Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

Throughout his career in professional fishing, Fletcher Shryock has met a lot of people. He’s also met a lot of bass. The connection — lots of different personalities. And just as he’d take the appropriate conversational approach based on who he’s chatting with, the accomplished pro from Newcomerstown, Ohio knows he has to calculate various bass dispositions.

“Fish all have different personalities, so it’s important to have a couple things to throw at them,” Shryock said. “Sometimes, they may not be interested in one thing and you pick up another bait and they’re right on it.”

That’s particularly relevant to the bass spawn. The reproductive season happens at different times, based on geography, but there’s no denying the relevance of bed fishing. Shryock’s multi-faceted approach to this shallow water theater bespeaks the wisdom of keeping a variety of baits handy.

IN PLAIN VIEW
For the obvious stuff, the visible beds he can spot and approach with relative ease, Shryock uses this one-two punch.

Straight Talk: In most cases, Shryock’s first choice for bed fish is an unweighted Senko. Texas-rigged on a 5/0 Trokar TK135 flipping hook, this classic bait can reach into just about any spawning habitat with a subtly intrusive look.

Sleek and easy to cast, this bait’s efficiency complements its role in gauging a fish’s temperature. As Shryock explains, the Senko lets him know who’s in the mood to chew and who has the pouty face.

“It’s important to know that there are a large number of bed fish that are uncatchable at certain times,” he said. “I feel like a lot of it comes down to the timing of when you find that fish, as far as how far along they are in the spawning process. Have the eggs been laid? How aggressive is that fish?

“One fish may be deemed uncatchable on Tuesday and then you roll in there on Wednesday and she’ll bite anything that comes near the bed. It just comes down to the fish’s personality and there are a lot of factors that go into it.”

Boat pressure and weather definitely influence this deal, but Shryock knows that the best fish to find are the ones that have something to lose.

Read full story at Inside Line: http://www.insideline.net/features/2020 ... hing-baits

“You want to find that fish when the eggs are laid and she’s in a guarding mood,” he said. “So, the timing if probably more important that any one thing. If you get a pair of fish in there and they’re rolling around, those fish are extremely difficult, if not impossible to catch. Acknowledging all of this is pretty important to all of these factors when you’re evaluating bed fish opportunities.”

Technique: Shryock pitches his Senko well past the bed and slowly works the bait into the bed. Bombing a bed fish usually shows you a departing tail, so ease into the presentation.