Penny's Bend White Bass 3/24/11

I went to bed last night with monster bass on my mind. I would get up at 5:30 and make the drive to my monster bass hotspot. It had rained a little in Cary last night but not a lot. I was hoping for good water conditions but that would have to wait to be seen because the  USGS has no gauging station on this flow.
I arrived at this place at aprox 7 am and the water was high and muddy. I turned around and headed back to Wake County, and on the drive back I figured that the Eno drainage may not have received as much rainfall so off to Penny's Bend it was for the spring White Bass Run.

You know it's time for the spring White Bass run when the Redbuds and Dogwoods are blooming.

Had to throw in this pic of my dogwood in my front yard. All of my neighbors talk about how nice this tree is.

Conditions. Air temp-50's on up into the 60's by the time I left. Water temp 62 degrees,and slightly up and stained.

I tried my usually dependable chartreuse jigs and nada. I then switched to a mini trap and it was on! Not really,  but 11 or 12 fish isn't too bad after last nights front. I heard they wore them out yesterday but I was pleased with these fish caught in 2 hrs or so after a front. Wish I could of hit it right before the front.

Here is the first of the day

probably the biggest of the day at 1.25 lbs

One that is full of eggs. The above one was also loaded with eggs.

A view downriver

and a view upriver

Most of these fish will run from 3/4 lb to 1 1/4 but there are bigger ones here.

Here are some of the lures I use for White Bass during the spring run on some of North Carolina's rivers.

Clockwise from top- Heddon Tiny Torpedo, Teeny Pop-R in bone color, Shyster, Cordell spot, Blue Fox #1 spinner in chartreuse(#2 is good and chrome is also good), and last is the lure they were hitting today is the Mini-trap.  Lots of other colors in these lures are good but I like chrome and chartreuse for White's.
Left out were the pink headed jigs I use alot (see "Poor Man's Tarpon" Sept 2009 ) http://mackinncblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/poor-mans-tarpon.html  regular Pop R's and  1/8 oz Gold Little Cleo spoons which are murder on White Bass in clear water.

I have 4 main spots I fish for Whites. Two I don't mind mentioning as they get a lot of pressure and I don't think my blog will cause them to get hammered anymore. Penny's Bend and the Haw River just above Jordan.  The other 2 IMO are the best so I will not mention them but almost any lake having a population of White Bass with a decent flow coming in will have a run.   ADDED. How could I forget a really good White bass spot?.....I don't know but Jordan dam is good April thru June.....

Here is probably my biggest white ever, You cant really tell the size in the picture but the lure is a Rogue that is 5 and 1/2 inches long so that will show you its a good fish, This fish weighed 3 lbs even and my next best one went 2-15 . One thing you can tell by the picture is how long ago I caught this fish is by looking at the Reel I was using!  1980's!!!   I will try to  get my 2-15 lb White Bass put on CD and post it soon.
 This fish is well over 3-1/2 times the length of the Rogue.

Since this is about White Bass I will throw in my favorite fish picture of all time(without my son)- my favorite is him smiling with a big Flathead.

Mack