“When white bass in northeastern Kansas spawn in the river, it’s in current around rocky riffles or riffles created by logjams or some kind of current break,” Kehde confirms. “More and more of our white bass seem to be lake spawners that use rocky shorelines. Favorite spawning sites on the main body of all these reservoirs include riprap causeways, jetties, and dams.

“Nowadays, we spend most of our April and early May outings pursuing the main-lake populations, and normally their spawning rituals take place before Mother’s Day. Traditionally, May 5 is a great time to find some heavy-duty spawning action on the main body of the reservoirs of northeastern Kansas. We don’t know if they actually feed during the heat of their spawning rituals. Piscatorial lore says that they don’t, but we’ve caught scores of female and male white bass releasing eggs and milt while we fished the main-lake spawning sites.

“In the rivers and on the main bodies of the reservoirs, we fish the shorelines during the run,” Kehde says. “To fish the light jigs, we use medium-action spinning tackle spooled with 6- or 8-pound braided line and a 5-foot fluorocarbon leader, attached by either a J-knot or a Seaguar knot. We use the same jigs on the main lake as on the river. When the wind blows we sometimes have to use 1/4-ounce Blakemore Road Runners, Cotton Cordell Spots, Gay Blades, and Worden Rooster Tails.

“Chartreuse is the most productive color. When using a jig, a slow and steady retrieve allows the jig to glide and swim as if it’s in a suspended state—at times, occasionally creating a delicate triple twitch similar to working a jerkbait in cold water for largemouth bass, as the jig slowly swims or glides along. This twitch is similar to the way we twitch a jigworm in cold water; a series of delicate S-curves radiate along the line from the rod tip to the lake’s surface.

“When using the 1/4-ounce lures, the retrieve is quicker, perhaps because the wind forces an angler to fish faster. Still, a slow-to-moderate retrieve is best. And like the delicate twitch of the jig, a periodic pause in the retrieve or a significant pop of the rod tip with your wrist pays on some outings.

“Windswept shorelines can be key,” Kehde says, “as white bass are following forage fish that stay in contact with the warmest water possible. A windsock is handy at times, allowing us to move slowly along a shoreline, propelled by the wind, and we also control the boat with the bowmounted electric trolling motor.

“Moving slowly with the wind also keeps the bow out of our lines, which otherwise would prevent us from executing a proper retrieve. Moreover, when we deploy a windsock, we can often use a small jig rather than a 1/4-ounce Road Runner, Rooster Tail, Gay Blade, or Spot. The smaller lures are key when you can use them.”

Farther North

Some of the biggest white bass (also called “silvers”) in northern states live in some of the lakes of the Dakotas, portions of the Missouri River in the Dakotas, in the Winnipeg River of Manitoba, in select portions of the Great Lakes, and in the upper Mississippi River. Joe Jackson is a white-bass enthusiast from Minnesota who primarily works the Mississippi River in and around the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

“Before the run, bass hunker down in wintering holes in the pools and in the main river channel. We catch them through the ice all winter using jigging spoons like the Acme Kastmaster, the Hopkins Smoothie, or the Northland Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon on 4-pound mono. The pools run 25 to 28 feet deep.

“Right at ice-out, which generally takes place around the middle of April, the bass are already starting to move into shallower water. As soon as the water warms into the high 40°F range, the fish respond pretty well, but become most active after the water broaches 50°F—generally in May. White bass spawn in late May up here, most years.

“In the Mississippi, current is more of a factor than wind in determining location,” Jackson says. “Shad ultimately determine location. When the water hits 50°F, shad and other baitfish start moving around and white bass follow. At that point, I toss crankbaits. Rat-L-Traps and other baits cast a mile and can be worked fast. I cover a lot of water fast. During this prespawn feeding peak, if you contact fish, they’re usually feeding. No need for finesse. Again, this magic period begins at about the 50°F mark.

“Another good bait is the new, smaller version of the Rapala X-Rap. White bass are one of the first fish of the year to react to a topwater, too. When they’re hitting a Heddon Zara Puppy up here, it doesn’t get any better than that. Whites start ripping topwaters when the water’s in the upper 40°F range. It’s another great way to locate a school.

“The shad are always moving, so  expect to have to keep moving, too. Watch the surface, looking for baitfish activity. When the river hits 50°F, the hunt is mostly on shallow flats, starting at 8 feet and searching right up to the bank. When the river floods, white bass go right into the trees, where it’s tough to get a lure to them. But high muddy water doesn’t slow the bite.

“I use both baitcasting and spinning tackle with 8-pound-test mono,” Jackson says. “You could use much lighter line, but I don’t because I hate retying. You could get away with 10-pound, actually—white bass aren’t line-shy at this time. And poppers and streamers fished with a flyrod are just as effective as cranks and topwaters.

“The fishing from the Ford Dam down to Hastings, Minnesota, is phenomenal. Three-pound fish are pretty common and 19-inchers happen every so often, though few people target them, because the walleyes are so huge and numerous on the Mississippi. A good day is 75 white bass; I know that’s an understatement, but I don’t want to exaggerate. Even a 50-fish day is a good time.

“And you’re going to be sporting scars. Silvers are the hardest fish anywhere to unhook without getting cut. They’re like smallmouths, only more aggressive. If white bass jumped, they’d be the most prized fighter in freshwater. They don’t ever give up.”