White Bass

Just some info if anyone is interested in pursuing White Bass. Yesterday I was fishing for Smallies and Spots a couple miles down the Tennessee River below Nickajack Dam. I was not fishing for White Bass but they didn't care. I was catching them on Ned Rigs, Shad Raps, and Mepps Aglia Spinners. Everything that I threw for Smallies got crushed by big White Bass. There again this was not directly below the dam but at least a couple miles down river. I had a hard time finding good size Smallies and Spots so I just enjoyed what was cooperating. I would have thought that they were through with spawning and headed back down river but I do not know their tendencies. I do know that a 15" White Bass can crash a lure and then pull like the devil! I caught 43 mixed bag river fish. Hope this helps anyone that may give it a try.

Also wanted to add a picture of a 16" Skipjack that I caught on a Ned Rig. This was a first on that set up. Ounce for ounce they must be the fightingest fish that swims!

That’s a fine looking fish. Smart to go with what’s biting.
Bob

White Bass are a blast to catch and the skip jack makes for great catfish bait.

I'm always on board with catching what's biting, especially when they give a good pull. That skipjack looks like it is built like a tarpon.

Yes it's our Tennessee Tarpon. Caught a half dozen of them on a Ned Rig of all things. They smash a lure then somersault though the air. Its quite a bit of fun.

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Originally Posted by MCG1

I'm always on board with catching what's biting, especially when they give a good pull. That skipjack looks like it is built like a tarpon.

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They are definitely very acrobatic fish. Shake so hard that it will throw a minnow off the line. Turns crappie nibbles into splatter paint on your front deck. :Rofl

They sound like a whale of a lot of fun to catch!
Bob

I was thinking the same thing, they do look like a mini tarpon. Sounds like a really fun day of catching.:ThumbsUp

Good on ya for being happy with the white bass that wanted to play. I’ve caught a few good ones and they pulled like crazy. The skipjack looks like the Shad we catch here in the early winter. What a blast on a fly rod!

Skipjack is like gold for Catfish anglers here on the Ohio River. My barber who also has an outfitting business sells em frozen that come from the Cleveland area. Getting my beard trimmed yesterday he told us he is having trouble getting supplied with them this year.

Fun times for sure. !

I’d sure like to learn to catch those brown fish up their !
have been a time or 2 only catching couple 3# plus spots which was fun for sure
Only live about 30 mins from the big bridge !

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

Skipjack is like gold for Catfish anglers here on the Ohio River. My barber who also has an outfitting business sells em frozen that come from the Cleveland area. Getting my beard trimmed yesterday he told us he is having trouble getting supplied with them this year.

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TN changed skip jack regs several years back for this very reason. For years in the spring the ramp parking lots below the dams on the TN River would be full of stake bed trucks stacked with huge coolers. Folks from up north were taking them back to be sold in bait shops. It really put a dent in the population. At the time there was no limit. Skip jack are not even close in numbers to what they were 10 years back.

Regards


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Bwilso, from the look of it, the skipjack could be the fresh water Tarpon on a 2lb line rig!! Congrats!

They are some scrappy fighters. They make great bait as has been said. I have caught bass on jugs baited with fresh caught cut Skipjack. You drop a piece of skipjack to the bottom below one of the hydro dams and you will shortly be rewarded with a catfish. I by catch them mostly when crappie fishing.

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My barber who also has an outfitting business sells em frozen that come from the Cleveland area.

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Hi Buckeyecrappie.

Where in the Cleveland Ohio area are people getting skipjacks? I do not know of anywhere in NEO where one can find skipjacks. I go the the Ohio River below the dams to get them for my bait. Now shad are a different story. I have multiple lakes and rivers in NEO to find shad.

Do you mean the "Blue Bridge" in South Pittsburg?
I can tell ya how to fish up here...... toss a Ned Rig or a small Shad Rap up on the rip rap or any other rocks and pull it off slowly as you drift down river. That's all there is to it. If something is there then they will kill it! Man ill take a 3 lb Spot anyday.

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Originally Posted by Slabprowler

Fun times for sure. !

I’d sure like to learn to catch those brown fish up their !
have been a time or 2 only catching couple 3# plus spots which was fun for sure
Only live about 30 mins from the big bridge !

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You are spot on with that! I used to tie up to the wall separating the spill ways from the generators below Nickajack and throw Mr. Twisters out in the current. Used to catch big Skipjack one after the other just for fun. The last couple times I went I got skunked so I fish for other species now.

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Originally Posted by Alphahawk

TN changed skip jack regs several years back for this very reason. For years in the spring the ramp parking lots below the dams on the TN River would be full of stake bed trucks stacked with huge coolers. Folks from up north were taking them back to be sold in bait shops. It really put a dent in the population. At the time there was no limit. Skip jack are not even close in numbers to what they were 10 years back.

Regards


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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Originally Posted by LVSpinfisher1

Bwilso, from the look of it, the skipjack could be the fresh water Tarpon on a 2lb line rig!! Congrats!

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I think they are both members of the Herring Family. Anyway I've never caught a Tarpon but our Skipjack are lots of fun. They leap and somersault and pull like crazy. Hope I can find them again next Sunday.

Yes sir ! Sp bridge !
those big spots came Out of a lay down using a ultra vibe speed worm . June bug
those spots love those ultra vibe speed worms.

Thanks