I talked yesterday with Memphis fisherman Bill Nelson, and he said the white bass are already on fire at Sardis Lake.
Bill is one of the best multi-species anglers I’ve ever known. So when he gives me a good report, I always listen.
Last year when he told me the whites were biting on Sardis, I went four times during the next two weeks. I never caught fewer than 67, and I had one trip with my dad when we caught 111.
When the fish are sluggish, I like to use light-colored Jiffy Jigs or Marabou Jigs. When they’re really aggressive, I prefer a Strike King Series 3 crankbait or a Bandit 200 Series crankbait. The crankbaits usually produce the bigger fish.
When the white bass are really running strong, they are wonderfully predictable. Just look for slack-water eddies in the current, and you should have no trouble getting bit.
One word of caution, though: The launch at Wyatt’s Crossing can be a little trecherous, especially for larger boats. Be careful putting your boat in, and don’t get in a big hurry running up and down the river.
Some of my best trips have come when I never cranked the outboard motor. I just launch the boat, drop the trolling motor and follow the current downstream.
It’s good, easy fishing - and when the white bass are right, they’ll wear you out.
in The Great Outdoors
Responses to “White bass already biting at Sardis”
February 15th, 2008 at 8:43 am
When I was a kid, I caught a white bass once and didn’t realize what it was. I thought it was an albino large mouth. I thought something was wrong with it and threw it back in. When I discovered white bass actually existed, I’ve had as much fun catching them as I have anything else.
Nice read.
February 15th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
A lot of people don’t like white bass because they aren’t quite as good to eat as crappie and bluegill. But I love them because they fight so hard. A 2-pound white bass fights harder than a 5-pound largemouth - and whites are usually much easier to catch than largemouth. Largemouth are finicky. They have to be in the mood to bite. White bass are just mean. They tend to bite whatever comes by.
February 16th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Agreed. In fact I’d put white bass and stripers up there with the best fighting fresh water fish. I caught a striper once on the way back to the dock with my lure dragging behind us. 2-pounder doing nothing more than letting my line skim through the watre about 10 feet from the stern.
I have a witness too if you were wondering!
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