Tom Behrens
Many, many years ago when my family and I moved to Texas, I had read about the fabled white bass run that happened every spring, marking the beginning of the spawn for the pint sized fish with a bad attitude.
Larry Bozka, a Texas fishing writer, who passed on this year, related a fish story of how he and a buddy fishing from a canoe, paddling the Trinity River above Lake Livingston, caught so many fish that their canoe was in danger of swamping.
The fabled spring white bass run is happening in rivers and creeks. The fish are moving up the streams to spawn.
White bass can be targeted from the bank, motorized boat or paddle craft in multiple publicly accessible locations throughout the state.
White bass, also known as sand bass if you are fishing on Lake Texoma, are a popular freshwater species preferred by Texas anglers both for sport fishing and for the dinner table.
While most riverside property is privately owned, public access to high-quality white bass runs can be found at many Texas State Parks, Texas Paddling Trails, leased River Access and Conservation Area (RACA) sites and highway and bridge crossings.
Some of the more well-known spring white bass hot spots around south central, south and southeast Texas include:
Colorado River – Above Lake Buchanan, bank anglers can fish for white bass without a fishing license at Colorado Bend State Park. The park offers a boat ramp and bank access.
Sabine River – Above Toledo Bend Reservoir in Panola County, and below the reservoir dam, anglers can find public access for white bass fishing. The Grand Bluff Boat Ramp offers 275 feet of river frontage and a single trailer boat ramp.
White bass action and public access points can also be found on the Trinity River above Lake Livingston and creeks, such as Yegua Creek, that feed into Lake Summerville.
A variety of artificial lures will work for anglers targeting white bass, including small jigs and crank baits. A Rat-l-Trap rattling past a white bass is hard for the fish to say, “No Thank You.”
Night fishing using lights or around lighted docks can also be effective. White bass are excellent table-fare — anglers should pack a cooler if the fish are biting.
The daily bag limit for white bass is 25 with a 10-inch minimum length. More information on fishing regulations can be found in the TPWD Outdoor Annual.
For more information about white bass identification, fishing patterns, life history, biology and access to public sites visit the White Bass Fishing in Central Texas website.
