white bass on the fly

[jalama]

white bass run supposed to start here soon, anybody got any advice/patterns/techniques for catching them with fly tackle?

[DaleW]

Still a little too early here in these parts but early March things start to stir. However, what works best early is the hellgrammite, wooly bugger, hares ear.

[brhoff]

Last year I got a couple by watching what the spin guys threw and coming close..ended up fishing white and chart wooly buggers with long tails off the bottom...the guys around were using those same colors in Twister Tails.

I'm not much for crowds so I didn't give it much time though.

[FishnDave]

I've had my best success on white bass when using #4 to #8 size Clouser Deep Minnows in chartreuse over white. White bass love flash, so put a reasonable amount in your Clouser. (I was going to say,"Put a reasonable amount in your tie", but very few guys wear ties when fishing. So then I was going to say "Put a reasonable amount in your fly", but that just sounded all wrong.)

I bet a beadhead, conehead, or barbell-eyed woolly bugger would work great, especially if tied with a white ice chenille for the body!

I assume you'll be fishing moving water? (below a dam on the river, or maybe the mouth of a feeder creek on a lake/reservoir?)

[Gigmaster]

Absolutely. Fish any minnow pattern. Some good ones are clousers, Black-Nosed daces, and Black Ghosts. Darter patterns work well.

But the best patterns are ones that resemble their favorite food....shad. Any Hi-Tie style pattern in grey and white will drive them nuts!

Here is my favorite fly for them:

[Bluegill222]

Minnow and shad patterns have always worked best for me, but I also keep a few woolly bugger and crawfish imitations in my white/wiper box as well for fishing rocky areas. They're mainly baitfish eaters, but they'll lay in or around brush/rocks and ambush crawfish or anything else they can find as well.

[jsmartt]

I agree with fishndave that the chartrues and white clouser works great. Thats what I've had the most luck with down here in Arkansas. They should be schooling up here in late march.

[waynep]

We catch them here in Arkansas. I carry Clousers on #4 3366 hooks. Chatruese/White, Grey/White, Tan/White and Olive/White. That's all I use and have not trouble catching them. Also use a sink tip or sinking line.

[shorthaul]

Clousers with flash, they arent that picky---its good to know what they eat naturally but in Lake Erie, if we see them busting, we just throw what we have on while fishing for walleye and crank as fast as you can. the Detroit River is incredible for about 3 weeks in may---you almost cant bring your fly in with it being hit 4 or 5 times---its a great place to teach someone.

[cycler68]

I'll add my vote for clouser's in chartruse & white. I've also caught a few white bass on a light gray & white clouser.