White Bass

[Phil Lilley]

are hitting in Swan again.

[Phil Lilley]

Talk to someone who fished from 3 till dark today in Swan- caught a few males early in the field across from the park and then basically nothing the rest of the evening. One boat with 3 guys caught 14 sows early too but it shut down about 5 pm for them and most everyone else. They caught their whites on white rooster tails. They must have been talking to the whites in Beaver.

Lake level is up to the 2nd bend past the old dam and water is gin clear at that point. Mike said he did catch fish there but all trout.

The road leading back behind the old motel and along the bluff is flooded and that's where I usually put my boat in but the city of Forsyth has it blocked off. The ramp by the campground at the mouth of Swan is open but there's a bunch of debry to deal with.

We're still going in the morning.

[vonreed]

I fished Swan Creek tonight, with a few others people around, probably 10 others fishing where I was. I left with 11 whites a little before 9 tonight. All were males. I've heard Beaver Creek is better though. Maybe I'll try there tomorrow.

[Project Healing Waters]

I took the water temp in a few spots to get an average at Swan yesterday afternoon about 4pm. The temps ranged from 57 to 60 degrees. Fishing from shore was worthless until almost dark. But then the fish came shallow to the warmer water. I didn't see much success during the afternoon from the boats, either. They were all fishing the emergent tree lines like a bunch of crappie fishermen. I'd be fishing deep jigs and/or Texas rigged rubber worms along the bottom during the daytime if I wanted to catch white bass...especially with all the pressure.

I was worn out by dark and packed it in just as the bite was turning on. I caught nothing but small males, but I personally don't care. It's all fun. Gray/white Clouser Minnow fished with a serious jigging action through the bottom half of the water column did the trick. Gotta count them down to get to the fish...takes patience. I don't know what the temp was further upstream, but all of the boats we knew were up there came out at dark. I talked to 2 guys in a canoe who came downstream after being up there all day. They caught nothing. Whites hold on gravel humps/submerged islands most of the time. But none of the bass boats seem to be searching for them that way using electronics. They're fishing the shorelines and emergent vegetation like they're after largemouth.

[Brendan Armour]

You know I agree with you on the gravel humps.... But for some reason this season I have picked out almost every one of my whites on submerged vegetation, as long as there was current nearby. Kinda like they have been taking hints from the walleye.