2017-2018 Nueces River White Bass Thread

People were posting reports all over the place last year, so I figured we'd consolidate the topic this year...help everyone find the info faster and cut down on work for the mods...

I haven't been yet, but it's about that time, especially with this cold front...it appears that the river level is even higher than last year, so it may be more of a run up river than even last year...

post up the info if you go! I'm curious to how it's going to shape up this year after a really good year last year...


snookered

Good thinking
Itching to get out there too

I heard it was great last year. I would love to make that trip over there.

There are fish in the river from the airport down to the lake. If you know what you are doing you can pick up a limit of fish.

Just new in this page. can anyone help me to find place to go for fishing and I from south Houston and looking for fresh water action.

there's a bunch of places around Houston to get on some white bass....do a search on this forum page from the last year, looking at this time of year and into February, and you'll find plenty of places...the members on this forum are a great bunch and share lots of awesome information...
snookered

Time to play my favorite YouTube video. I'll be heading down after the 1st.

My Official Retirement Video !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FiestKESMI

.

Already seeing some limits coming from the nueces.

good deal, thanks for the heads up...may try to get up there at some point this weekend and give it a shot...it's about that time...
snookered

I was foiled by my parents showing up and crashing my place over the past long weekend...and the terrible weather yesterday; I couldn't find anyone willing to get out there! LOL!

anyone else make it out or hear a report?
snookered

Anyone else been? I went yesterday and went south from 59, only ended up with 7. Was marking a bunch of fish, but they just weren’t biting.

Limits every day coming from the nueces.

Almost limited out today with minimal trolling.. caught 10 or so trolling.. then went to casting and caught several more. Trolling is def the for sure way to catch them south of 59 bridge. Saw another group with a stringer of at least 100 fish. It’s on down there for sure!

What was your ratio of male to females?

Woop. That time of year again. I'm planning on going tomorrow. Will let y'all know.

My dad put in at the airport and ran upstream then downstream and only caught one. He did not go below the 59 bridge

50/50 really.. several over 14”.

Went yesterday afternoon. Didn't get on the water till 3. Launched at 59. Caught 27 between the 2 of us. Didn't keep any, but all were good size with only 2 under 12".

thanks for the report, going to try it this weekend....any females? they have eggs?
snookered

I finally have a report! went Saturday morning, got in around 10:30am at the airport ramp...ran all the way up to the shoals were we hit them last year, and they weren't home...headed south back down the river and started trolling small rattle traps and lipped divers...extremely slow...would pick up and run, and stop and troll when we saw bait action...ended up way down by the 59 bridge, but did not go south of it...it was slow for everyone else as well...scratched out 8, decent fish....all females with eggs, about a third of the way hydrated...

guess we were a little early...or they're south still...at least we got out though and gave it a shot...
snookered

Still beats working! Ha. Thanks for report. Wanted to go this week, but the forecast isn't looking to promising.

Just like any pre-spawn/spawn fishing, cold fronts delay the movement too the shallows.. they might have even been shallow but a cold front will push them back towards the lake. I’ve been down south of 59 a few miles and been catching. Guides that are trolling down there are bringing in limits. Bite has been better around noon when the water warms up. Let a good warming trend show up and those fish will be up there.

A little late with the report, but we went down last Friday, put in at 59 and headed south. Started slow but picked up just as the water temp did, ended up keeping 54 and throwing back 8.

Post some pics.

right in line with the other reports....thanks
snookered

I think you've nailed it 100%...it's a little colder this year, which is keeping them downstream more than in past years...

come on warming trend! tired of this winter already...
snookered

It's only mid jan. Last year we were catching them up river in late March.

Anyone needing help with expenses that could use a back seat hit me up plz I wouldn't mind getting out. 210-722-4109 hit me up or pm me. If ya wanna go today txt me.

Went yesterday. Put in at 59. Only went down few miles. Picked up fish a dozen scattered here and there, but all over. Guys further down did better. Tpwd was there shocking. Said mainly males and didn't declare the run to be starting.

Where is the boat launch at "59"? Is 59 the highway number?

Thank you

Yes 59 is a highway, follow it till it crosses the Nueces. The launch is there under the bridge

Yes it is the highway number. You head west from 37 on 59 and when you crossover the river you'll see a place to turn back and go under the bridge, that is where the ramp is.

Im thinking about putting in at the airport on monday, but it sounds like they are not up that far yet.

anyone thinking about heading out this weekend? I'm getting anxious...
snookered

Put in at the airport yesterday about noon, quit at five. Headed upstream as far as we could go, fished in the two deepest holes below that. Caught twenty, mostly big females and a few big males. Smallest was 11 inches.

sweet! thanks for the report...what shape were the females eggs in? partially hydrated?
snookered

None of the females had spawned, but look to be close.

