Winter 2018
“Probably the toughest situation is when the fish are eating small baitfish,” he explained. “It always seems to be the most challenging time to get the fish to eat soft plastics, but something very small (like the Shad Shape worm) is usually my first choice for fishing a dropshot.
“If I am fishing jigs and ChatterBaits, I’ll make modifications
to make the whole package more compact. I like to trim the skirt way down and shorten the bait to get it to look smaller.”
FISHING PRESSURE
Another condition that can plague anglers is when a body of water experiences increased fishing pressure. Popular lakes, tournaments, and news of big catches all increase the number of boats on the water and affect how bass bite.
To combat fishing pressure, Shyrock uses a combination of the techniques mentioned above: downsizing his baits, matching the hatch and also adjusting his rigging methods.
“My first approach would be to use a dropshot with a Shad Shape worm on a size 1 Lazer Trokar Drop Shot hook,” he said. “Time and time again that small presentation works when the fishing is pressured and the hook fits it perfectly and I have found that it takes the least amount of tweaks out the package. It has a slightly wider gap and that helps to hook them when they are biting light.”
Another approach he uses is to vary his rigs, with the wacky-rig being his top choice for tackling pressured bass.
Adjusting your soft plastics based on the conditions is a great approach to increase the bites you get. For Shryock, selecting the right soft plastic comes down to water clarity, weather, fish activity, and pressure. •
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