Pending record white bass for Sabine River on the fly

Got into the Mother Lode of big white bass yesterday on the Sabine south of FM2517.

They hit chartruse over white clousers with abandon. Many fish were over 3 pounds and 17 inches including the one shown below which we are filing for the water body record on the fly. On a 5 wt rod, they are a terrific sport fish, terrific.

All but a couple of the fish (kept for supper) were released. This was consistently the largest white bass I have ever seen in my years of fishing the runs in Texas. Its going to be a great run.

Awesome! Congrats

Nice bass, congratulations!! How much difference does a striper taste from a black bass ? Been a long time since I've had BB .

Neither pictured....but totally different to me. Also depends on where they are caught. I catch a lot of stripers from Livingston and do not like how they taste there (also fish advisory in effect there)...but from Ouachita in Ark. they taste much better. From salt water, a striper is superb!

Nice piggie.

Great fun, fine eating!

Dang, nice

Fatty, needs to lay off the carbs.

Outstanding fish!!! I'm jealous. I thought catching 14 inch white bass on my 4 weight was great. I can't imagine what fun that fish was to catch.

Congrats on the record

Close to a new state record, Larry. Nice!

Nice pic!

Awesome fish and an Awesome post. Congratulations on your pending record!

+1

Congratulations on the pending state record! My son wants to try the Sabine this weekend in our kayaks - can you tell me if the current is reasonable for a couple of paddlers? We would likely put in at the same spot you did. Thanks!

JCG57,

IMO, and recognize that I'm not a kayaker, yes, it is very manageable.

Its a fine river for fishing. Your biggest problem this weekend will be other power boaters. With the run going full on, the river will be very crowded this weekend.

Best of luck to you both.

WOW!

Hope it gets certified for you.

Dang great fish fishing those cypress trees let you know you are in East Texas. I keep forgetting about the flyfishing records. It was on bogas but I may have thrown back state record over there year before last. Showed at 3.5 I just looked up the water body record before we head headed over there and it was not close to 4 pounds so through it back. As long as the Ole girl dosnt flood to bad this week heading out Sunday to come get the record back what a great fishery.

Yep, close but no cigar, LOL. Actually broke the state record fish for length, but weight just a little short. We caught other fish that were larger (and larger than the state record for fly rod) but caught them on road runners.

I like to use the road runners as a searching tool and then switch to the fly rod. In this case, just didn't switch soon enough to get a state record, but certainly a water body record. Records are made to be broken.

Thanks Zip. I can't see why it wouldn't. Pictures and state certified scales always = certification in my experience.

Thank you J-Moe. I hope you get one bigger some day soon.

No question, on a fly rod, white bass that size are tremendous fun!!

Lol yea I fell out of the truck literally to that one. With as big of water as that it I used a big lipless crank to find the schools once we got to the shoals.really stacks the chips in your favor. For those that have killed sandies in small creeks that river is a whole other animal! You have to get deep real deep!!!!!They hit the clouser better than anything but when you can cover more water to find them will add to the success. River already up 5 ft from the drizzle with the big drainage basin. Hope she don't flood tomorrow.

Those fish feel like setting the hook on a stump on a strip set!

Larry where there any floater logs going down the river? Looking at taking the big boat if it does not flood this week.

Well puts a damper on that

Yes, a few but have seen worse. I'm south of Lufkin and it rained very hard here for about three hours early today...so you might want to check on Carthage. A rain like that can sure change things.

UPDATE:

The fish has been certified as a State Record for "catch and release" category.

LOL, guess not many people release white bass...but I do.

You must release them like I do once they cook on the pine board scrape them into the trash and eat the board. Nast suckers but sure like to catch them.