>> FIRST WE'RE GONNA COOK
A WHITE BASS FILET.
I MIX ABOUT HALF CORNMEAL,
HALF FLOUR.
MAKE SURE YOUR GREASE IS HOT.
PUT A LITTLE CAJUN SEASONING
ON THERE.
ABOUT 400 DEGREES RIGHT THERE.
SHAKE THAT OFF IN THERE.
BASTE 'EM AGAIN.
MOVE 'EM AROUND.
TAKES ABOUT 8 TO 10 MINUTES.
>> THE PERFECT END
TO A SUCCESSFUL DAY OF FISHING
HAS GOT TO BE...
>> I THINK THESE ARE READY.
>> ...AT THE DINNER TABLE.
>> HOW MUCH YOU GOING TO EAT?
>> GRILLED OR FRIED,
IF YOU HAVEN'T DISCOVERED
WHITE BASS,
YOU'RE MISSING OUT
ON SOME MIGHTY GOOD EATING...
>> HOLD IT RIGHT THERE.
YOU GOT HIM, YOU GOT HIM.
>> ...AND EVEN BETTER FISHING.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> NATIVE TO THE RED RIVER
SYSTEM IN NORTH TEXAS,
WHITE BASS HAVE SPREAD
TO MUCH OF THE REST
OF THE STATE THROUGH STOCKING
AND NATURAL MIGRATION.
FOUND IN LARGE LAKES AND RIVERS
WITH MODERATE CURRENTS,
WHITE BASS MIGRATE IN
EARLY SPRING FROM THE DEEPER,
OPEN WATERS, UPSTREAM TO
SHALLOWER AREAS TO SPAWN.
ALSO KNOWN AS 'SAND BASS'
THE STATE RECORD WHITE BASS
IS JUST OVER
FIVE AND A HALF POUNDS,
BUT ONE-POUND FISH ARE
CONSIDERED THE NORM.
>> TYPICALLY IN THE NORTHEAST
PART OF THE STATE, EVEN UP THE
NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE,
THE FISH GROW A LITTLE FASTER,
GET A LITTLE LARGER SIZE THAN
THEY DO HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
>> THE SABINE RIVER IN
EAST TEXAS IS ONE OF THOSE
PLACES WHERE THE WHITE BASS
GROW LARGER.
>> WE'RE ALMOST TO OUR
FISHING SPOT.
>> JANE GALLENBACH RUNS
THE RIVER RIDGE GUIDE SERVICE
ON THE SABINE.
>> I'LL GO DOWNSTREAM AND TURN
AND COME BACK UP AND ANCHOR.
>> THE SABINE HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT
OVERLOOKED AS A WHITE BASS
FISHERY,
BUT THAT'S STARTING TO CHANGE.
>> WHEN WE FIRST OPENED UP
WE THOUGHT CATFISH WAS
OUR BIG DEAL.
AND THE LAST,
I'D SAY 4 OR 5 YEARS,
THE WHITE BASS HAS OVERTAKEN
OUR CATFISH BUSINESS.
OH YEAH!
WE HAVE JUST A GREAT FISHERY.
THEY GROW BIGGER HERE.
WE'LL WEIGH THAT ONE,
THAT'S A GOOD ONE.
GIVE YOU AN IDEA.
>> THAT'S A WHITE BASS?
>> THAT'S A WHITE BASS.
THAT'S A BIG ONE, ISN'T IT?
GOT ANOTHER ONE?
>> NO, I MISSED IT.
>> JAMES HOGUE AND HIS DAUGHTER
EMILY HAVE DRIVEN ABOUT
200 MILES FROM THEIR HOME
NEAR HOUSTON FOR A DAY
OF FISHING FOR WHITE BASS
ON THE SABINE RIVER.
WITH JANE AS THEIR GUIDE,
THEY'RE HOPING TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE ANNUAL
SPRING RUN.
