6m propagation at this time of year

According to "the experts" the main northern hemisphere's Es season should be over. In my experience, 6m is good for European DX (even with QRP SSB) way beyond now and way into September.

With FT8, which can work with stations well below CW levels, stations are in the same few kilohertz of band. If 6m opens, even briefly, there are plenty of monitors able to catch the opening.

On CW or SSB, you have to have stronger signals and know where to look. Also, it is harder to look back at what happened over the day.

FT8 only occupies 50Hz of bandwidth and a single transmission only takes 15 seconds. If the band opens, even briefly, the chances are someone, somewhere, will notice. This why I like FT8.  I agree it is not a chatting mode, but it is an ideal Es mode.

When the band opens with F2 propagation, which it will do nearer sunspot maximum, FT8 should be ideal for brief openings, especially TEP ones N-S.