White Bass

The white bass, also called silver bass, has a stocky body and silvery sides with unbroken black stripes above the lateral line. The stripes below the lateral line or faint and irregular, the stripes usually stop short of the tail. The tongue has a single patch of teeth at the base. Whites usually travel in schools, cruising open water and preying on gizzard shad, their main prey source. They are an excellent sportfish, commonly reaching 1-3 pounds. In April, when water temperatures reach the low 50s, whites will swim up streams and rivers to spawn, and this is a great time to catch
them. Later in the summer, schools of whites will chase shad on the surface, providing great topwater angling. Also called sand bass.

White Bass are found in lake and rivers. In the same family as stripers, white bass seldom exceed four pounds, with one- to two-pound fish more common. The best white bass fishing occurs in the spring, when fish move upriver to spawn. Small jigs in white or brown are often productive. Small crayfish or grass shrimp on #4 hooks fished in deep river bends or at the edge of sand bars are effective baits. Put a ¹/4 oz. egg sinker above your swivel, with an 8- to 12-inch leader tied to your hook; use lighter line for the leader, so if you get snagged you don't have to replace the complete rig.