June: Still finding White Bass

Rod and I have been fishing the Pot Hole, the tail-waters of Bull Shoals below Power Site dam for the past two weeks. The white bass have returned, or maybe never left, but to say the least the catching has been top notch. The recent heat wave has increased the demand for power and the dams have been generating on a regular schedule, pushing water through Beaver, Table-Rock and Bull Shoals dams. The waters in the Pot Hole have been ideal (water temperature and flow) for white bass, small-mouth and large bluegills. The shad are in large numbers allowing for a feeding frenzy from the larger fish. There will be a magic hour when all the elements come together for a terrific time to catch many white bass, these are quality fish measuring 14-18 inches in length. Needless to say it has been outstanding fishing, Rod and I fished it a half dozen times in the month of June. There have been only a few fishermen along the shore, my guess… most fishermen considering the white bass fishing finished until next April. I must say the white bass fishing for this month of June is some of the best fishing one can find it Ozarks.

June 21 Kim (W25 BG1): Rod called me in morning and gave me a tip; they are catching walleye below the dam. I had considered floating and fishing the James River near Hooten Town but decided to check out the Pot Hole. I packed the truck, gathered a box of newly tied Clouser Minnows and left Springfield at 5 PM. At 6 PM, I parked the truck on the east side of the Pot Hole and surveyed the water. There was a light breeze from the south, with some generation passing through the powerhouse. The lake level was 653.5 ft with a few clouds overhead. It did not take long to figure out… a shad kill was on. There were fishing jumping and swirling water from shore to shore. I was able to find a few white bass before 7:30 PM, but after that it was catching one large white bass back to back to back… several of these fish were 18 inches in length. This continued until 9 PM and then it stopped. I released all the fish this night and plan to return to keep a limit. This was some of the best white bass catching for the year, definitely something I would not expect for late June with day temperatures in the 90’s. 

June 23 Rod (W20) Jake (W20): Rod reported he and Jake did well with many active white bass on the surface with 40 White Bass caught and a limit taken home.

June 24 Rod (BG1): Rod reported a tough Sunday night with little to no flow, there was no wind… and no white bass moving. 

Two of these White Bass measured 18" with the other two 17"

June 26 Kim (W25 SM3): I returned to the Pot Hole hoping to find white bass busting the surface. The day was hot with a clear sky, slight breeze with a good current coming from the powerhouse. The white bass could be seen on the west bank in the shadows, which moved across as the sun went down. The white did follow the shade of the trees and high bank. It was near 7:30 PM, before the white bass came within casting distance and again I started to take fish after fish. This lasted until 9:00 PM, and then it was over; the white bass quit taking a fly and very little surface activity. I figured 25 white bass, with 6 of the over 16 inches, two measured 18 inches. I released three small-mouth bass, the largest was 16 inches. It was a great evening of fishing. I did keep a limit of white bass.

June 27 Kim (W2 WE1) Rod (W3 BG1 SM1) Bill (W3): I picked up Rod at his house, there was some trouble getting around the James River Expressway and Hwy 65. I was late getting to Rod. We made it to the water’s edge by 6:30 PM. A short time later Dr. Bill Taylor pulled up beside us. The current seemed stronger this evening; the water level was at 543.2 ft, with a cloudless sky. There was very little surface activity this evening. Rod and Bill fished the waters productive nights before and found a few white bass moving in deeper water. I fished areas above and below them with one short walleye. Rod released a 16.5-inch small-mouth with Bill catching the largest white bass measuring 17.5 inches. Hope to get in one more trips; Sunday evening.

Dr Bill Taylor hooking up with a 17.5" white bass