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how to catch white bass

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:38 am
by farmerJohnny
Hello guys. I am new around here and trying to learn new tricks every day.
Since I see the white bass run is getting closer I wanted to ask the experts here what is the best way to catch white bass on a river?
I have only caught white bass on live minnows but I know most people use lures. I have not fished with lures much, mainly due to the fact that I fished from the shore, but I want to get in on the action. Since I don't know much about it, may be you can help.
So here are my questions:
What lures do you use to catch white bass?
1. what type of lures do you use (give me exact name/link if possible)
2. what type of line should I use? (size, brand, color, etc)

I want to start fishing more with lures, although I prefer throwing my line in one place and waiting.

P.S. yes I bought a chip kayak which is very unstable and turned me over in the middle of the lake out of nonwhere. I am planning on buying a more stable one and adventuring on the water again, but until then I will probably fish from the shore.

thanks for you input. I love this site.

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 11:11 am
by water in my beer
I see your in college station, there are some good white bass areas close by. Yegua Creek is great during the run as long as the water levels are up. Plus Lake Stubblefield is pretty decent. On both bodies of water I have had alot of success with small white spinner baits, small jigs, small crank baits, rattle traps, and rooster tails. Pretty much the key word is small. I also just use a standard 4 to 8 lb monofilament. Typically, green or clear line. Hope you tear em up and keep us updated on how your trips are going so we know how to guage the runs.

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 1:01 pm
by CityByTheSeaCitizen
My favorite bait is a 1/8 oz orange blakemore roadrunner jig head with a 3" pearl gulp minnow. Cast upstream (or upstream at an angle) and let it fall, and slowly retrieve it.

line is irrelevant. I like 8lb mono on a spinning reel, just in case I need to break it off. I usually fish creek with a lot of timber.

You can put that a jig underneath a cork as well.

If I have good casting range, I will throw a very small white spinnerbait.

When the WB are running good, I will use the biggest bait they will eat, so the small ones aren't interested in my bait.

I often rig jigs in tandem, just tie one jig about 2' above the other.

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:02 pm
by sheriff_john
When in full swing a chrome or chrome blue rat-l-trap is pretty consistant.

doesn't look to be in full swing yet and I am doing much better with the orange/pink head roadrunner with a charteuse marabou tail or a tiny chrome rat-l-trap that has a spinner at the back.

casting from shore I used to use a chrome or white lil'George because you can chunk them a mile but I haven't fished one in many years.

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:09 pm
by c-dawg
Ditto on the roadrunners,in clear water I use white in stained water I use chartrues sp? anyway puke green. Saltwater speckled trout rigs work well also.

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:16 pm
by farmerJohnny
water in my beer wrote:I see your in college station, there are some good white bass areas close by. Yegua Creek is great during the run as long as the water levels are up. Plus Lake Stubblefield is pretty decent. On both bodies of water I have had alot of success with small white spinner baits, small jigs, small crank baits, rattle traps, and rooster tails. Pretty much the key word is small. I also just use a standard 4 to 8 lb monofilament. Typically, green or clear line. Hope you tear em up and keep us updated on how your trips are going so we know how to guage the runs.
Hei, thanks for the quick response.
Yes I do live in College Station but I haven't been anywhere around here for the white bass run. The only time I went for the white bass run was while living up in DFW, in Rowlett. Rowlett creek was pretty good with live minnows.
I have being trying to find the best place to go.
1. You mentioned Yegua Creek and I assume it is somewhere around Lake Somerville, but I am not able to find on google maps. I see no yegua creek going into Somerville or coming out on the map. Google is very bad with naming the rivers. So how can I reach Yegua Creek? (I know where the Yegua park on Somerville is and have been there)
2. also was not able to find Lake Stubblefield anywhere close to College Station.

thank you a lot for your help.

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:28 pm
by water in my beer
Stubblefield is north of Lake Conroe, it is essentially Lake Conroe. Its a good place to fish but you need a small boat to get away from the fisherman on the bridge. Where I fish on Yegua Creek is West of Lake Somerville. It is a secluded place but offers tons of room to bank fish. When the water is up it is a blast. Shoot me a pm with your email and I will send you a Google Maps showing the spot and directions. I would post it here but dont know how to size the pics.

