Spring White Bass Run

[Ham]

Bill do they favor one river over the other, Bryant or NF?

Ham how big do the yellow bass get there? My limited experience in OK produced small ones, <6".

Most run smallish, but we get some up to about 12 to 14 inches. My Dad won't keep em if they are under 10 inches or so.

[Bill Butts]

Here is one of the few Yellow Bass photos I have.....

It is from a buddy in Indiana.

You might be interested to know a little more about these beautiful fish.

The Yellow Bass is the smallest common freshwater member of the Temperate Bass family(which also include Striped, Hybrid Striped and White Bass, and White Perch), and originated in the Upper Mississippi River system. Like White Bass, they are truly "riverene" fish.

They are most commonly known to average in the 5-10" range, and because they can be nearly over prolific some fisheries that contain them do not have creel limits on harvest.

The largest recorded catches of Yellow Bass are in the 2 to 3# range, but that is extremely rare. Few ever exceed 1#.

They have taken up residency in many different fisheries, including some that are far south of their original range, like the Red River system (OK/TX border below Lake Texoma) and some other tributaries of the MS River.

Of all the freshwater Temperate Basses, I think they are the most strikingly beautiful.

Interesting to learn from the commnents above that the spawning run of Yellows is after the Whites, and that their eating quality is preferred by some over White Bass.

[Bill Butts]

Ham,

I've spent a lot of time on both forks, the NFOW and Bryant Creek, and once the water temps are about the same I don't really see that they have a preference.

On average, there is just more water flowing thru the NFOW so I'm sure there are more fish overall that ascend that side.

Early in the spring, the NFOW is a little warmer due to the spring fed water upriver so there is a little tendency to the NFOW side.

I see and hear about more Hybrids being caught on the NFOW side, but I believe that is because they like deeper current and will stay in it for longer periods than White Bass which prefer to hang near the edge of current. I'm referring to water that is 3-4' deep or deeper, and Hybrids will come up to a surface or shallow running bait to hammer it.

A word of caution, last spring in Bryant Creek just above the first big bluff line the stream received a huge deposit of sand from bank to bank for some distance (formerly one of our favorite long gravel runs to wade and fish). Unless there was a significant flow above normal levels, you wouldn't have been able to get thru there with your boat without a jet. With Norfork Lake being extremely low, if we would get some really big and strong flushing rains it would push a lot of that sand downriver to reopen the congestion.

Hope this helps.

[mic]

Here is one of the few Yellow Bass photos I have.....

It is from a buddy in Indiana.

You might be interested to know a little more about these beautiful fish.

The Yellow Bass is the smallest common freshwater member of the Temperate Bass family(which also include Striped, Hybrid Striped and White Bass, and White Perch), and originated in the Upper Mississippi River system. Like White Bass, they are truly "riverene" fish.

They are most commonly known to average in the 5-10" range, and because they can be nearly over prolific some fisheries that contain them do not have creel limits on harvest.

The largest recorded catches of Yellow Bass are in the 2 to 3# range, but that is extremely rare. Few ever exceed 1#.

They have taken up residency in many different fisheries, including some that are far south of their original range, like the Red River system (OK/TX border below Lake Texoma) and some other tributaries of the MS River.

Of all the freshwater Temperate Basses, I think they are the most strikingly beautiful.

Interesting to learn from the commnents above that the spawning run of Yellows is after the Whites, and that their eating quality is preferred by some over White Bass.

yellowbass_DF.jpeg

Sweet, who's taking me yellow bass fishing?

[Ham]

We start catching yellows once the White Bass spawn is in full swing. Last year, I went down too early and we didn't catch ANY yellow bass, but it was tough conditions.

I've caught yellow bass inhe Ouachita River system & Lake D'arbonne ; Toledo Bend and the Sabine River ; Lake O the Pines and Big Cypress Bayou , and I think in the Mississippi River itself. That's what I can easily remember. I've never caught a yellow bass in Arkansas.

[Bill Butts]

What part of the Ouachita River system did you find the Yellows?

I've heard of them being caught in AR in that river.

Were you way down below Lake Catherine ? In Louisiana?

I'm only familiar with the 3 lakes in AR, beginning with Ouachita, not even sure where the river eventually coverges.

Does it join up with the Red River down in southern LA?

I need to study my fisheries geography again.

[Ham]

I have fished the Ouachita River above Lake Ouachita a couple of times, but I was fishing in the Monroe area. Also Bayou D'Arbonne and Lake D'Arbonne. Bayou D'Arbonne runs into The Ouachita above Monroe.

Tensas Bayou, Ouachita River, and Little River join together to form the Black River. The Black River eventually makes it's way into the Atchafalaya River which eventually joins the Mississippi.

Good fishing in all of them for lots of species of fish when conditions are right.