Techniques for Catching White Basson the Nueces River at George West, TX

There are many different techniques to catching white bass and your techniques may vary depending on the body of water you are fishing. Here is the way I fish the Nueces River at George West, Texas

1. Use lead core.See the article “Fly Fishing with Lead Core.” I find that fly fishing for white bass with lead core is much better than using a sink tip leader or

floating line with a heavier fly. Sink tip leaders don’t seem to get to the bottom fast enough for me. And flies don’t present well when using heavier flies with floating line and

longer leaders. 2. Ensure your flies are properly weighted.I exclusively fish with a kiptail clouser minnow. Other flies will work just fine but I find that a size 10 hook with two colors of kiptail, 4 strands of flash and either bead-chain, or dumbbell eyes in medium or large are the ticket.

Kiptail Clouser:

Some people fish with marabou minnows or wooly buggers or some other type of fly. Any fly will work. What makes a difference is the weight of the fly. My beadchain eye flies are the lightest and I fish with them in skinny water (6-12” deep). I use medium dumbbell eyes for water 1-3’ deep and large dumbbell eyes for water that’s 3-5’ deep. The point here is that I want to get my fly down towards the bottom of the hole or trough as quickly as possible.

3. Look for deep holes that are preferably up against a steep bank. Over the years I have noticed that the fish like to stage and/or rest in the deep holes. What’s a deep hole? Well, it depends. If the river is 2 feet deep for 100 yards and you find a spot where it’s 3 feet deep, that’s a deep hole. The deep holes that I like to fish are usually 4-5’ deep and up against a steep bank. Obviously the bigger the hole, the more likely there are to be more fish. One such spot I found is about

the size of a single car garage but it was in the middle of the river. No matter, the fish were resting in that deep hole. Other spots have been as tight as a hula-hoop. A couple of years ago I caught over 50 fish out from under a tree that was leaning out over the water. It was an area about 3’ in diameter.

In the photo below the deep hole was up against the bank. It was more like a deep trough. The holes or troughs that are up against deeply cut banks are where I seem to find the most fish. I usually don’t pick up many fish on gradually sloped areas.

4. The muddier the bottom of the hole, the better.I’m not sure why white bass are sometimes referred to as sand bass. They should be called “Mud” bass on the Nueces River. I’ve found more fish over the top of mud filled holes than on sand or gravel or rock. I do not wade through the water looking for deep, muddy holes or troughs. I simply cast within 2-3” of the bank up and down the river. I stay put when I catch a fish. If it’s a productive area, I’m certain that it’s a deeper section of the river and it has a muddy bottom. Eventually I will cast too long and get hung up on a root or log and walk over to retrieve my fly. More often

than not my thoughts are confirmed. I’m fishing a deep hole with a muddy bottom.

5. Make short and Frequent StripsCast your fly into the area that you choose to fish. Wait until you are sure that your fly is approximately ½ way down to the bottom. Short strip or “twitch” the fly three (3) times. Wait a couple of seconds and short strip or twitch your fly two (2) more times and repeat. Here is how it goes:

a. Wait, wait, wait, wait, b. strip, strip, strip, c. wait, wait,d. strip, strip, e. etc.

Many times a white bass will recognize your fly immediately as it hits the water. Twitching the fly certainly gets their attention. It’s my experience that the take is immediately after the last twitch or short strip, either in “b” or “d” above.

6. Feel the takeThe take can vary from a solid thump to a very faint tap. I usually describe it as a tick. For the novice, this is not easy to recognize and it takes practice. I’ve often fished with beginners who are using my rod and fishing in productive hole or trough and just simply can’t feel the take. If this is you, don’t be discouraged. Everything in this world takes practice. Keep fishing and suddenly you’ll feel the take.

Tight Lines!

- Walter Ross