Went out white bass fishing this morning… the stream was absolutely full of fish. I bet a foul-hooked 8 or 10 of them…
But… I couldn’t get a fish to actually take a fly for anything. I tried big flies and little flies. I tried black, white and everything in between. I tried fast. I tried slow. I tried deep. I tried on top. I tried in the middle. I tried upstream. I tried downstream. I could even put a fly right in front of a fish’s nose, and he would just ignore it.
With spinning gear, white bass are almost always game for something with flash & vibration…like spinners, blade baits & lipless crankbaits. Think chrome.
Try to imitate that type of presentation with a fly pattern…lots of flash. This time of year, the shad are on the large side.
If that fails, try crayfish or large nymphs.
You probably tried all this (sounds like you did)…so my only other suggestion would be…try it again another day.
I’m thinking “try it again another day” may be about all there is… I couldn’t even get a fish to think about anything I threw (and I threw everything you mentioned).
Did you try a chartreuse & white clouser? I have my best luck on white bass using that pattern & I know what you mean about snagging more fish than you catch in the mouth. But it seems like if the white bass won’t eat one day they will the next.
About the only thing I can think of is if you might have found a pod of spawners. It’s about that time where you are. Whites are broadcast spawners so they wouldn’t be on nests as much as just milling around a good spawning area, which means they just might have had something else on their mind besides eating (it’s rare with these guys, I know, but some things are more important than eating, even to a white bass). I’d say try again another day and see what happens.
I hade the same thing happen this weekend. finally gave up fly rod after removing a clouser minnow from my back side- picked up bass rod with a rattle trap and had a great afternoon. the wind was to strong for my 3wt .
