Mid Febuary has been my most common exerience down there too. Been looking at other white bass venues as well. Too bad medina lake is now medina creek. damned sad state there.

There are some fish but very few! I think they are starting to run but not going to be very many this year due to the small amount of water and life that died off during the drought. I fish every single day and have only caught 6 since beginning of December. I have caught a couple north of 59 but like I said very few fish and no size. Maybe the females will start soon maybe not. I can tell you right now if you don't live on the water like me it's not worth wasting your fuel to come down. It's hard to troll for 4 hrs and have one fish that's to small. Hope this helps

Wasn't able to make it after all. Somewhat disappointed here. It's ok, we did go all the way to the coast and got on some sheephead, several reds, lane snapper, and a sand trout. Thing was my son couldn't make it and it was just my fishing bud and myself. He's really big on saltwater so there you have it. Had fun though!

Fished the airport area yesterday and caught 4 for the day. Last week 2 over at the 59 bridge area. I normaly wouldn't be too concerned this time of the year in that the males start showing up well before the females. But as of late, its been an even take. Like jfish mentioned, the drought probably took its toll.

Goodmorning fellas here at work wish i could be fishing, My opinion i think its still to early and i dont think the drought took its toll when the lake had just filled up a buddy of mine said they were catching the whites under the bridges in swinney switch so i needed proof for myself, I fished the second bridge and he was right i was catching white bass all day kept about 10fish that were about 11 1/2 to 12 inches and this was in the beginning of december. I think after 4-5 years of this lake being a mud puddle and finally being full again even though i know white bass predominatley spawn in the river maybe their just taking their time, just have to stay positive the numbers will show up and maybe their in different parts of the lake. remember just my opinion everyone has their theory's

I agree with you USMC. The only part where I see a big, big difference is that in as many years that I've fished that river I never saw it, or the lake as low as it's been. There may have been some years back in the fifties, but I was just a young boy back then, so I don't remember that far back.

I think you will find pockets of good numbers here and there in the river, but you'll have to search until the run gets stronger in the weeks to come.

I'm just so glad to be on a full river instead of a trickle of the last few years, so it may be good to go with a plan "B" and try for other species.

10-4 Jimbo, from what my co-worker tells me that lives on the lake they've been catching their limits of crappie after the fronts would move through, So i agree with you on plan "b" i think the crappie fishing is going to be a good one, I called Sunrise Beach last week to get a report and they told me people have been catching nice crappie off their big pier.

If anyone is catching fish put some pics up.

I hope they do run later this year! In the past 6-7 years at my house on the river we have caught 50-75 an hr in late December into mid January!! So that's why I am thinking the drought might have takin it's toll. I hope I'm wrong but I've been fishing this river since I was old enough to hold a pole!! Let's hope they run in a few more weeks!!!

I believe you are right jlfish, and a person would have to be in complete denial not to think that the drought didn't have a profound effect on the populations of fish.
I've been fishing that river 45+ years and like you I've caught them in Dec. and Jan. when ice was forming in the rod eyes where you had to dip the tip into the water so the line would pass through the tip, and we caught limits.
I'm not that hard corp anymore, but yes, there should be a lot of fish there already so the outlook isn't that good, but the good news is the fish that do make it upriver should do well with the spawn, and thus repopulate the lake.
Whites are prolific spawners, so any that couldn't make it up last year from the lake should make the trek this year so it may be that they are just a little slow making their way as it's a long, long way from the lake.

This thread got real quiet. They must be biting.

I am wondering the same thing. Who lives near by that can gives a daily report?

A friend of mine said he caught about 20 fish today but said he went way down river almost to the mouth of the lake

It's more likely that they haven't started up just yet, and, most of us have just not been able to get down there yet. It's been my experience that the 2nd or 3rd week of february is the usual time they make it upriver.

This has to be one of the coldest winters in a long time, so it's probably delaying them a little. Plus, the numbers are likely down due to the extremely low water the past 3 years. Might be one of those runs that lasts until late-March.