If you're a power fisherman, August is your month. The bass have settled into their summer patterns, they're feeding, and I know exactly where to find them.
Every weed bed on the lake is topped out and loaded with bait right now. That's where the big ones are stacking up, the fish that fill out a limit and give you a shot at winning a tournament. The catch is that penetrating those weed beds isn't always easy. That's why I put together the tackle in this month's box specifically to get the job done.
Here is what I'm reaching for this month.
Punching Through the Mats
When the mats get too thick to fish anything else, I'm punching. The Bishop Boom Punch Rig is my go-to all-in-one setup for this. The Bishop-style head has a double-beveled cut that slices through vegetation on the fall and shields the hook and skirt from debris on the way down, so the bait stays clean every time it hits bottom. There's no split ring to worry about either, just a molded eyelet running straight to a 5/0 heavy flipping hook. I build it in two skirt options: the Living Rubber Flash Series for extra body and sparkle in stained water, and the Silicone Series when I want a tighter profile and more color pop.
If I need to rebuild a rig on the water or want to customize my own punch setup, I reach for the Assault Flippin' Skirt. It's tied from Living Rubber and Flash/Silicone on a compact copper hub that slides right over a 65lb braid knot without any friction, and the round face on top gives a bullet weight a snug, secure fit. Speaking of weights, when I want a different look going into the slop, I'll tie on a PowerShot Weight. The double-pointed design slides in and out of heavy cover with almost no resistance, which makes it worth having in the box alongside a standard punch weight.
My punch gear stays simple: 7'6" to 8' heavy or extra-heavy flipping rod, high-speed reel, 65 to 80lb braid. Pitch it into the thickest part of the mat, let it fall on a controlled line, and be ready. Most of these bites happen right on the fall.
Jigging Through the Grass
When the grass isn't packed tight enough to punch but still needs to be worked through instead of around, I'm throwing a jig. The 5/8oz Dock Monkey Pro is heavy enough to get into scattered grass and keep working through it without hanging up. We swapped the old lead bait keeper for a screwlock keeper on the Pro version, so the trailer stays locked in through the retrieve, and the larger head profile gives it better stand-up action once it settles. It's rigged with a 5/0 Ultra Point hook and a hand-tied copper skirt in the Flash Series blend.
For a different look moving through the same grass, I'll tie on the subBLADE. It's built off our subMission swim jig with a blade added, and as that blade wobbles it knocks against both sides of the head. That extra sound and vibration gets bit when a straight swim jig doesn't.
Working the Grass Edges
The biggest fish of the day are often sitting right on the edge, not buried in the middle of the mat. That's when I slow down and work the outside grass line. The Water Wolf is about as versatile as a jig gets. I can skip it, swim it, flip it, drag it, or bounce it, and the Arkie-style head slides through cover without hanging up. When I need something with more vibration to call fish off the edge, I'll throw the Counterpunch Blade. The blade makes direct contact with the head on every wobble, so there's no split ring softening the thump, and that extra noise gets reaction bites when a straight jig gets ignored.
If the fish are set up a little further off the grass line, I'll slow-roll the Deposit Burner Spin. The double willow blades run on ball bearing swivels so they stay true even at speed, and the hand-tied living rubber skirt gives it a full profile. When the bass are relating to bottom structure near the edge instead of the grass itself, the Red Zone Overtime Jig is what I'm dragging. The football head stirs up sediment and gives a natural presentation for skirted grubs, craws, and creatures.
Finesse for Pressured Fish
Grass fish get pressured fast in August, especially on lakes that see a lot of boat traffic. When the bite gets tough, I'll downsize to the 2K Power Ned. It's a Ned rig built with enough backbone to fish deeper water and current, not just calm, shallow pockets, and the flat bottom keeps the bait standing upright right where the fish are looking.
Rounding Out the August Box
A few more baits worth having on the deck this month. The Dock Candy is a finesse-style flipping jig built on the same frame as our original Dock Monkey, scaled down for anglers who want to skip further back under docks and work stubborn, pressured fish in tight cover. The Punisher HD Tube Jig has a fat, goby-profile head made for power fishing around rock and wood, and it's built to handle a hard hookset. To round out the plastics, the Monkey Chunk trailer pairs with any of our jigs for extra flare and commotion, and the Drop Shot Weights are worth restocking if you're working the deeper edges once the sun gets high.
August Tackle Box
Everything above is in this month's Tackle Box collection, and we're offering 20% off for the first 20 checkouts. Use code [TACKLE-BOX-AUGUST] at checkout. These are the baits built for what August puts in front of you. Hand-tied and hand-finished, same as always.