White Bass

[UThunter]

I have never fished for White Bass and would like to try it. Where in Salt Lake County can you catch white bass? Which lakes and rivers/creeks do you recommend?
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[albinotrout]

There are a couple of places. I have heard of a couple of community ponds (names have slipped my mind) and the Jordan River. If you don't mind heading to Utah county you have UL and the Jordan River. Sometimes they will travel up the tribs as well.
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[FishMcFisherson]

I would also recommend Utah Lake. It's not that far. I live in West Valley and can get down to AF or Lindon harbor in about 30 minutes if traffic isn't bad.
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[BHuij]

I've never caught one anywhere other than Utah Lake. Then again, I've never targeted them anywhere but Utah Lake.

Don't know much about their seasonal patterns, but I know they hang out in the harbors during winter, and during spring/fall my understanding is you can find VERY large schools of them if you get a bit lucky. Check around river inlets, especially the Provo.

One nice thing about them is they'll bite things that seem way too big. I was catching 7-8" white bass this winter on 1/8oz chartreuse jig heads with size 4 hooks.
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[albinotrout]

Just was confirmed this week that they are in Mona Res as well.
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[joevanoni]

??s on the white bass. Have they got any bigger since they started the carp removel ? And in one of the films they had on the carp removle. It seemed like hundreds of white bass were stuck in there nets. Are they killing the white bass or putting them back into the water ? Another ? . Do they need thinned out to increase there size, without harming the population. Any ofyour imputes welcome Joe.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Carp have little impact on white bass. Water levels and food resources determine how well they spawn and how well they eat...and grow.

Two winters ago there was a big dieoff under the ice and then with lower water there was less food in the form of shallow water invertebrates. Result: fewer white bass and smaller fish. Nothing to do with carp.

The white bass got a decent spawn last year and they evidently have improved food supplies. More are reaching the 12 inch mark. But the numbers are still way down from 3 years ago.

White bass are often a part of the "bycatch" for the carp seiners. By law, they must return walleyes, catfish, largemouths, crappies, etc. However, DWR has given them permission to keep white bass and bullheads...to sell or to take home.

Anglers accustomed to catching hundreds of white bass a day are likely to be disappointed again this year. But there will be enough to spawn and hopefully the young will find enough groceries to survive and grow.

White bass are prolific and their population can explode after a year or two of good spawn and recruitment. Their numbers were almost nothing in the fall of 2004...at the end of the last big drought. The ones remaining were up to 14 inches in size. The survivors had a good spawn the next two years and suddenly the lake was full of them again.

And carp had nothing to do with it.
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[joevanoni]

Thank you very much that was just what I wanted to know. Grait fishing to you. Joe
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