nache river -white bass and hybrid striper hunt

[gletemfeelsteelgary]

I know this isn't southern california action but I'll slip this report in as I am currently in Texas.....

Went to Palestine lake the other day searching for Hybrid stripers and white bass with a backup plan for Largemouth and spotties..

Found wonderful zones along the dam but failed to make contact with the fish after about 2 hrs....

I was fishing with my brother, sister, nephew and brother in law...

My nephew and I were on our game and I spotted a SUCTION TOWER in the lake....looked on the downhill side of the dam and saw water coming out but fenced off right in the immediate area weher the water exited the dam...

"Damn !"

But we looked downstream of that and it was open to fishing...

CURRENT ! ....Oh yeah...that ='s Hybrid and white bass

So we carted the whole family on over to the area..

We spotted 1 dead white bass in the water so already I felt good that we were in the right zoning !

After a little while....my nephew lands a nice white bass....his first ever...they all live in texas but they never fish for white bass or hybrids....

My brother lands a largemouth about 1 lb..

My sister lands a LMB about a lb....

My brother lands a nice white bass...

My nephew lands another nice white bass....

My brother lands another white bass...

My brother in law lands a small LMB !

DAYAM......the whole texas familia iz KICKIN' MY ARSE !


My sister iz givin me crap.....I take it like a man.....after all, had the table been reversed I wuld have jokingly gave them crap as well !

Ha ha ha...

Yeah but I am still skunked
(although I went and beat up 5 LMB bass after getting here....45 mintes after arriving at my siters house ...at another lake)

BUT....right now...I'm STILL skunked !

finally I landed 2 small LMB and 2 Spotties and 1 channel catfish in this river but could not land a white bass or hybrid striper : (

Those were really our target species and my nephew and brother had 4 between them...

a while went by....everyone else left but me and my brother...

I was committed to laying out my 1st white bass or hybrid since I have not caught those before....

I was fishing a 1/2 oz rattletrap...my nephew had landed his 2 on a similar lure and my brother landed his 2 on a rapala...

I was not getting any action so I thought I switch to a whole new presentation and try a finesse aproach !

I went with a 3 1/2 inch yozuri crank....long and very slender....

Fishing it with a real erratic pop n' stop !

Hookup ~

Great fighters in that current !

Ahhhh yes....my 1st white bass !....finally
(cutbait will add my photos later the pc is super slow out here !)

about 3:50pm those fish mut have moved up the river to the zone I was at

AND .... I found the presentation they wanted cuz another few casts and

ANUTHA' HoooKuP !

another one down !

I started laying them out......found different current breaks and riffs that they were moving in and out of !

I started phone picturing them to cutbait and trailblazer......

My repeated slays had them texting me back accusing me of sending pics of the same feesh !


ha ha ha..

Man I was laying them out.....one after another...


fiNALLy ! ... I had the Texas fish gods on my side.....


My brother slayed a few more to where his count was like 3 but I was about at 18-19...

We slayed on....

I clearly had the pattern they wanted so I gave my brother the 1 other yozuri lure I had...a different color but I assured him if he worked it right it should draw some luv !


he worked at it a while and landed 2 more....

I was still slaying and was up around and over 20 white bass !

He switched to a surface popper and was working the current riff at the pool we were fishing in the Naches river...

I didn't see it.......

BUT I HEARD IT !

WHooooooooooSH !

HooookUP ~

I saw his rod go SUPER bendo..


drag Peela'

He fought it for a while in the steady CURRENT !

He worked it like a pro and brought him river-side where I landed 'em out o the water for him by belly lifting ;em as his popper was wedged all up in his mouth and I didn't want to take a hook into my hand !


Ahhhhh yes..... a real Nice HYBRID STRIPER !

Probably about 5 1/2 lbs or so...

my brothers FIRST Striper ever....man they have this fishery 45-50 minutes from thiere home but NEVER fish for them !

I think I changed their world now....they will be returning !

I contunued the slay and my brother changed back to my other yozuri...

He layed out 1 or 2 more....

It was getting late....but I said ....

I aint leaving till I hit #30 !

Those fish were unkind to me earlier and I'm serving.......PAYBACK !

Payback for no Luv earlier...

THEN...


HOOkUp !


Dayam......

anutha' Drag Pella'


HARD up current....then down current !

I think it was probably anutha' Hybrid in the same size class as my brothers !

I took my time battleing 'em


as the yozuri doesnt have very big hooks and they can straighten out easy...plus just not a very wide shank gap on the hook for a huge feesh !

After a lengthy battle it simply just came unbuttoned : (

Dayam.....that probably wuz my 1st Hybrid...

Ohh well...thats fishing...


I finished it up with more white bass....

stopped at 30 and left 'em biting...


Fish counts

Nephew -Anthony : 2 white bass, 1 LMB
Sister Cindy : 3 LMB 2 redear
Brother in law Virgil : 1 LMB
Brother Ray : 6 white bass, 1 Hybrid Striped bass, 2 LMB
Feel the steel ; 30 white bass, 3 lmb, 4 Spotted Bass, 1 channel Catfish


A memorble day I'l never forget...glad I didn't bow down to the fish gods and cower down...I kept at it....what looked grim got turned around in my favor through some persistence of finding the pattern and time of day....

Won't soon forget...I hope to return b4 I leave back to LA next week !

Gary


(Cutbait said he will load a few photos for me as this pc is lame out here and slow and keeps losing connection)