Each spring, as the water temperature approaches 50 degrees, white bass move from their deep wintering areas toward the rivers and streams where their lives began. They hold at the mouths of these tributaries, often down to depths of 25 feet. There they wait for the warming of the surface water, anticipating migrating upstream to spawn. The smaller males precede the egg-laden females usually by several days and actual spawning doesn’t occur until the water is 58 to 64 degrees. White bass are really prolific and a four pound female can deposit a half million eggs.

White bass do not build nests for their offspring, but instead the fish simply release their milt and roe into flowing waters where fertilization occurs. Many of the fish spawn over submerged rock islands, gravel bars or rocky shorelines. White bass prefer spawning depths of about five feet. The eggs hatch in about 48 hours and the young form massive schools and head for cover. Meanwhile the exhausted parents head back to deeper water for R & R and to bulk up on shad. All this occurs in our area while the redbud are blooming.

This little life history of the white bass sounds pretty simple and straightforward. Like it’s easy to find a tributary, check water temps and start cranking in whites. However, the bass often move back toward the main lake during severe cold fronts or when heavy rains muddy the water. Sometimes they move back up once the weather warms and the stream clears. Sometimes they don’t.

Since the bass are school fish they all seem to decide to do the same thing at once. They are constantly on the move, searching for baitfish and comfortable water temperatures. Creatures of open water, the bass rely on keen eyesight for chasing and catching their prey. In our reservoirs that food is almost exclusively small shad. They also feed on other small fish, crayfish and insects. The bass grow quickly on these foods; by their second spring they can weigh almost a pound. Anglers often catch three-pound whites in our lakes. That’s a great fish on a fly rod!

As fly fishers we have a wonderful opportunity to cash in on the spawning activities of these feisty fish. If you know of a spot that annually attracts spawning whites (any major stream that feed Bull Shoals Lake or Norfork Lake) then listen to the talk in the local tackle shop and when they "are in", head out. Take a 5, 6 or 7-weight rod, WF line, 3X leader and a handful of streamers that resemble shad. I prefer Clouser minnows, wooly buggers and microjigs. These flies should have incorporated in them white hair or feathers, silver flash, and enough weight to help the fly sink quickly. I like Clouser’s best, and often tie them with white, chartreuse, olive and blue. A bit of crystal flash added to the mix is always a good idea.

Many fishermen think that white bass always prefer a fast retrieve, but this isn’t always so, especially during times of sudden cold snaps. When the waters cool overnight a smaller, slowly worked streamer or jig will often tempt sluggish fish.

My best fishing often comes on days with a brisk southern breeze and an air temperature in the 70’s. Cloud cover really helps along with the wind chop to make the fish feel more secure. I prefer to fish where the waves pile up on a shoreline or creek mouth. The wind pushes the warmer surface water, plankton and baitfish onto the rocks and the white bass follow. I usually try to be on the water by 3:00 pm and fish until dark. Since whites travel in schools your action may be really fast for a while and totally dead minutes later. It may be an hour or more before the next school comes along.

While 90% of the white bass caught in our waters are taken from boats, the wading angler can still have plenty of action from the shoreline. The trick is to keep moving and searching rather than waiting for the bass to come to you. A float tube or kick boat really enhances the fly fisher's chances, if he doesn’t command a real sea-going vessel. Watch for swirls, splashes and even circling gulls as clues that the school of bass is feeding on shad.

When white bass strike there is no doubt that the fish aims to kill its prey. A two-pound white hits hard and digs in for a powerful tug of war. That 6-wt rod is bent double and the line slices the water. The bass struggles to the end and I am grateful for the 8 lb test leader. Finally I lip the fish. As I look at the egg fat female I wonder if most of the fly fishers know of this different, but great fishing experience that is only a few minutes from their doors.

Don’t be surprised if your catch is a mixed bag while fishing for whites. I’ve caught: crappies, largemouth, smallmouth, Kentuckies, walleye, bluegills, carp and even trout while casting for the elusive white bass. That’s one thing that makes our lakes attractive to anglers from distant areas. I know several fly fishers who try to time their trips to hit the white bass blitz each season, but seem to do so only every four or five years. The rest of the time they catch enough of the other species to keep them coming back.

This spring try some whites --- you may get a whole new perspective on fly fishing, and cure that spring fever.

Dennis Galyardt currently lives in Tecumseh, Missouri. He was the Warm Water editor of the Federation of Fly Fishers magazine Flyfisher. He is the 1999 recipient of the Federation of Fly Fishers' Dr. James A. Henshall Warm Water Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Promoting the Enjoyment or Convervation of Warm Water Fishiers.