2023 White Bass Run

[BilletHead]

16 minutes ago, ollie said:

I bet it was that same Osprey then. Afterwards it went back high up into the tree overlooking the area. I wish  now I had something in pink to throw. Hindsight you know is always better!  lol Looks like you guys did a number on them as well. My biggest was the one pictured and it went around 15". I should have brought my yak and then I could have made it up to the next gravel bar where all the action was. I mean as soon as that wind picked up the shad stopped flipping and I didn't see anyone else catch anything. They probably did, but I don't know. It will probably still be hot and heavy down there this week, but it has to be tailing off by now I would think. Although I heard the crappie bite is going on stronger right now than last week even. I might chase those whites up Elk river next week. Elk always is about a week or two after Spring for the good fishing.

I think it'll be good actually for a couple weeks more. I enjoy the constant fishing action when it's on. I'm going to meet you down there sometime. 

[ollie]

Ok, and you guys probably thought I was done with the reports, wrong! lol So on Tuesday I had to go to the chiropractor for some work on my back. I took a hard fall a couple of weeks back after I got back from my trip on the Neosho. Which btw I got skunked that trip on top of hurting my back. Anyways, I figured after my regular doctor's appointment on Wednesday I would head down to 10c and give it a try. I was really stoked since the weather was nice and warm and I got off work early. I headed home and loaded up the car with high hopes of catching fish. That never happened on Wednesday though. After I got out of the doctor's office I was just feeling like crap. That adjustment from previous day really did a number on me. That and the gale force wind was turning me off by then. So, I headed back home and unloaded the car and actually went to bed really early. Fast forward to yesterday now and when I got off work, I decided to try it again. Being stoked again, but this time I was feeling better and the wind wasn't as bad. I pulled up in the lot about 4:30 and started to get my stuff together for the walk to the gravel bar. I had thought about bring the yak, but I also knew I wouldn't have much time to fish before it started to get dark. I wanted to be off the water before dark. When I got the to the lot there wasn't many cars or trailers. I think I counted 5. At that rate I started to think the run was over and I would be just casting for nothing. When the locals aren't down there in full force it makes you wonder. I guess I am somewhat local though since it only takes me a half hour to get down there. One other car pulled in after me and it was a man with his 2 daughters. I let them go first down the trail and then I followed shortly behind. When I got down the to water there was only like 2 other people there. Got to pick out my spot so I headed over the fallen tree in the middle of the river where I was last time. It was just me and that osprey that I saw last time I was there. This time he didn't dive into the water though. Must have learned his lesson. Lol  Within 5 minutes I stuck the first one. The pic is of it and I estimated that fish to be around 14". I was fishing top water again and this time it paid off for me! I ended up catching an even dozen in two hours with that one being the smallest.  I think the biggest would have gone 17-18". The bass were everywhere and boiling the top for shad. It was perfect! I would throw out the plopper and start twitching it to make it look injured and they would absolutely just smack the crap out of it! I fished a solid two hours and then the sun started to go down behind the bluff so I decided to get back home and ready for bed so I could wake up for work this morning. To be honest, it was one of the best fishing trips I have had in a long time. Everything just came together like it should and fish were on fire! After the last couple of days of things not working out it was definitely a better day. It also feels good to be the only one out there killing it when others aren't. Although I told a couple of people what I was catching them on. I don't think many people thought of bringing top water though.

[Johnsfolly]

43 minutes ago, ollie said:

