Recommend white bass

[1gr8bldr]

If someone were to ask me, what should I get if I want to fish for catfish, I could save you all the experimenting, wasted money and tackle box full that you no longer need and tell you exactly what you need. I am hoping you guys can tell me exactly what I need for White bass, mostly river fishing, but I know a lake spot where I can always find a big school of white bass. Seems I never fish anymore. All I do is ride and look for Trophy cats on my graph, mostly livescope. However, In all this wasted time, I find other schools of fish, white bass and crappie, and may as well catch a few for the heck of it. I would like an all around set up for white bass, and one for crappie, to keep on the boat. Favorite rod, length, lures. In most cases, this would not be a casting, search, retrieve, looking for them. It would be an exact known location. And usually not able to cast beyond and reel through them. Almost like bass fishermen pitch a lure. Thanks.

 

[Batjack]

Any medium lite rod with a 3000 size reel and 6-8 pound test will work. My rig is a 5' 6" Berkley Amp lite action with a Phleuger Presidential 3500 and 6lb. line. My go to lure is a Creme Lit'l Fishie in silver / black back.

 

[1gr8bldr]

Any medium lite rod with a 3000 size reel and 6-8 pound test will work. My rig is a 5' 6" Berkley Amp lite action with a Phleuger Presidential 3500 and 6lb. line. My go to lure is a Creme Lit'l Fishie in silver / black back.

Fishing it with a jig head? If so, what size?

 

[Batjack]

Fishing it with a jig head? If so, what size?

Depending on the depth and speed you need. They come with a 1/8oz. and 3 bodies. I buy extra 1/8oz. and 1/4oz., if you can find a 3/8oz. with a small hook that works good if they are real deep. The 1/8oz. works good if they're on or close to the top.

 

[Wire Nut]

1/32-1/8 oz jig head and any plastic body that is white or chartreuse and wiggles. I use inline spinners and small crank baits too, but the soft plastics worked best for me this year in the river. Crank baits have always worked better in the lake. I’ve caught a live well full on rat-l-traps

 

[GANGGREEN]

I'm not a southern white bass fisherman, just a guy who's caught a lot of them up north and who's in the process of moving south seasonally (upstate SC), but white bass are fun and easy to catch most times without a ton of gear. Almost anything will work on the right day, but I like a 6.5' L rod with a fast action, 4-6 pound test line and small jigs/grubs. They like road-runners, beetle spins and stuff like that too. I prefer white to any other color for them, but silver, chartreuse, etc. will work as well. As previously described, head weight will depend on the depth that you find them. They spawn shallow, occasionally feed on the surface, but also occasionally drop fairly deep, so be prepared with anything from 1/16 ounce to maybe 1/4 ounce or so. Small spinnerbaits and crankbaits also work (as do jigging spoons if they're deep in late summer/winter). Like I said previously, finding them is usually the ticket and they can be relatively easy to catch when you find them.