Anyone fishing Whites?

Saw they stocked White bass in Spoon Lake here in Ramsey co. I never here about them on this site.

It has been a long time since I have been on a good white bass run. I thought that happened in the spring. I agree that one doesn’t hear about them anymore.

DNR also stocked Lake Phalen again this year. Which means Gervaias, Keller and Kohlman will also have them.

I hope they play nice with the stocked walleye!

Short story from the Hmong Times. Phalen can be shore fished all the way around. So this gives a lot of public access. Especially for the East Side Asian population.

http://www.hmongtimes.com/minnesota-dnr-stocks-white-bass-into-lake-phalen-for-fourth-consecutive-year/3885/

Minnesota DNR Stocks White Bass Into Lake Phalen For Fourth Consecutive Year
By Harland Heimstra

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recently released about 9,200 fingerling white bass into St. Paul’s Lake Phalen in hopes they will grow to catchable size and help establish a naturally reproducing population.

While white bass are looked down on by some Minnesota anglers, many people of southeast Asian heritage consider them a tasty treat that resembles a white fish found in northern Laos.

White bass are native to Minnesota waters, but they’re mostly found in rivers, where contaminant levels tend to run higher and shore-fishing opportunities are limited.

The DNR started stocking fingerling white bass into Lake Phalen in 2016 in response to interest from the

Capitol Sportsmen’s chapter of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association – a mostly southeast Asian group. Lake Phalen was chosen because it’s part of a chain of six lakes with varying water depths, all located in a regional a park with three fishing piers as well as other shore-fishing opportunities, boat access, ample parking and other amenities. And the flow of water between the lakes should provide good spawning conditions for natural reproduction.

“This got started because a major stakeholder in the metro region wanted more opportunities to catch fish similar to ones they found in the old country,” said DNR’s east metro fisheries supervisor T.J. DeBates. “We’ve heard a few folks report that they’ve actually been catching some adult fish from some of our earlier stockings last year and the year before, so hopefully the fishery is getting established.”

Regularly scheduled fisheries surveys will help to determine how well the effort is working, and whether future stockings may be justified.

Photos courtesy of the Minnesota DNR.

I don’t mind white bass at all. I know this thread was aimed at MN lakes but although I live in MN I fish Devils Lake alot. It’s common to catch white bass like pictured while walleye fishing in Devils Lake. The white bass fishing is fantastic if that’s what you’re after. They taste great too and I keep a few every once in a while.
They play very well with walleyes.

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Check out the Hmong fishing channels they are all about the White Bass in South Dakota and North Dakota. There is some around my area of West Central MN but I dont see enough of them to make me think I should go out looking for them.

Came across a school of them on St. Croix. I think you you could catch 50 them pretty quick if you wanted. I think the numbers are starting to comeback a bit.

Justin riegel wrote:

Came across a school of them on St. Croix. I think you you could catch 50 them pretty quick if you wanted. I think the numbers are starting to comeback a bit.

The area of the Croix I target is loaded with them. They are always breaking at the surface

I would eat them, I’ve heard they taste great.

tim hurley wrote:

I would eat them, I’ve heard they taste great.

They are a riot through the ice. We took home a few last winter and they were a solid ok. But I probably made them wrong.

tim hurley wrote:

I would eat them, I’ve heard they taste great.

If you remove the red meat between the white meat and the skin they’re delicious. Fry them up with panfish and walleye and you’d be hard pressed to tell what is what.

grubson wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tim hurley wrote:</div>
I would eat them, I’ve heard they taste great.

If you remove the red meat between the white meat and the skin they’re delicious. Fry them up with panfish and <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye and you’d be hard pressed to tell what is what.

You could say that about large mouth to lol

I pickle them. White bass, sheepshead, northern and red horse all make great pickled fish, although I don’t keep them often.

I chase them on Pool 2 with a fly rod. They will hit top water flies and they put up a great fight. One of my favorite things to do.

Steve

grubson wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tim hurley wrote:</div>
I would eat them, I’ve heard they taste great.

If you remove the red meat between the white meat and the skin they’re delicious. Fry them up with panfish and <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye and you’d be hard pressed to tell what is what.

I made some last summer and when skinning just left the red layer behind. People actually like the white bass a little better as it was firmer.

