While he barely missed the cut at the 2021 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Ray Roberts, Hunter Shryock liked what he saw. The water flooded the bushes, and the Ohioan turned Tennessean felt right in his comfort zone.
Everything is different this go-round for the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic at Lake Ray Roberts presented by Under Armour. The water is low. The water temperature is colder than expected. The wind has blown hard.
“Of course, (fishing cover) is what I like to do and when I get here, there is hardly anything in the water to go fish,” he said during Thursday’s media day availability. “I wish we could flip flop the conditions for those events.”
Many, including Shryock, anticipated the shallows to play a major factor in deciding this years Classic. Catching spawning largemouth was predicted to be a viable pattern. So far, that does not seem to be the case, and simply running the bank may not be as productive as originally thought.
“It is a lot cooler than what we all thought it was going to be,” the now five-time Classic qualifier said. “A lot more prespawn than what we all anticipated. Coming into it, I think everyone was thinking it was going to be on the edge of spawning or spawning. But I feel like it is a pretty hard prespawn.
“With the wind, I forced the bank bite as much as I could. I fished it enough to know there is not a big push up to the bank.”
St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN pro Kyle Austin has seen water temperatures that indicate a spawn could happen, but hasn’t seen any bass in the area to back that up aside from one male he estimated to weigh 1 1/2 pounds.
“Everything is perfect for them to spawn expect the fact that the bass have not come to spawn,” Austin said. “I think the surface temperature might be warm, but the core of the lake isn’t warm yet. The wind doesn’t help bass wanting to go in 2 feet of water. At Santee Cooper, we will get weeks of 80 degree temperatures, but the wind blows every other day and slows the process.”
That doesn’t mean, however, the tournament won’t be won in shallow water.
Seeing the water temperatures in the low to mid 50s on the first day of practice, Shryock quickly pivoted to finding prespawn staging areas as best as he could. Those places are considered offshore, but they are also shallower, call it 5 to 10 feet of water.
The way the lake is fishing right now, Shryock compares it to Grand Lake, last years Classic site, and Fort Gibson in Oklahoma. He describes the style he has employed during practice as a “cast length away” from the bank.
While not on the bank necessarily, Shryock will be fishing in his comfort zone. Cranking a Berkley Frittside, Powerblade Spinnerbait and a Slobberknocker bladed jig around secondary points will be part of his Day 1 repertoire.
“There are places and spots that are offshore, but they are still shallow,” Shryock explained. “That’s the way it sets up with the water level. I’ve had to get it in my head that I am still fishing 3 and 4 feet of water, but a cast length away from the bank.”
He imagines finding one of those sweet spots that has four or five quality bass around it will be the key to winning. Daytime highs are expected to reach the 80s this week in Texas, which could get some bass moving to the bank. But thus far, Shryock has only seen the water get colder and that doesn’t not bode well for a big push to the bank.
“If there were to be a big push, it would be when the lake level is rising,” he added. “Almost any lake in the country, they don’t like to spawn when the lake is down. The lake is typically higher this time of year than it is right now. I think they are just holding out.”
Austin said he has not seen many bass roaming around in open water, which will make some sort of cover or structure incredibly important.
“It is a structure fishing tournament,” he said. “A lot of the structure is in the 8 to 10 foot range, so it will be won relatively shallow. But I don’t think it will be won casting at the bank.”
Prior to Classic practice, Alabama’s Wes Logan would have sworn the bass in Ray Roberts would either be spawning, or at least really close to it. While the big push of fish shallow hasn’t happened in his areas, he has had some success fishing around the bank.
“The few fish I have caught have been shallow,” he said. “I’m just going to do what I’m most comfortable with. The water is stained, and they have got to be wanting to spawn at some point, so that’s how I’m going to spend my time.”
The key to getting a more productive shallow bite, Logan believes, will be the wind laying down some during the tournament. The strong winds have stirred up the lake, keeping the water chillier than what it could be and has also moved colder water into the creeks and spawning areas.
Logan plans on starting around some of the shallow offshore areas, but will transition to fishing around standing timber and the little bit of shallow milfoil he has found in hopes of running into the bass he needs.
“The one calm day of practice we had the water temperatures in the backs of the pockets got up to 65,” he said. “Those fish know that way before we do, so there’s gotta be some stuff moving around. Those females are going to be pulling up on the shallowest cover with a little bit of depth near it. That’s what I’ll be focusing on.”