[img]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...2186&type=3[/img]

sorry, very late report...went 2-3-2018...super bowl sunday, and the kids were splashing around in the river like it was schlitterbahn again...a fair amount of fish there, but they were more interested in spawning than biting...three of us got a dozen, pretty slow...

am thinking about trying again this weekend...
snookered

Anyone been lately?

yeah, sorry, went Saturday but have been away from the computer to give a report...went north to the shallows, very crowded, some people catching and some people not...scratched out 23 with maybe a dozen small male throwbacks...the game wardens say the females aren't up there yet...

same story...maybe in a few more weeks...we keep getting these fronts which I think is slowing the spawn down...
snookered

Some of the females I caught last week had very mature egg sacks and were ready to drop. I would think the run is actually winding down. I also caught a lot of undersized males, which I also thought was a sign that the run has already peaked.

Well I appreciate the info. I’m going to give it one last shot tomorrow, just can’t decide if I should head north or south from 59.

go north approx. 4 miles to rapids. after hard right bend, up another 200 yards to next set of rapids. fish top side

thinking about going this weekend....anyone hear of any reports? hoping that the females have made it up there by now...

when you don't hear any reports, that means that either there's no fish, or the fishing is off the chain and no one wants to spoil it
snookered

Same as your last report. Lots of people fishing too (for being a non weekend day)....and we had good weather and water temperatures were warm. Mixed results all around. I actually agree with killerb's assumption...the run has actually been going on for some time now......I also think we're on the tail end of it....

right on, thanks for the report...thinking about giving it one last shot this weekend before hanging it up for the season...

had another report from another forum along the same lines as yours; a lot of people up there during the week too...seems to me that's a lot of pressure in a concentrated area...wish I had side scan to check other parts of the river besides the places everyone and their dog knows....oh well...

good luck everyone...
snookered

Bout that time fellas!

I have never been there but would like to make the trip over there

Its not on yet. I went Monday and Wednesday and only caught 3

itwasalladream, did you go down river from 59 bridge or up river from airport? how far down or up?

Yes i did. Thinking about hitting the 99 brigde next

What is the flow and water looking like up on the river right now?

that's a really good question, looks like the stream gauge has the water about 10 feet higher than it was last year....it could be really interesting this year!!!

we are getting a new johnboat rig together this year and hope to make it up there in the next coming weeks....

thanks for resurrecting this thread and y'all post up!!!
snookered

i have center console boat can i launch at the 59 bridge? or is there any good launches for my boat????

the 59 bridge can handle fairly good size boat. 24ft Carolina was launched last weekend. or the airport ramp, its a bit shallower than 59.

I can launch my 18 foot polling skiff at the airport ramp with out any issue, unless there are Yaks in the way.

bahahhaha!! I hear ya loud and clear on that one....a minority of folks at those ramps evidently don't get out much, as they have little to no etiquette when it comes to getting ready BEFORE you approach the ramp....most people are good, but it only takes a couple to jam up the works...

"duct tape can't fix everything, but it can muffle the sound"....LOL
snookered

Just so you are aware, that ramp isn't very long, and on the down river side, to your right if you are facing the ramp there is a deep hole that is washed out under the end of the ramp from prop wash from large boats loading, and previous floods over the years.
If you drop your trailer wheel off that ramp you will not be able to pull your trailer out without getting into the water and lifting the trailer up and having someone pull the trailer out while you hold the trailer to clear the ramp.
I had to do that a couple years ago, and I saw a trailer up at the parking area where the entire axle was pulled off because the guy I assume thought he could pull it out with just force.
I had a small 14' boat so a large trailer might be a different story?
At pool level you would probably not have to worry much, but that river can drop six inches or more a week if there is no rain.
While you are in the water you might try some catfish noodling since it's an ideal spot.

Fished 59 bridge (1-21-19) going south towards the lake for about 7 miles with only 3 whites and 1 crappie to show for it. Trolled
rattle traps and cranks which produced 2 whites and the crappie. The other white was at the mouth of a drain/creek where
we graphed a small school. We threw at the school for about 15 minutes and finally got the one white on a rattle trap.

Spoke to several other anglers on the water as well as bank fishermen and seemed like they had about the same result as us
with the general consensus about 2 to 6 fish.

Hopefully will give it another shot in a couple of weeks. Seems like the run is still early.

thanks for the report! bummer that it was slow though....

how was the water level? compared to the past few years?
snookered

Water level seemed to be high. Haven't fished there in several years but from what I could tell
it looked high with a pretty good flow. Water was pretty muddy also.
Going to check out Choke Canyon this weekend. Will post a report when I return.