>> NORMALLY WHEN THE WATER
IS THIS COLOR,
THE CHARTREUSE WORKS REAL GOOD,
BUT THE LAST FEW DAYS,
FOR SOME REASON,
THE WHITE'S WORKING BETTER.
THE MAIN THING IS FINDING THEM
AND ONCE YOU FIND THEM,
THEY'RE NOT HARD TO CATCH.
>> MY DAD'S GOT ONE!
>> LET ME GET MY DIP NET
AND I'LL DIP IT.
>> I'VE FISHED WITH JANE FOR
3 YEARS.
THIS IS MY 4TH TIME THIS YEAR.
JANE'S REALLY GREAT.
SHE LIKES TO FISH, AND THAT
MAKES A LOT OF DIFFERENCE.
>> GOT ONE!
>> OK, YOU GOT ANOTHER ONE.
HOLD YOUR ROD DOWN.
THERE, RIGHT THERE.
>> I USUALLY GO CRAPPIE FISHING.
IF I GO FISHING,
IT'S CRAPPIE FISHING.
>> COME ON, YOU GOT IT!
>> IT WAS FUN AND THE FISH
WERE STRONG.
>> OH, THAT'S A GOOD ONE.
GOOD JOB EMILY.
>> EMILY CAUGHT ABOUT 15 OR 20?
MAYBE MORE.
>> MAYBE 35!
>> THAT'S WHY THEY COME HERE.
THAT'S WHY THEY COME TO CATCH
WHITE BASS IN THE SABINE RIVER,
THE SIZE OF THIS WHITE BASS.
>> A PROFESSIONAL GUIDE WITH
A BOAT IS A GREAT WAY TO GET TO
THE WHITE BASS,
BUT IT ISN'T ALWAYS NECESSARY.
THERE ARE PLACES IN TEXAS WHERE
YOU CAN LITERALLY JUST
WALK UP TO THE FISH.
>> IT'S A BIG ONE.
>> ABOUT 60 MILES
NORTHWEST OF AUSTIN
IS COLORADO BEND STATE PARK.
FOR A LONG AS ANYONE
CAN REMEMBER,
THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF
THE HOT SPOTS FOR THE SPRING
WHITE BASS RUN.
>> ANYBODY CAN COME OUT HERE
AND TOSS THE LINE IN.
YOU CAN FISH FROM THE BANK,
YOU CAN WADE FISH, CANOE, KAYAK,
IT JUST MAKES IT REALLY EASY
FOR EVERYBODY TO ENJOY THAT.
>> HERB KNEISLEY AND HIS
BROTHER HAVE BEEN COMING HERE
TO COLORADO BEND TO FISH SINCE
BEFORE IT WAS A STATE PARK.
>> WE'RE GOING TO BE CAMPED
OUT HERE FOR THREE WEEKS
FOR THE WHITE BASS RUN,
AND HOPE WE'RE HERE AT THE RIGHT
TIME WHILE THEY'RE IN HERE.
>> AS THE WHITE BASS
MOVE UP THE COLORADO
FROM LAKE BUCHANAN,
THE RIVER GETS NARROWER,
AND SHALLOWER,
AND THE FISH ARE MORE
CONCENTRATED.
MOST OF THE TIME.
>> IT IS DEPENDENT ON WEATHER.
THERE'S BEEN QUITE A BIT OF
RAINFALL UPSTREAM AROUND
SAN ANGELO AND LAKE BROWNWOOD,
AND WHEN THAT MUDDY WATER HITS,
IT REALLY TURNS THE FISHING OFF
FOR A FEW DAYS
UNTIL IT CLEARS UP.
>> FINALLY GOT ONE!
WHEN THE WATER'S DOWN LOW
AND THERE ARE SOME SPOTS THAT
ARE ONLY MAYBE 40, 50 FOOT WIDE,
WELL THEY GOTTA GO THROUGH
THAT 40 FOOT, 50 FOOT WIDE AREA
SOONER OR LATER,
SO YOU JUST SIT AND WAIT
FOR THEM AND EVENTUALLY
THEY'LL COME THROUGH.
