Big Time White Bite

[dtrs5kprs]

danop...the jointed is kind of the classic fin. CJ9 is the model, 5". The straight 7" is certainly an option, as are some other one piece wakers (Buckeye, Long A, etc). The C10 is the 7" code. You are (or so I am led to understand) trying to imitate a large gizzard shad be-bopping along the surface and throwing a wake. Either that or maybe something waking while chasing smaller bait. It is not like trying to matching the smaller shad with a grub or small swimmer.

Sam...think the circle is a solid idea, or at least a single of some sort. Use some on my wacky worms, and also use them along with some octopus single hooks as replacements on the white spoons. Makes it a little easier to flip in docks, and deal with if you end up spooning whites. Maybe squeeze the barb down as well.

The purple fin is a special run color, Ozark Shad or Minnow I think. Also have some rogues in that color. Not sure how much a specific color matters, but there are days where either a chrome or a white belly look (smokey joe or purple back) will work better.

[danop69]

Thanks for your input Jason! I will have to pick up a couple those. Heard about the smokey joe and also about the chrome with black back. Not sure about the other color but I will look. Planned on the hook upgrade as well and thanks for the snap advice. I will make sure to grab some.

[magicwormman]

Jason- Fished from 5 A.M. - Noon from Kimberling City to 86 bridge running and gunning for whites. Has two college kids fishing with me and wanted to put them on whites. Never saw any whites feeding all morning. we did manage to catch two big whites and 22 bass with 6 legals up to 3 lbs. Mix of jaws, spots, and LM, all on the fin or spook. Jointed worked best until the wind picked up and than the spook and solid fin worked the best. Main lake pts with trees was the best for us.

[Jason Essary]

Thanks Magic worm. Will report what we do. Be doing the same thing around point 4 and 5.

[Jason Essary]

3 whites and 2 keeper smallies. Lot of shorts. Just could not find the big school of whites but fun nun the less. Off and home by 8.

[Sam]

Bill, you've got 'em figured out - they're on a 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. schedule, and at 8:30 they turn off like hitting a switch. A friend and I put in at State Park this morning and fished nearby, mostly around the Branson Belle and the Dam area. Early, I don't think it mattered where we fished - most all the banks had boiling white bass with baitfish jumping up on the shore. We didn't see any real big boils, just little bunches of whites all along the banks. We only caught 14 but they were big, and I think we lost almost as many as we landed.

The idea of putting a single circle hook on a Roostertail didn't work. I was missing 3 out of 4 strikes with that rig, and soon went back to a Roostertail with a treble. My partner was throwing a small chrome spoon with a treble hook, and that worked fine, too.

I treated myself to a new Lew's Speed Spin reel last week and I filled it with 10 lb. PowerPro braid and used it for the first time today. Caught a big white bass on my first cast with the new reel - that's gotta be a good sign, huh?

[dtrs5kprs]

Might be the circles will only work on a slow bait. They definitely work on wacky worms. Know they make circle jig hooks for saltwater, may have to order some for testing on a more horizontal bait.

Anyone look at the schedule at the dam, with respect to the 830am shut off? Could just be daylight, but might be some current effect on the whites or on the shad.

Anyone trying to get over them and spoon them after they go down?

[Bill Babler]

J. sorry I missed your post. Good info by Sam however. I'm been covered up. Wrench. Yes I've spoken to the Biologist on this and as many as 50 percent of the whites in a given year will not spawn. It is very normal. They have to have just the perfect condition and then still lots don't do it. Not a problem according to the guys in the know.

Yes Buster caught them on a spoon yesterday. More throwing than jerking, but both for sure. EARLY. Lots of people don't know the meaning of the word. Early is not 7 AM. Now its 5 AM. I believe he had between 30 and 40 but don't quote me on that. Said it was a huge day.

In two days his clients had 120 bass including the whites from TR lake. Now that's catching them. Fin, Tube, Spoon.

Good Luck I'm Gone

[bfishn]

... Wrench. Yes I've spoken to the Biologist on this and as many as 50 percent of the whites in a given year will not spawn. It is very normal. They have to have just the perfect condition and then still lots don't do it...

It's common for WR chain 'eyes too, and why AGFC times their collections by the calendar instead of the thermometer.

[Sore Thumbs]

You Red Fin lovers need to try a Wake Up Lure by Buckeye. Those whites will go nuts on these things. A bit pricey but they do work.