Dense schools and hard hits make white bass some of the most fun sport fish around, and when the whites run up rivers and lakes to spawn each spring, the action can be absolutely incredible.
White bass, or sand bass as they are commonly called in the mid-south and Midwest, don’t grow to huge sizes. Fish average a pound or so, and schools of “big fish” consist mostly of 2- or 3-pounders. The world-record white bass, which came from Michigan, weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces.
That said, what white bass lack in size they make up in strength and gusto. They hit lures with everything they have in them and fight with amazing strength. As significantly, white bass make up for any lack of size through sheer abundance. Where there is one, there often are many more, especially during the spring.
White bass make big spawning runs up rivers and creeks this time of year. They pile up below dams, which block their runs, around shoal and sandbars areas, and in little pockets off the main stems of streams.
White bass commonly give themselves away, running baitfish across the surface or smacking shad on the top. At times, those fish will hammer Heddon Tiny Torpedoes or other little surface offering. More often, a fast-moving sub-surface offering, such as a 2-inch Cotton Cordell Big ‘O’ or a 3-inch YUM Muy Grub, will be more likely to catch their attention. For big white bass, a YUM Samurai Shad is pretty tough to top.
In some streams, white bass schools move daily during the run. They also can spread across broad creek arms of lakes or the main channels of big rivers. Among the best ways to locate fish is to troll small crankbaits. Along with Big ‘O’s, great picks include Cotton Cordell Wee Shads and Rebel Tadfries.
Any time you get a hit while trolling for white bass, take quick note of shoreline markers. Make a return pass to see whether you pick up any more fish or bring the other lines in, circle back and make several casts to the area. Trolling works great for finding schools, but once you hone in on the fish, you’re far better off staying in an area and working it over really well by casting.
Because white bass are so fun to catch, really good runs rarely go unnoticed by local anglers. Often you can figure out where the fish are in their migration and when the fishing gets hottest by the number of cars at riverside pull-offs or by the areas where boats congregate.
And that leads to a final great thing about white bass. There typically are plenty of fish for everybody. As long as you don’t crowd anyone or pull in right over the fish they are casting to, you typically can join other anglers and get in on fast action without anyone missing a beat.