White Bass

[clayton86]

I just recently started catching white bass and in waters Iv been fishing for over 20 years and jut now caught my first one this year now I seem to catch em everywhere but only 1 or 2 every few weeks. These little mini stripers are a blast to catch and want to learn more about them and start targeting them with UL gear. Any tips or hints would be great like where to look for them and what to use all mine so far have came on 5" kalins lunker grubs or flukes on a drop shot.

[tholmes]

I used to fish a lot for white bass and UL gear is the way to go IMHO. I use a 6-1/2 foot UL rod with a UL spinning reel and 4 lb. line. You may want to go with a little heavier line if you're fishing in current. Anything white or flashy silver works well. White 1/8 oz. maribou jigs, white twitertail grubs, in-line spinners,tailspinners (Little George, etc.), Roadrunners, blade baits small spoons (I always used a ball bearing swivel on these to cut down on line twist). Even small crankbaits like the 1/8 oz. Rat-L-Traps will catch 'em. There's not much more fun to be had than gettin' into a school of 1-1/2 to 2 lb. whites!

 

Most of the time, white bass travel in schools searching for baitfish. Try around wind-blown, rocky points. You can locate feeding schools by looking for gulls or other birds feeding on the baitfish that the white bass chase to the top. You'll see the "boiling" on the top. Cast just beyond the boil and let the lure sink a bit, bring the lure back through the mess and hold on! 

 

Have fun!

 

tom

[clayton86]

These are the size of the ones iv been getting. The first one is my buddy the rest are me.

[Kevin22]

We target them all the time. Just today I caught 52 in an hour or so goofing around. I'm sure I have close to 2000 already this year. From 3" up to 17". 

 

We have found what IMO is the best rig for whites, it will catch them day in and day out no matter if they are busting the surface or down on the bottom spawning. But first you HAVE to check your regulations and see if you can use two lures on one line. 

 

Three-way swivel attached to your main line

9" dropper to a 1/16 oz jig head and crappie tube

12" dropper to a 1/16 jig head and crappie tube

 

Throw it out and twitch it, they will try and take the rod out of your hand. Doubles are very common. 

 

It is something about that schooling look with two of those tubes going through the water together that just gets them to hit, I've fished 1 jig head and caught a few then went to two and caught a ton, then back to one and catch a few. The two jigs at least doubles your catch even if you are catching them one at a time. 

 

 

Two 2" white grubs works also. 

[Kevin22]

If you ever see them busting shad/shiners on the surface, the smallest little reble pop-r is dynamite. 

[Bluebasser86]

I love catching them on topwater. When they're busting shad a Super Spook Jr is a great bait. Obviously a little big for ultralight but a Zara Puppy works just fine on an ultralight and they love them, just a little harder to walk. Inline spinners work great but I seem to deep hook them a lot, not a good deal when you're going to release them. Roadrunners and 3" swimming tail or boot tail grubs work great and so do the smallest size rattle trap. 

[Bankbeater]

Always had luck with small spoons on UL gear.  We just tossed the bait out into the middle of the school when they were working the surface.

[Marty]

When I used to target them I used a UL combo with 4# line and grubs on 1/16 oz. jigheads. However, they'll take a wide variety of lures. The schools were usually mixed white bass and white perch. They hit pretty hard for a small fish.