LET HIM GO MAKE SOME BABIES.
>> WHEN THE WATER'S UP,
ANGLERS JUST HAVE TO WORK A
LITTLE HARDER TO FIND THE FISH.
>> WELL, KEN, THEY'RE NOT UP ON
THE BANKS RIGHT NOW.
IF THEY ARE THEY'RE NOT FEEDING.
WELL, THE CURRENT'S TOUGH.
IT IS A GOOD WORKOUT.
>> FISH ON!
>> DOUBLEHEADER.
>> ALRIGHT!
>> I LIKE IT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT
JUST THROWING INTO OPEN WATER,
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR
THE CURRENT AND THE SEAMS,
KIND OF LIKE TROUT FISHING.
I'VE BEEN COMING HERE
FROM DAY ONE,
SINCE THE DAY THAT THE PARK
OPENED.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND
THE FISHING'S GOOD.
>> YOU SEE THAT?
>> YEAH.
SEE NOW THEY'RE GONNA START
BITING.
>> ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTH OF
COLORADO BEND STATE PARK
IS INKS LAKE.
JUST BELOW THE INKS LAKE DAM IS
A HARD TO GET TO LITTLE SPOT
FAVORED BY WHITE BASS ANGLERS.
>> THE AREA BELOW THE DAM IS
GOOD FOR WHITE BASS BOTH
DURING THE RUN AND IT'S A PRETTY
GOOD WHITE BASS FISHERY
DURING THE REST OF THE YEAR,
ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE
GENERATING OR RELEASING WATER
FROM UP STREAM.
>> HIGHLAND LAKES FLY FISHING
GUIDE KEITH BARNES HAS BROUGHT
FOUR FLY FISHING AFICIONADOS TO
THIS SPOT ON THE COLORADO RIVER
FOR AN AFTERNOON CASTING
SESSION.
>> WHEN THEY'RE UP SHALLOW
YOU CAN CATCH 'EM WITH
A WHITE CRAPPIE JIG AND
A SNOOPY ROD AND REEL.
THERE'S NEVER ANY GUARANTEES.
BUT WHEN THE WHITE BASS RUN
IS ON,
IT'S ABOUT AS CLOSE TO GUARANTEE
AS I CAN GIVE.
>> I THINK I LIKE THE OPTION OF
HAVING THE COMPLETE FISHING
EXPERIENCE WHEN
EVERYTHING JUST GOES WELL.
THE PERFECT CAST LEADS INTO
THE PERFECT TAKE AND
THE PERFECT HOOK SET,
THE PERFECT FIGHT AND
EVENTUALLY THE PERFECT FISH.
>> WHAT YOU GOT?
>> I HAVE NO IDEA,
BUT IT'S GROWN TO MYTHICAL
PROPORTIONS IN MY HEAD ALREADY!
IT'S A DRUM APPARENTLY,
A SPECIES COMPLETELY UNKNOWN
TO ME, BUT I'M JUST HAPPY
TO CATCH SOMETHING.
>> WELL, EVEN IF YOU DON'T GET
THE PERFECT FISH EVERY TIME,
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT
THE WHITE BASS RUN THAT KEEPS
ANGLERS COMING BACK
YEAR AFTER YEAR.
MAYBE IT'S TRADITION.
MAYBE IT'S FAMILY TIME.
MAYBE IT'S THE BEAUTY
OF THE OUTDOORS.
OR MAYBE IT'S JUST NICE
TO GO FISHING,
AND ACTUALLY CATCH SOME FISH.
>> IT'S LIKE GOING TO
WHITE BASS HEAVEN.
>> IT'S A REALLY EASY CHANCE
TO CATCH A LOT OF FISH.
AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IF SO FUN.
(music)