I have fished hp limit and electric motors only lakes. I have a 5 hp gamefisher ob and a transom mount electic trolling motor for restricted waters. I had a F&G officer tell me to use the big motor to get on the trailer when we had a nasty storm heading for us, I was prepared to run the bow winch strap all the way out hook up and crank it in. ya gotta do what ya gotta do to stay out of trouble.

Is this Syd...If so Get off my honey hole...This is John....LOL

White Rock Lake has some chunks. I know right where Simmons is and that frustrates me to see him pull a nice fella from that spot. Have hit those boat houses more than 20 times with not a single dink. Always end up pulling from under the bridge or that west bank right there...always a sure bet.

The river is fun, but come spring time it's LOADED w/ snakes....LOADED.

Landed this guy (record for sure) but let'er go on our 1st ever outing out there.
http://travisodee.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/white-rock-lake-bass-record/

Yep, I should have told that policeman to check your "card".

The area under that bridge was great back in the 90's wasn't as silted in back then. You could catch numerous bass the size of Dave's back there. Can't get a big boat under the bridge.

The rowing club guys like to yell at you when flipping the dock openings, when they are around. They think you're going to steal their equipment.

went out today. landed 1, missed 4

LOL....the rowing club guys. I've had them start sounding off at me, too, while fishing that decrepit ol' boathouse. I simply replied that I had no interest in their awe-inspiringly fruity rowing paraphernalia. That resulted in being glared at by a butthurt preppie through another futile attempt at catching a bass off that boathouse. That thing has given up zero bass to me in 40 years of trying. The opposite bank by the ramp is much better.

And yes, that nearby wooden bridge used to really give it up. I caught my first lunker there. It's not given me a fish in a good 10 years. Caught a few on spinnerbaits in the swamp on the other side of it.

TWICE I had people call the lawdogs on me for fishing a "proper" bass rig on WRL. Neither time did I start the motor, yet both times either the busybodies misrepresented the situation or Johnny Law did. I've seen each group lie so much it's hard to guess which one conjured up a phantom running 150hp motor. The simple fact that I never exceeded 3.1 mph (with a dang tailwind) should have screamed the truth to anyone with a quarter lick of sense.

And then there's that whole deal with standin' on the front deck running the TM the whole time. I've always preferred to run the big motor from that seat closest to the steering wheel, really.

If I typed out the whole exchange with the very rude cop, who watched me for a good while before, uh, attempting to make contact, it would actually be rather amusing. He was a bit annoyed that I made him chase me to the other side of the lake, than back across again before I regarded him. As a person in possession of a legal bass boat being operated legally, I had no interest in conducting any bidness with the man, see. He went through all that effort to finally have me pretty much tell him to take a hike.

The second time, the cop was much more friendly and reasonable. Neither asked me for a fishing license, though, and the only time I've been asked there was by a Dallas cop, long ago. Disappointing.

It's an interesting lake to fish. We're closer than two fleas in a dog's ear, I've fished it a four-digit number of times. Caught one over 10, two over 9, and many, many others in and near that class that were not weighed, for I one day reasoned that weighing bass was not a good thing. My girlfriend lost a huge gal on the south end that still haunts her daily. Possibly the biggest bass I've ever seen.

Last time I launched there some dipwad was assembling his friggin' sailboat on the ramp. I mean, it's one thing to take too long putting coolers and whatnot in the boat and another to actually assemble the boat on the ramp, surrounded by plenty of open space for more sensible parking. Amazing.

"Ya want me to move?"
"Don't worry about it. I think I have the trailering mojo to maneuver around your stunning idiocy."

I was right, but it was close. Someday, every stupid person at that lake is gonna hate me.

I have caught ONE topwater bass on this lake, and I've been trying since Led Zeppelin was still together. Buzz bait, 10 inch fish in a foot of water. Missed a couple on frogs. It's the worst topwater lake on Earth.

Soft plastics and lipless cranks have been most effective for me. All the really big fish came on plastics. Lots of spinnerbait fish.

If you're pounding the reeds and bank too much, the good fish are often under the boat. Or, on the other side. It took me decades (and a fat wad of Humminbird cash) to find their winter haunts.

There's a washdown tree in the main lake a good ways south of the trail bridge by Mockingbird. Marked by a hazard buoy, which is unusual for WRL. It's been known to give up a mixed bag of good fish of late. Same for another nearby unmarked tree.

I've done better in the main lake than up the creek, regardless of season. Caught quite a few up the creek, tho. When they were building the NWH bridge, they had the creek bottlenecked with a nice drop off at the end, and it gave up one big bass after another. Now that's gone.

Lots of water that looks empty there is teeming with bass. You can pound the banks and pick up a rare dink or two, but clean up with a jigging spoon offshore. Good structure there draws fish like a magnet.

I've caught surprisingly few bass at the sailboat marinas. The handful of places there that consistently give up fish have been quite dependable over many years.

Trolling crankbaits along the deeper shorelines is deadly. It's not my favorite way to fish, but careful follow-up casting will often yield more and better fish. They seem to school more than I see on many other lakes.

After I devoured Doug Hannon's book, I immediately started catching more and better fish from this enigmatic lake. Good luck.

Archie Bunker you have some good info and thanks for giving it up. You really made me laugh on your comments about topwaters on that lake. I feel your pain!!! I've fished the lake for over 20 years and the only time I've caught bass on a topwater was when they were schooling! Thanks again!

The WRL secret is getting out....I'm a bank fisherman and I have caught some nice and consist bass....Everything on soft plastics and couple on top water but I think top water is by luck.....Guys on bass boats have been alot nicer than the guys on the Kayak...They see me cast and they want to get right on the line...Is it me or has anyone seen the Dallas police rescue team run the lake full motor open making a wake? One key factor in catching my fish you have to fish real slow....

+1 on topwaters at WRL
+1 on Doug Hannon's book

Completely agree w/ the wide open motors...but it's the rowing guys who open'em up and speed home to their docks.

I always throw topwater b/c it's fun but have never landed one at WRL. As the others have said, just soft plastics, cranks, and spinners.

Terrific post, Archie Bunker

Travis
http://travisodee.wordpress.com

the top water bite effectively died when the construction of the high five interchange began, after that the northwest highway construction begun and now for the next few years LBJ will be the cause. it has to do with the clarity of water, and these construction projects have been keeping white rock creek and lake dirty to stained.

before these road improvements begun, white rock creek was very clear, and the lake had an approximate two foot water clarity, now it is about 6 inches. after a good rain its pure mud flowing under mockingbird bridge, and takes a week to settle back down to a stained condition.

there are areas on the lake where the bass will bite a buzzbait, and when they do it is usually a good fish.

If I see a basscat at white rock lake this weekend...I will throw my ZORRO SPOOK at it...LOL....This is BIG JOHN!!!!!!

WRL was the first lake I ever bass fished and was where I was first introduced to plastics. There was an older man that drove a white full sized van named Scotty I think that got me started and taught me quite a bit. I even remember running into Crazy Ray out there on occasion...great memories from my childhood. I would ride my bike from Lakeland and Ferguson (pole tied to the side) and fish all day during the summer.

grew up in the same area. great back then. wish the fishing was as good.