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:27 pm
by fishinmachine
Farmer Johnny, my best bet for spring run whites in streams has always been a 1/16 oz. plain unpainted ball jighead with a 2 1/2" curlytail grub in white or chartreuse. This rig will cost you pennies compared with a Road Runner or Rooster Tail or Rattletrap. Fish them on fresh 6 or 8 pound line, and open and close the hook bend a few times with your fishing pliers when you first tie a new jig on your line. This will take some of the temper out of the metal in the hook and let it bend out easier if you should snag. Move around a lot from stream pool to pool and fish the tailouts of the riffles. If you snag and have "detempered" the hook, a steady pull will almost always "git yer stuff back". If not, you've scored the dreaded bonus re-tie :( . Cast quartering upcurrent and fish them back very slowly...in the early season, I "hop and settle" the jig back to the rod, almost like fishing a plastic worm for black bass. They'll thump it on the drop, just after you've lifted it. If you'll mash the hook barb flat, you'll find unhooking fish a lot quicker and easier. When you've found the right spot at the right time of the run, you can often catch 100 or more fish from one spot on a creek or river bank. And sometimes you'll get a surprise crappie or two :) .

Good luck!

FM

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 10:03 am
by farmerJohnny
CityByTheSeaCitizen wrote:My favorite bait is a 1/8 oz orange blakemore roadrunner jig head with a 3" pearl gulp minnow.
So does the roadrunner jig head have the spoon as well or just the head? I assume if you put a pearl gulp minnow on the hook you don't need the spoon. (excuse my ignorance)

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 10:18 am
by Forever Fishing
fishinmachine wrote:Farmer Johnny, my best bet for spring run whites in streams has always been a 1/16 oz. plain unpainted ball jighead with a 2 1/2" curlytail grub in white or chartreuse. This rig will cost you pennies compared with a Road Runner or Rooster Tail or Rattletrap. Fish them on fresh 6 or 8 pound line, and open and close the hook bend a few times with your fishing pliers when you first tie a new jig on your line. This will take some of the temper out of the metal in the hook and let it bend out easier if you should snag. Move around a lot from stream pool to pool and fish the tailouts of the riffles. If you snag and have "detempered" the hook, a steady pull will almost always "git yer stuff back". If not, you've scored the dreaded bonus re-tie :( . Cast quartering upcurrent and fish them back very slowly...in the early season, I "hop and settle" the jig back to the rod, almost like fishing a plastic worm for black bass. They'll thump it on the drop, just after you've lifted it. If you'll mash the hook barb flat, you'll find unhooking fish a lot quicker and easier. When you've found the right spot at the right time of the run, you can often catch 100 or more fish from one spot on a creek or river bank. And sometimes you'll get a surprise crappie or two :) .

Good luck!

FM
THIS!

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 2:41 pm
by CityByTheSeaCitizen
farmerJohnny wrote:
CityByTheSeaCitizen wrote:My favorite bait is a 1/8 oz orange blakemore roadrunner jig head with a 3" pearl gulp minnow.
So does the roadrunner jig head have the spoon as well or just the head? I assume if you put a pearl gulp minnow on the hook you don't need the spoon. (excuse my ignorance)
Yes, it has a little spon on the back.

It looks like these.

http://www.kitterytradingpost.com/produ ... odid/15054" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You might not need the spoon, but it is always my first bait. I have had the best luck with this bait, so I stick with it.

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 5:20 pm
by farmerJohnny
fishinmachine wrote:Farmer Johnny, my best bet for spring run whites in streams has always been a 1/16 oz. plain unpainted ball jighead with a 2 1/2" curlytail grub in white or chartreuse.
FM
thank you for your valuable input fishinmachine. Again I ask (and sorry for being so ignorant), does the jighead have a spoon as well, or just the hook?

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 5:20 pm
by farmerJohnny
CityByTheSeaCitizen wrote:
Yes, it has a little spon on the back.
thank you for the clarification

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 5:27 pm
by Infidel
Here's the basics:

Image

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Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:20 pm
by fishinmachine
Thanks for the photos, Infidel!
Farmer Johnny, all the pictured baits will catch whites for you. The favorites I mentioned above are the plain unpainted ball jigheads in the center photo....no spoon, spinner, color, etc. Plain old lead. Any tackle store will have these, as will Wal-Mart and the large outdoor stores. A bag full will cost you about $3.00 and a bag of the curlytail grubs will be another $3.00. So for 6 bucks you'll have 20 or 25 baits to lose before you must restock. And if you are fishing them correctly, you'll lose a few.

FM

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 10:44 pm
by ProfPlum
thanks for all of the great advice fom another white bass noob!!!

Re: how to catch white bass

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 9:21 am
by farmerJohnny
thank you again everybody for your wonderful advise.

P.S. if a moderator could move this thread in the New To Fishing section would be great. That probably is a better section for this.