One productive Ozarks summer pattern occurs from late July through September when water temperatures range from the upper 80F range during the warmest part of the year to the middle 70F range in September. Big flats and sloping points close to creek channels attract whites, though deep water isn't mandatory.

"More instrumental in determining summer white bass location in reservoirs is knowing that distribution comes largely from prey location and abundance," says Colvin. "Many of our reservoirs feature gizzard shad as the forage base -- which, as a whole, are quite scattered throughout the system but often form large congregations in general areas. White bass collect within these areas of abundant shad, particularly on long points and humps. They spend a good portion of the day and night near bottom, but in morning and early evening the whole ecosystem moves up."

Colvin has also witnessed recent changes to traditional white bass behavior. Like Hartman's observations on Erie, white bass don't seem to herd prey to the surface on Lake of the Ozarks as much as in past times. He notes that, historically, there would be acres and acres of silvers on top, day after day, sometimes week after week, both morning and evening. People often chased the whites and pounded them on the surface. Today this happens occasionally, but white bass seldom display that topwater behavior today.

"I think the large increase in boating activity on the lake might have contributed to this change," says Colvin. "This shift from surface to sub-surface feeding applies to many Missouri reservoirs, not just Lake of the Ozarks. Populations are healthy, and the white bass are eating and doing all the things they want to do. They just don't surface like they did in the past."

Today's anglers must understand these changes to match presentations with white bass location. In-Fisherman field editor Ned Kehde fishes for white bass about 60 times per year in various Kansas and Missouri reservoirs, and is hailed by Editor In Chief Doug Stange as a white bass fishing maestro. His fishing knowledge of heartland silvers has been continually fed since 1965, so he's savvy on location and presentation particulars.

In summer, Kehde scouts midlake humps and points in water depths of 10 to 30 feet with electronics, looking for predator or prey. At times, the white bass are flush to the bottom and can't be seen on sonar; but in a lair that's yielded a significant number of white bass in the past, he often fishes even if he can't see the fish digitally. On new, promising spots, he drops a marker to create a reference point.

"I much prefer casting when I'm fishing white bass, because I can cover water fast," Kehde says. "My standard tackle is baitcasting equipment with 20-pound Berkley Big Game. Because I generally present lures near bottom, the heavy line makes working spoons and retrieving fouled lures much easier.

"My summer setup for whites is quite simple. I throw a Fishtech 1/2-ounce Double W Shad spoon at line's end with a 1/8-ounce crappie jig, the chenille/marabou style in blue and white, tied about a foot up," he says. "Long casts find fish and do not spook them. I cast well past the spot and allow the spoon to settle. The retrieve is a slow lift-and-drag with the lure hovering close to bottom. We drag it because on some lakes there are a lot of crappie brushpiles and boulders," he says, "and we're trying to slither this spoon through the quagmire on the bottom.

"But occasionally you just can't get the right angle for presentation when casting," Kehde adds. "In that situation, vertical jigging allows better control of the spoon and a more precise presentation. When employing the vertical motif, I normally remove the jig because the two lures are apt to become tangled. I always vertical-jig brushpiles, and hanging in brush is more likely to occur with extra hooks on the line.

Continued -- click on page link below.