They are common on the Wisconsin River system and flowages/lakes along it. They can be fun to catch, fight pretty well but I generally dont keep them very often. They are certainly better out of colder water. Also as someone mentioned, cut out any/all red meat. usually I only keep the meat above the ribcage — call it the backstrap if you like

IMO, white bass are the Rodney Dangerfield of bass in Minnesota, and I don’t know why. Pound for pound they fight more than any other species (yes, even more than my beloved smallmouth) especially in cold water. There must be some saltwater DNA in them that make them such tough fighters.

And they are technically a panfish and can be excellent table fare, where I wouldn’t eat any other bass. When cleaning, just remove any dark meat, not hard to do, excellent meat. Pan fried in Ritz cracker crumbs and butter is my favorite.

I used to chase them in 2-3 different lakes when I lived in Minnesota, and there is always the river or the Dakotas. Caught some up to 19 inches, 4 pounds. Grab an ultra light rod or BFS and have an absolute blast!

Man, I miss fishing for them!!

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Steven Krapfl wrote:

I pickle them. White bass, sheepshead, northern and red horse all make great pickled fish, although I don’t keep them often.

OK, We can never be buddies!

Don’t knock it until you rock it. Red horse are boney and when pickled, the bones soften up. Growing up as a kid, there was a great red horse bite in late March on the Little Turkey River in Northeast Iowa that my grandpa would always take my brother and I with. Some of my fondest memories, and grandpa can still make a mean pickled fish, he’s usually gives us a couple jars every year. He was also the one who taught me about pickling sheepshead. We also smoke those with great results. They aren’t trophy fish, but if grandpa wants to go red horse fishing this March, damn straight I’m gonna go with him. Your not the only one who’s said that though, so I understand. Not most people’s targeted species.

FryDog62 wrote:

Grab an ultra light rod or BFS and have an absolute blast!

What is a BFS? And those are some nice white bass. One in the second pic is a freak- built like a tank!

I never understood the hate for sheepshead/drum. They are basically the same as red/black drum you find in freshwater, and they hit just about anything you can throw at them. I’ve never eaten one so can’t attest to that, but I’d assume they wouldn’t be that much different from a redfish? I’ve heard a few people say they are actually pretty good.

LabDaddy1 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>FryDog62 wrote:</div>
Grab an ultra light rod or BFS and have an absolute blast!

What is a BFS? And those are some nice white bass. One in the second pic is a freak- built like a tank!

The fish in the second pic weighed 4.1 pounds and just 7 ounces shy of the Minn state record. BFS is a baitcaster equivalent of an ultralight spinning outfit.

I their a fishable population in Pepin? Can you just look for circling gulls while you are fishing for something else?

tim hurley wrote:

I their a fishable population in Pepin? Can you just look for circling gulls while you are fishing for something else?

Yes, follow the gulls especially in the Fall as the water cools… Kind of a “Livescope Light” version lol.

Thanks, Livescope Light is all I can afford.

tim hurley wrote:

Thanks, Livescope Light is all I can afford.

Big fan of shallow running jerk baits and spy baits when you see the feeding packs of white bass.

What other lures do people like?

FryDog62 wrote:

The fish in the second pic weighed 4.1 pounds and just 7 ounces shy of the Minn state record.

I was waiting for you to chime in on this thread.

Frydog the white bass whisperer

“What other lures do people like?”

I’ve done well using hair jigs. However I really like chasing them with a fly rod. Gurglers, small poppers, Murdich Minnows, and Clousers.

SR

Steve Root wrote:

“What other lures do people like?”

I’ve done well using hair jigs. However I really like chasing them with a fly rod. Gurglers, small poppers, Murdich Minnows, and Clousers.

SR

My dad was a hair jig and Clouser guy, good times

They run in the Spring and again in the Fall. Best run is the Spring, but the Fall run is really good also. The taste and texture are a lot like Tilapia to me. Sort of a dense meat. Remove the reddish meat below the line on the filet and they taste much better in my opinion. Lots of fun to catch. They will readily hit top water baits in warmer weather. A Storm Chug Bug Jr. in Bone color works great for me on the Mississippi down here.

tim hurley wrote:

I their a fishable population in Pepin? Can you just look for circling gulls while you are fishing for something else?

Yes the white bass population is thriving on P4 IMO. If you see shad schools popping on the surface, that is usually schools of white bass feeding. Cast anything with some quick sink to it and its fish on! I like blade baits or spoons. On Pepin many will fish the points for suspended fish. I usually stumble onto them up river in the fall when chasing walleye.

They taste great out of colder water like most fish. Limit on P4 is 10 so you can make quick work if you get on a school. Bleed em out and ride your blade higher off the skin when cleaning and they are great table fare.

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