Ok, and you guys probably thought I was done with the reports, wrong! lol So on Tuesday I had to go to the chiropractor for some work on my back. I took a hard fall a couple of weeks back after I got back from my trip on the Neosho. Which btw I got skunked that trip on top of hurting my back. Anyways, I figured after my regular doctor's appointment on Wednesday I would head down to 10c and give it a try. I was really stoked since the weather was nice and warm and I got off work early. I headed home and loaded up the car with high hopes of catching fish. That never happened on Wednesday though. After I got out of the doctor's office I was just feeling like crap. That adjustment from previous day really did a number on me. That and the gale force wind was turning me off by then. So, I headed back home and unloaded the car and actually went to bed really early. Fast forward to yesterday now and when I got off work, I decided to try it again. Being stoked again, but this time I was feeling better and the wind wasn't as bad. I pulled up in the lot about 4:30 and started to get my stuff together for the walk to the gravel bar. I had thought about bring the yak, but I also knew I wouldn't have much time to fish before it started to get dark. I wanted to be off the water before dark. When I got the to the lot there wasn't many cars or trailers. I think I counted 5. At that rate I started to think the run was over and I would be just casting for nothing. When the locals aren't down there in full force it makes you wonder. I guess I am somewhat local though since it only takes me a half hour to get down there. One other car pulled in after me and it was a man with his 2 daughters. I let them go first down the trail and then I followed shortly behind. When I got down the to water there was only like 2 other people there. Got to pick out my spot so I headed over the fallen tree in the middle of the river where I was last time. It was just me and that osprey that I saw last time I was there. This time he didn't dive into the water though. Must have learned his lesson. Lol  Within 5 minutes I stuck the first one. The pic is of it and I estimated that fish to be around 14". I was fishing top water again and this time it paid off for me! I ended up catching an even dozen in two hours with that one being the smallest.  I think the biggest would have gone 17-18". The bass were everywhere and boiling the top for shad. It was perfect! I would throw out the plopper and start twitching it to make it look injured and they would absolutely just smack the crap out of it! I fished a solid two hours and then the sun started to go down behind the bluff so I decided to get back home and ready for bed so I could wake up for work this morning. To be honest, it was one of the best fishing trips I have had in a long time. Everything just came together like it should and fish were on fire! After the last couple of days of things not working out it was definitely a better day. It also feels good to be the only one out there killing it when others aren't. Although I told a couple of people what I was catching them on. I don't think many people thought of bringing top water though.

Congrats Ollie for getting it done with the topwater! I hope that your back heals up quickly.

[BilletHead]

7 hours ago, ollie said:

Ok, and you guys probably thought I was done with the reports, wrong! lol So on Tuesday I had to go to the chiropractor for some work on my back. I took a hard fall a couple of weeks back after I got back from my trip on the Neosho. Which btw I got skunked that trip on top of hurting my back. Anyways, I figured after my regular doctor's appointment on Wednesday I would head down to 10c and give it a try. I was really stoked since the weather was nice and warm and I got off work early. I headed home and loaded up the car with high hopes of catching fish. That never happened on Wednesday though. After I got out of the doctor's office I was just feeling like crap. That adjustment from previous day really did a number on me. That and the gale force wind was turning me off by then. So, I headed back home and unloaded the car and actually went to bed really early. Fast forward to yesterday now and when I got off work, I decided to try it again. Being stoked again, but this time I was feeling better and the wind wasn't as bad. I pulled up in the lot about 4:30 and started to get my stuff together for the walk to the gravel bar. I had thought about bring the yak, but I also knew I wouldn't have much time to fish before it started to get dark. I wanted to be off the water before dark. When I got the to the lot there wasn't many cars or trailers. I think I counted 5. At that rate I started to think the run was over and I would be just casting for nothing. When the locals aren't down there in full force it makes you wonder. I guess I am somewhat local though since it only takes me a half hour to get down there. One other car pulled in after me and it was a man with his 2 daughters. I let them go first down the trail and then I followed shortly behind. When I got down the to water there was only like 2 other people there. Got to pick out my spot so I headed over the fallen tree in the middle of the river where I was last time. It was just me and that osprey that I saw last time I was there. This time he didn't dive into the water though. Must have learned his lesson. Lol  Within 5 minutes I stuck the first one. The pic is of it and I estimated that fish to be around 14". I was fishing top water again and this time it paid off for me! I ended up catching an even dozen in two hours with that one being the smallest.  I think the biggest would have gone 17-18". The bass were everywhere and boiling the top for shad. It was perfect! I would throw out the plopper and start twitching it to make it look injured and they would absolutely just smack the crap out of it! I fished a solid two hours and then the sun started to go down behind the bluff so I decided to get back home and ready for bed so I could wake up for work this morning. To be honest, it was one of the best fishing trips I have had in a long time. Everything just came together like it should and fish were on fire! After the last couple of days of things not working out it was definitely a better day. It also feels good to be the only one out there killing it when others aren't. Although I told a couple of people what I was catching them on. I don't think many people thought of bringing top water though.

