Early after ice-out in North Country lakes, white bass school up and invade the shallows. Patterns are wind-driven, and wherever the water is warming up, white bass will be there. Unlike crappies, bluegills, and other warmwater lake-dwelling fish, white bass do not seem to stage near spawning areas early, or follow ancestral paths. When the wind changes direction, whites move, and do not seem averse to crossing the lake to take advantage of warming shallows on the other side—if the lake is no more than a few miles across, that is.

White bass that run into rivers from reservoirs in the South tend to “stage” (though that description is debatable) in deep holes in the lower sections of the river, or in the beginnings of the channel at the top of the lake, and may inhabit these areas all winter. White bass spawn in spring, and the spawn generally peaks as water temperatures approach 58°F. Sexually mature fish form schools and move onto shoals, into estuary areas, or into rivers to spawn. Most spawning activity, throughout the range of white bass, occurs in water temperatures between 55°F and 60°F. But long before that a gradual buildup to a spring feeding bender begins, and that’s what the whitey run is all about.

The Oklahoma Run

Gary Dollahon, a fishing-industry pro and sales rep for many years, has a passion for white bass and chases them often in the waters near his home in Oklahoma. “The white-bass run begins in very early spring down here, especially in impoundments that have a flow of water coming in,” Dollahon says. “It doesn’t have to be much of a flow. In lakes like Tenkiller, Broken Bow, and Fort Gibson, most white bass move into current to do their spawning. They don’t have to spawn in current, but often do.

“Everybody starts looking for whites in March, but April is the most consistent month. On Lake Tenkiller, the Horseshoe Bend is famous. It becomes a camper city when word gets out that the white-bass run is on. Day length and rising water temperatures trigger the runs, but rain and rising flow muddy the water and actually set a run back.”

Dollahon begins fishing during winter, looking for the vanguard of the run. “I start looking in the deepest part of the river channel, just above the reservoir,” he says. “I start with a spoon, in winter. You can have a lot of success in water 15 to 25 feet deep at this point. I use 1/2- to 3/4-ounce flatsided spoons, and I’ve been making my own. You get more flutter and a subtle fall. I fish spoons near bottom. The motion is like playing with a yo-yo. Just as a yo-yo or a jigging spoon hits the end of the string, you give the wrist a forward pop upwards. When you time it right you’re only moving the bait about 12 inches, but still producing a pronounced action.

“As the water just begins to warm above the average range for winter, I start fishing in 6 to 12 feet of water. In that very early stage of the run, I often use 2- and 3-inch grubs on 1/8- to 1/4- ounce jigheads, with 6- to 8-pound line on spinning gear. Depending on the current, I begin casting or quartering upstream, letting the jig drop some, then retrieving it steadily at a slow pace. Most of the fish are still bottom-oriented at this point.