Trolling for contact is slower than running and reading, but effective. Anglers can run two lines each in the Michigan and Ohio waters of Erie, and should deploy the maximum to strain large swaths of the water column. Hartman recommends splitting the spread by depth. For two anglers and four lines, he runs two crankbaits in the upper half of the water column and two spoons in the lower deck. This blankets more water vertically so he can determine how fish are stacked.

"I always use smoke-colored Berkley FireLine in 14-pound test because it's strong enough to handle both white bass and big walleyes," says Hartman. "On top, my preferred crankbaits include #5 Shad Raps, Reef Runner Little Rippers, or 200 Series Ripshads with color patterns that imitate shiners or gizzard shad. Downstairs, small spoons, like the Michigan Stinger Scorpion and PA's Fintail, really shine. Whites aren't afraid of big spoons, though," he adds. "I've caught plenty of them trolling for walleye with 33?4-inch Michigan Stinger spoons."

To send spoons to desired depths, Hartman uses Luhr-Jensen Jet Divers in sizes 20 and 30, the model number corresponding to diving depth with 100 feet of line out. Jet Divers don't pull as hard as some of the directional divers, so they're easier on inline boards, which are occasionally used to move the spread away from the boat.

After zeroing in on large schools of baitfish or active white bass, Hartman moves all lines toward that depth, then works the area methodically by slowing trolling speed and crisscrossing the area. Boat control on the temperamental Great Lakes can be tricky with large spreads, so he suggests circling in calm weather, but during windy or rough conditions to pull lures and reposition to make straight runs.

A cautionary note on postspawn presentation: Trolling livebait works for white bass, but it's not necessary and may actually be counter-productive to catching silvers. Hartman: "The biggest drawback to livebait rigs is that they tend to attract a lot of sheepshead (drum), so I generally stay away from bait and try to use artificials. I suspect that because of the way a drum's mouth is shaped, with the jaws set below the snout, they have a harder time grabbing a spoon."

SUMMER
Asked why white bass receive fleeting attention from fishery departments, researchers concede that whites are only a secondary game species and, as such, receive a much smaller portion of the fishery financial pie. But things are different in Missouri, where large impoundments sustain great populations of white bass and provide important angling opportunities for that species year-round. Mike Colvin, a research biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation and contributor to a recent symposium on white bass, studied silvers in large reservoirs from 1990 through 2000. Part of his findings showed that white bass anglers weren't afraid of hitting the water after the spawn.

"Historical data show summer harvest to be substantial in certain sections of Lake of the Ozarks," says Colvin. "White bass ranked as either the first, second, or third most sought-after species in the Niangua Arm of this system for most study years, which is quite unusual in Missouri. Largemouth and crappies generally attract the most attention."

Lake of the Ozarks is a winding, 55,000-acre reservoir containing countless points and coves with rocky shorelines. The Niangua Arm, a giant section of the reservoir stretching 40 miles from the dam, holds good spawning habitat in the Niangua River. White bass circulate there throughout the year, and fishermen cash in on the bounty.

Continued -- click on page link below.