                        Good job Ollie,

     We are helping with Reel Recovery part of next week. But am planning on getting back down there again. Would like to hit that topwater white bite with the fly rod. does it look like the water is about close to the same. If others are launching, I hope I can push the boat off the trailer.  Maybe I can twist @curtisce arm and let him push the boat off the trailer . 

[ollie]

Went back down last night after work and didn't do very well at all. It appears the big push is all gone from everything I saw. I caught 2 dinks on a pink rooster tail and that was it. Only 2 boats at the launch and 4 people total on banks fishing. I didn't see any of them catch anything as well. Were the white bass still out there? More than likely so, but not anything in numbers like we have seen. Doesn't help the water has gone down a LOT. As in the drop from the shoreline is like 8 feet from where it was last week. Pond water out there now and not much flow. I could have literally, probably waded to the other side if I picked the right spots. It is getting that low. Oh well, now is the time to get over to Elk and check out the run there. It always gets going after the Spring river run.

[BilletHead]

56 minutes ago, ollie said:

Went back down last night after work and didn't do very well at all. It appears the big push is all gone from everything I saw. I caught 2 dinks on a pink rooster tail and that was it. Only 2 boats at the launch and 4 people total on banks fishing. I didn't see any of them catch anything as well. Were the white bass still out there? More than likely so, but not anything in numbers like we have seen. Doesn't help the water has gone down a LOT. As in the drop from the shoreline is like 8 feet from where it was last week. Pond water out there now and not much flow. I could have literally, probably waded to the other side if I picked the right spots. It is getting that low. Oh well, now is the time to get over to Elk and check out the run there. It always gets going after the Spring river run.

                  Ollie sending you a PM

[BilletHead]

3 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

                  Ollie sending you a PM

          well says you cannot receive messages? 

[ollie]

I guess that will happen when you don't delete old messages!  lol The inbox was completely full. Try again

[BilletHead]

58 minutes ago, ollie said:

I guess that will happen when you don't delete old messages!  lol The inbox was completely full. Try again

Sent! Thanks

[ollie]

Got a good report that they were still catching nice fish up Spring to the last gravel bar upstream you could motor up to. I figured that was the second gravel bar upstream from 10C so I decided to check it out yesterday. Got there around 8 and hardly anyone was down there which kind of surprised me. This time I took the yak and went upstream. That will probably be the last time I do that one. Too much water and a lot of paddling just to get up there about 1 -1 1/2 miles. Anyways I got up there and didn't see another person. Great! got the place to myself. Too bad the fish weren't there for me.  I threw a lot of different lures and only caught one dink until almost leaving. So I'm over by this fallen tree on the west side of the river fishing it and I start to hear a load commotion from behind me. I turn and see the water churning with whites! I am like 50 yards away and I jump into the yak and start paddling like crazy to get to them. Just as I get there the water goes calm again. -------! I missed them. I'm sitting there and all of a sudden they start back up to the left of me so game on! I throw out there and bam! instant hit from one and it is on. This fish is pretty big I tell from the pull of the rod. That and the fish I saw busting the top weren't your average sized whites. This fish was pulling hard. My bait caster was bent over and drag was going out. I have that drag set tight as well. Got a glimpse of the fish and can tell it is nice and a hybrid.  When I finally got it close enough to the boat I saw he was hooked in the back fin. No wonder it was fighting like hell! After getting hooks out I measured it at 18" and it probably weighed around 5 pounds was my guess. The fish was fat and had a girth to it as well. That was the first time on Grand I have witnessed hybrids schooling like that. I have seen and been in the middle of white bass churning the water, but not with all hybirds like this.