color option when fishing clear water, as it has a very natural appearance. Morning Dawn and Nasty Shad are two other colors I've had good success with in different clarities.

A solid 4 lb largemouth was my very first fish on the SPRO Rat Wakebait. Besides it being my first catch on the bait, it was an especially memorable fish because I was skeptical that a bass would even strike a rat lure at that time. Needless to say, I am a believer now. After that catch, the SPRO Rat Wakebait quickly became a confidence topwater lure for me at numerous fisheries across North Georgia.

I like to throw the SPRO Rat Wakebait on a 7 ft St. Croix Mojo Bass Casting Rod with a medium-heavy power and moderate-fast action. I pair it with a Shimano SLX A 150 casting reel filled with 40–50 lb braid coupled to a short monofilament shock leader measuring about a foot. This setup is versatile enough to handle fishing the 25-, 30-, and 40-sized baits.