Mega White Bass Report

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Prof. Salt
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Location: Corpus Christi - or paddling over the horizon

Mega White Bass Report

Post by Prof. Salt »

I had to work through most of the white bass spawning run, and I was really bummed about the situation. Two trips earlier in the season were good, with catches of 80 and 163 fish. I had to (just like every other year) figure out the new contours of the river and where fish might stack up. At work I finally finished the report that kept me away from the water for most of the run, and last Wednesday I took the day off to fish the Nueces. The three mile paddle upriver was made in the pre-dawn darkness (a favorite part of the day for me, when I can see owls and turkeys overhead in the trees and enjoy the quiet stillness as I move along under the stars).By the time I arrived, daylight was just beginning to peek over the horizon and I got out the little 2wt outfit and a small white fly that had been tied the evening before. Catching began with the very first cast into one of the lower riffles that transitioned into the pool below. I strung up a limit for dinner (several dinners), then pinched down the barb and got serious with catch and release.
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I have learned what structures these little fish prefer, and how to approach them for solid catch numbers ...IF the fish are spawning. As luck would have it I showed up just before the mostly empty females began the trek back down to the lake, and there were lots of fish still hanging around the section of rapids I fished. From first light until 2:00 pm I managed 311 whites, and all on a single fly! Fish were still biting but at that point I quit fishing and headed for the truck and some lunch.

Saturday morning I took the 2wt back to the same part of the river to see if fish were still in the spawning area, and to my surprise they were. With so many females appearing to be spawned out, I figured they might have dropped back into the lake below. I was happy to see that they were not in a hurry to return. Better yet, the typical Saturday crowds of fishermen never materialized, so I spent the morning releasing a lot of fish again. Once the fish at a spot had mostly been caught once, I had to change up the action of the fly to keep their interest, but by doing so it kept me busy all morning. I finished with a total of 361 fish, and just like Wednesday they all fell to a single barbless fly.
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The fly is a simple pattern, and similar ones are common. My design has been tweaked over the last few seasons according to what the fish seem to prefer, and this is the current combination. The fish clearly like it, despite the simple design. Note, they did look quite a bit prettier before all those fish ate the shine and finish off. I used brass XS eyes, medium pearl cactus chenille, size 6 Umpqua flats hook and EP fiber for the tail. Nothing fancy, but I mostly tie to catch fish rather than fishermen, lol. Both the flies and the (very abraded) fluoro tippets survived all those fish, and both were gladly retired after a single trip.
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Finding the right structure is key. Most folks know to look for a spot with rapids, but they fail to capitalize on most of the fish if they spend all their time working the shallow water. Look for a rock or log that offers fish a break from the fast moving current, or better yet a deep spot along the side of the rapid. You would be astounded at how many fish can stack in these tiny breaks. One hole on the edge of a rapid was no larger than a bathtub, but I caught and returned 41 fish from there before moving to the next likely looking feature. This photo shows a channel at the lower end of one rapid section. It is slightly darker water near the far shoreline. It was no more than knee deep, but provided the fish a rest compared to the rapid that was 6-10" deep with very fast water. I caught over 150 fish from this little channel during the day by working up and down it and covering all the water.
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This is the section just above, and it also had several good spots that congregated fish. This spot showed me that lots of fish will stack up just above the rapid sections too. I guess if it was too crowded below, the other fish could crowd in above the breeding zone and rest there until it was time to return to the rapid for a quick "business trip". Both ends of the rapid held lots of male and female fish.
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With gas prices being so high, this was probably my last trip for white bass this year. Now I'll change gears and chase redfish in the shallows close to home. It's a good problem to have.
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Endo
Posts: 234
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:00 pm
Location: Austin

Re: Mega White Bass Report

Post by Endo »

Awesome trip report, thanks for sharing with great photos.

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Tom Baty
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Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:11 pm

Re: Mega White Bass Report

Post by Tom Baty »

Great report! Looks like a lot of fun!
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