Luke shows off a nice stringer of spawning white bass destined for a skillet full of hot cooking oil and a shoreline lunch. Photo Credit: Luke Clayton / Daily Light contributor
The first major fishing event of the year for most of us, other than the winter stocking of trout by Texas Parks and Wildlife, is the white bass (sandbass) run above reservoirs with a healthy population of these hard fighting, good eating fish. Sandbass aren’t big fish, an honest two pounder is considered a whopper but they are usually plentiful and one of the easiest of fish to catch once you find them. I’ve said many times, if there were only one species I could fish for it would be the white bass.
There is something very special about walking along a creek in very early spring, spinning rod in hand and a few Roadrunner jigs in your pocket, possibly a short piece of cord tied to your belt to “string” the fish you catch. The woods are coming to life with their pale green colors and the air is filled with the wonderful scent of bursting blossoms. You know the creek is holding white bass; it has to be this time of year. Runoff from recent rainfall has created a current that is pulling white bass in from the main lake like metal shavings to a strong magnet.
Yes, white bass are often packed in the creek during the spawn but you have to first find them before you can catch them, that’s where a bit of white bass savvy comes in to play. Spawning white bass can be caught just anywhere along a creek or river above a good white bass lake but they especially like to stage in eddy water on the inside bends. Once you locate a concentration of fish, it’s not uncommon to catch your limit from your position on the bank.
A very slow retrieve is usually best. As the old saying goes, fish very slow and then slow down a bit more. If there is a noticeable current, I like to cast downstream, allow the bait to hit bottom and very slowly crank it back in. I had a guide once tell me when asked his favorite white bass bait that “anything small and shiny was the key.” This can be true when fishing open water of the main lake but try fishing a lead slab or small plug with tandem treble hooks in a creek and you will probably spend most of your time trying to get un snagged from brush or tree roots.
Small baits are the ticket. I usually only use downsized Roadrunner Jigs or one-eighth to one quarter ounce round lead jig heads with a small white or yellow curly tail jig. Make sure and have a good supply because even when fishing these semi-weedless baits, you will invariably lose a few to obstructions. After all, backwoods creeks are lined with trees with roots and plenty of dead wood in the water. Although precise casts with spinning reels is often difficult, the small baits prohibit the use of bait casters.
I used to use 6 pound line exclusively on spinning reels but now prefer to spool with 10 to 12 pound test and tie a three foot leader of lighter line that will break easier when the bait becomes snagged. The very light line stretches easily which makes casting with spinning gear difficult. It’s quick and easy to replace a short leader of light line while the heavier line remains intact. While some creek fishermen prefer braided line, I prefer monofilament. There is zero stretch to braided line and pulling hard on line with a small spinning reel usually equates to down time. Go with monofilament with a short lighter leader and you will greatly increase the time you are fishing.
Lure placement is almost as important as presentation when targeting spawning white bass in running water. While it’s possible to cast across the creek and retrieve along bottom, I much prefer to cast parallel to the bank. Granted, the root system of creek side trees will cause a few hang ups but spawning white bass like to stage around the cover of the submerged roots. Using this method, your lure remains in the “strike zone” during the entire retrieve. There are exceptions to the rule, especially in deep holes that are packed with fish. In this scenario, simply get the bait in the water and you will likely connect with a fish. I don’t know why but spawning whites in running water strike harder than those landed out on the main lake, possibly because they are in competition for food and they know the first to that minnow or crawfish gets to eat!
Water clarity is another factor in finding and catching white bass. I’ve found fish stacked in the more clear water just upstream from a mud line. When fishing big creeks or river channels a day or so after heavy rainfall, smaller feeder creeks can be the ticket to hot action. Water is often more clear in these smaller streams and fish move from the off color water of the main channel into the creeks.
Each spring a few good friends and I devote a day to fishing a creek above a lake known for numbers of big white bass, it’s an annual event complete with a fish fry. Some years are better than others but we always manage to catch plenty of fish for a noon time cook out. We have a little spot adjacent the creek where we drop off fire wood, cast iron skillets, potatoes, beans and cooking oil, never forgetting a couple gallons of fresh water to wash the fillets. We then go about a half mile upstream and fish our way back to our little backwoods camp. After a bit of work with the fillet knives, we soon have very fresh fish fillets sizzling in the skillet. A big meal of very fresh white bass fillets served with fried potatoes with diced onion and pork n beans is the stuff great culinary memories are made!
Remember Luke’s annual Outdoor Rendezvous March 4 on the grounds of Top Rail Cowboy Church in Greenville, Texas. For more information about setting up a booth, contact the church or email Luke at lukeclayton1950@gmail.com
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