January 31st dawned with the promise of 70 degree temps with light south winds. Taking advantage of such a non winter-like day was met with a few hundred other anglers with the same idea who lined up at the boat ramps to launch into Lake Sam Rayburn.
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Not wanting to play “bumper-boats” with the masses left me with a dilemma, either stay home to watch fishing shows on such a nice day -or- go fishing. Viewing others catching fish was NOT an option, so my decision found me motoring south on hwy 63 to launch at the Angelina river bridge for my “other” option.
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A friend of mine had just recently loaded up her cooler with some nice white bass she had caught on the San Jacinto River and I “reckoned” the whites could probably be doing the same on the Angelina River below the Sam Rayburn dam. And I was right ……. Almost.
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Every winter the urge to spawn cause hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of white bass to gather at the mouths of the river systems that feed their lakes, and in this case the Neches and Angelina Rivers out of Lake Stein Hagen (or Dam -B as the locals refer) is the main waterway to their spawning areas. Sandbars will be their main concern as females spew their eggs over current flushed bedding areas with the males adding their milt to fertilize the eggs. These fertilized eggs then drift back down river before becoming baby white bass that reenter the lake.
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Several things need to happen before all this occurs however. First, the males need to navigate their way upriver to stage near the sandbars before the females arrive. Two, the egg laden females need to swim upriver to meet up the males. Three, current is a very important factor in this annual spawning ritual. Four, forage, in the form of shad, minnows, or crawfish needs to be in abundance to sustain the spawning energy.
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After arriving below the Rayburn Dam (about a 5 mile run from the bridge) I found the generators silent with no water flowing to provide the current necessary to float me back down river. So I let the wind work for me instead while controlling my drift with a troll-motor. But no water flow also meant that the white bass would not be active over the sandbars, which meant I had to search for them.
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Using ultra-lite fishing tackle with 4 -to-8-lb test mono rigged to ? to 16th ounce crappie jigs, twister tails, roadrunners, and rooster tails, I began casting the pockets near the sandbars, staubs and lay-downs where I thought the whites would be holding. It wasn’t long before my first fish came in after hitting a white twister tail, a chunky white bass of the male gender, was one of many I found to be holding in the deeper waters near the sandbars. And my fishing adventure was just beginning.
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My leisurely float down the Angelina proved to provide a rather pleasurable day for me while fishing for whites and listening to golden oldies and country gospel of east Texas radio. The wildlife viewing was exceptional with white egrets, great blue herons, and kingfishers flitting about and squawking about my being there, and one exciting opportunity after drifting to within yards of a Bald Eagle perched atop a tree. Floating past the shoreline with its rustic riverside cabins and hidden sloughs, I continued to catch white bass where they lay. But these were all males of the 1 to 2-lb class. Rarely do the males reach the 3 to 4 lb averages of the egg swollen females. But catching the males alerted me to the fact that the white bass run wasn’t in full swing as yet….. But soon!
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Spotting schools of shad working their way upriver towards the dam showed me that the white bass run was less than weeks away. All it would take now would be the water flow. And as soon as they start flushing Rayburn waters through those turbines the run should start. And I plan to be there when they do.
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This is exciting fishing folks where the entire family can enjoy an outing and catch a lot of fish. You don’t have to have ultra-lite gear to enjoy this sport as any type of tackle, including cane poles, will suffice. You don’t even have to have fancy artificial lures as live minnows or crawfish tails will catch them. Even having a boat is not necessary as bank anglers can take advantage of the run fishing from the shoreline. “However, the fishing limits are important though where 25 per day creels and a 12 inch size limits will keep you legal. And don’t forget your fishing license and freshwater stamp or the game wardens will jog your memory for you!
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February through March are the prime times to catch these critters and the filet sized fish when rolled in a cornmeal/flour mix then deep fried to a golden brown will provide some exceptional table fair for family and friends.
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It’s almost time for some “sandbar fever” on the Angelina folks … Let’s go gettum!By: Ed Snyder / Ed Snyder Outdoors
