Funded by MAFWA Multistate Conservation Grant #F25AP00104-00
I’ve heard from so many anglers just how fun the white bass run can be. Before today, I had only ever caught them on accident while fishing for largemouth. The few I’ve caught were hard fighting and spirited through and through. They are no doubt an exciting fish to have on the other end of your line. I finally decided it was time to target them on purpose and try my hand at fishing the white bass run.
White bass migrate from the main lake into rivers and creeks each spring to spawn. When they come to these shallower waters they become a much more accessible fish to target. And on top of that, rumor has it they’re good eating too! These factors together mean people line up down the street for the opportunity to catch a limit.
I drove to the northern most part of Lake Palestine in East Texas to join the crowds of folks hoping to partake in the white bass spawn. There were lots of people flanking the banks, so it’s safe to say I didn’t have my choice of fishing spots. I found an empty spot between two anglers, spoke to both of them to make sure I wasn’t intruding on their spot, and got to casting.
White bass can be caught on a wide variety of small lures. I brought small crankbaits, rattletraps, inline spinners, grubs on jig heads, small spinnerbaits, and underspins with me on this trip. The day before I got to the river, there was a decent rain so I wasn’t sure how muddy the water would be so I brought every small lure I had just to be safe.
It was a chilly morning, so all of us anglers were bundled up, but undeterred. I didn’t have a bite for quite a while – no one around me was having any luck either. There weren’t any open spots to move to, so I kept casting and fished each lure I had with varying retrievals and hoped a group would come by soon.
With patience comes great reward! The weather warmed up and eventually, the fishing followed. The white bass showed up and when they did it was booming! Every other cast led to your rod doubling over with a white bass on the line. They were energetic and powerful to say the least.
I wasn’t taking any home with me; that’s an adventure for another day. It’s safe to say I understand why folks line up for the opportunity to catch these fish. The white bass run happens in lakes all over the state. You can find out more information about white bass and their spawn on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website. Be sure to grab your fishing license and hit the river while the bite is hot!