White Bass (and others) Thread 2024

[Dustin Pate]

Sorry, I've been a little lazy with a Hooch update. This past week has been the best fishing of the year, so far. Last Tuesday was probably the cleanest the water had been and we found a pile of white bass and big hybrids eating before the storms moved in. The end of the week and weekend the water was still dirty, but cleaned up better by Sunday. The live/cut bait bite was very good. The fish are spread out and I've caught them good from Snake Creek all the way up to the shoals.

 

[Dustin Pate]

Few more….

 

[ryork]

Few more….View attachment 1299001View attachment 1299002View attachment 1299003View attachment 1299004View attachment 1299005View attachment 1299006

Good looking hybrids! I want to get down there before it’s over! Fishing is good 25 minutes away so that’s what I keep doing…..

 

[ryork]

How did you get that hook out? Nice catches by the way!

That turned into a 2 day saga........ Having done that a time or four before, thought I could get it out. But the way and where it went in, there wasn't enough length of the hook to push it through. I tried and tried for probably 3 hrs, the old string method, icing my hand down and trying to push it through etc. Finally gave up and went to the urgent care that afternoon. They shot it full of lidocaine and made a tiny little cut and pushed it through that, got it out no big deal. Since it had been in there for 5-6 hrs by that point, I fished a while with it in there........, the doc insisted on a tetanus shot. I mentioned the old alpha-gal syndrome and it went down hill from there. She determined there was one that would definitely be alpha-gal safe. Sent me to Walgreens to get it. They didn't have it and the pharmacist handed me the spec sheet (and I don't mean the warning label deal you get on prescriptions when you pick them up) and told me to read it see what I thought????????? I told him I'd go somewhere else simply because of his lack of caring and sorry attitude. Went to the Wal-Mart down the street, and they had the magic one, but refused to give it to me due to "risk" as it was also labeled as containing "bovine". Went back to the urgent care and they told me to go to the ER to get the shot and then sit there for six hours to be "monitored". I told them I'd take my chances with the lockjaw before I'd do that. Finally called a pharmacist friend of mine two hours away who had the right version and said they would give it to me. Since the window is 72 hrs, I had plenty of time. Got up the next morning, went fishing again, and then drove 2 hrs to his place and got the shot. The whole thing post getting the hook out seemed like making a mountain out of a molehill coupled with a whole lot of self-protection at my expense both in terms of time and money. The whole scenario made my disdain for the entire medical industry grow even more.

 

[poor retina]

Any word from the Oconee River? I just had someone ask me about white bass fishing at Dyar's Pasture and realized I hadn't seen anything on this thread so far this year.

 

[campboy]

A few from Weiss

 

[dang]

I’ve been blessed to take quite a few folks this spring. Hardly reeled many in myself, but I’ve enjoyed the heck out of the last few weeks. Couple pics

 

[ryork]

I’ve been blessed to take quite a few folks this spring. Hardly reeled many in myself, but I’ve enjoyed the heck out of the last few weeks. Couple picsView attachment 1300040View attachment 1300041View attachment 1300042View attachment 1300043View attachment 1300044View attachment 1300045View attachment 1300046View attachment 1300047

Nice!

 

[ryork]

Messed around for about 3 hrs this morning. Three stripers and then they shut down. White bass are still strong and most are spawning or spawned out, nothing huge, caught around 20 or so in an hour.

 

[drhunter1]

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Messed around for about 3 hrs this morning. Three stripers and then they shut down. White bass are still strong and most are spawning or spawned out, nothing huge, caught around 20 or so in an hour.

What baits are you using?

 

[Dustin Pate]

The fishing at West Point continues to be very good, but it is on short time. Lots of hybrids around the last week and then a massive amount of white bass have shown up in the last couple days. They are spawned out and beat up, but the numbers are the best we've had all year. I had a feeling they rode a wave of flood water way upriver and what I saw the last couple days confirmed that. Most of the hybrids are spawned out also. I figure at least another week...maybe two of these fish, but you better get them sooner than later.

Couple pics from the weekend.

 

[ryork]

What baits are you using?

For white bass, two baits have dominated all Spring. A Berkeley Flicker Shad in all white, gold or blue/white, and a 1/8 oz 1.5” blue and white Johnson swimming paddle tail jig. For stripers, the biggest size whopper plopper has been the best option, had some luck on red fins and big swim baits too.

 

[drhunter1]

For white bass, two baits have dominated all Spring. A Berkeley Flicker Shad in all white, gold or blue/white, and a 1/8 oz 1.5” blue and white Johnson swimming paddle tail jig. For stripers, the biggest size whopper plopper has been the best option, had some luck on red fins and big swim baits too.

Thanks. Going out this weekend and I’m going to need all the help I can get. I’ll report back.

Is the flicker shad a jointed one?

 

[ryork]

Thanks. Going out this weekend and I’m going to need all the help I can get. I’ll report back.

Is the flicker shad a jointed one?

No, not jointed

 

[drhunter1]

No, not jointed

I meant to ask. Shallow or deep running?

 

[ryork]

I meant to ask. Shallow or deep running?

 

[ryork]

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I’m a big believer in conference in a bait too, so maybe something in a different location that works better for someone. Those two white bass baits I mentioned are what I caught the most on early so I had faith in them for the rest of the run. Once they really got going I’m sure other lures or colors would have worked just as well. As long as the jig was blue……..

 

[ryork]

I’m a big believer in conference in a bait too, so maybe something in a different location that works better for someone. Those two white bass baits I mentioned are what I caught the most on early so I had faith in them for the rest of the run. Once they really got going I’m sure other lures or colors would have worked just as well. As long as the jig was blue……..

Confidence not conference……..

 

[drhunter1]

Confidence not conference……..

I agree. I like an old fashioned rattletrap and always gravitate back to it.

 

[dang]

Took some buddies out Tuesday & today. Numbers have been insane…no giants but non stop live action. Couple highlights