Fishing The White Bass Spawn: How To Catch And Cook One Of America's Most Underrated Fish

Youtube angler, Lake Fork Guy, targets white bass as they begin the spring spawn in Texas. White bass are native to lakes, reservoirs, and rivers throughout the Midwest but have also been introduced to lakes throughout the country.

White bass spawning activity occurs when the water temperatures reach between 55-65 and degrees, which can be anytime from March through May, depending on where you live.

During the spawn, white bass move to shallow water in high numbers, making them an easy target for anglers looking to load the cooler.

In the Spring, Lake Fork Guy targets fish in pockets, coves, and creek channels all of which need to near some type of current.

White Bass Lures

White bass feed on minnows, so, using baits that mimic small minnows rigged on light spinning tackle usually works best.

Jigging Spoons

Jigging Spoons, like the Northland Glo-Shot Spoon, mimic the action of a dying baitfish, which bass gobble up without hesitation. Jigging spoons work especially well when vertical fishing.

Googan Squad Mini Recon

The Googan Squad Mini Recon is a downsized, medium-diving crankbait that helps LFG cover water while putting a bite-sized bait directly into the target zone of hungry white bass.

Googan Squad Jr. Scout

The Googan Squad Jr Scout is a suspending jerkbait, which helps LFG dangle this hard bait in the face of hungry fish. He fishes jerkbaits using the classic - twitch, twitch, pause technique while adding in hard jerks of his rod tip.

How To Cook A White Bass

White bass have tender, flaky white meat that can be a little bland to on its own. However, much like a potato, this allows you to add in virtually any flavor you'd to help counter what some would consider a mild taste.

LFG goes with Franks Red Hot and a cornmeal flour mix fried in vegetable oil.

With a clean, dry fillet, LFG dredges the fish into a bowl of Frank's Red Hot sauce for roughly 5 minutes before dunking the fish into the breading.

The hot sauce absorbs in the fillet providing a gentle kick from its cayenne pepper.

The breading is a simple mix of cornmeal, flour, and spices. Make sure your oil is hot enough before breading your fish

Once the oil is nice and hot, liberally cover each fillet with breading before gently setting each fillet into the pan.

Lake Fork Guy waits until the fish is golden brown, once cooked he sets the fish on a plate covered in paper towels to dry.

Pair your fish your favorite side. I typically keep it simple with vegetables and beans.

Quick and Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce:

Mix 1 part yellow mustard to 4 parts mayonnaise together and top it off with lemon juice.