# Nueces River Whites



## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

I don't get out much in the freshwater, living here on the coast, but I do make it out a few times a year....yesterday was a scouting trip to the Nueces around George West....the boat ramps at Hwy 59 and Airport were both maxed out....the word is obviously out (so don't accuse me of ruining anything if you fish there...EVERYONE already knows)...

water is high, run wherever you want...fish are being caught both upriver and downriver....the game warden who checked our fish said they were still a month out....we mostly caught males, with only one female and her eggs were only about half hydrated, so I concur...

speaking of the game wardens, while they were pleasant and doing their jobs, they were checking everyone at the ramp when you landed, which of course caused a major back up loading and unloading at the ramps....I appreciate the job they do, but they didn't need to cause such a major snafu....check people AFTER they've cleared the ramp....

y'all know what 50 white bass look like in a cooler, so no reason for pics....most were between 11" and 14" inches, with only 4 undersized throwbacks all day....fish were caught on tandem green sparkle with chartreuse jigs...
snookered


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## 98aggie77566 (Jul 7, 2009)

Man...I crossed the Nueces on 59 yesterday coming home from Freer.

Never saw that many boats at that ramp...was wondering what was up.


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

98aggie77566 said:


> Man...I crossed the Nueces on 59 yesterday coming home from Freer.
> 
> Never saw that many boats at that ramp...was wondering what was up.


it was also a pretty day, with lots of people being off for the holiday....while there were a lot of people, there were lots of people that only caught a few here and there, and lots of "first-timers" on the river....we only talked to one other group that went up river that limited out like we did...don't know how they did down river, but the game wardens said some folks were doing really well...

like someone famous on this board says, "you don't know if you don't go"....but it also helps to know what the heck you're doing....LOL...

it was like a day at the waterpark out there!!! people were wading right through the holes, splashing, swimming, being loud, flipping their kayaks, using their big motor to troll, hitting the bars, crossing lines, literally diving in the river to retrieve stuck lures, and muddying up the water....we would have been a lot more efficient if there had been less "company" on the water....LOL
snookered


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

good report. Gotta love it when they go up to spawn. Some times you just can't fix stupid when it comes to chasing whites. People have the me me me attitude but glad you got into them.


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## Yakety_Yak (Aug 10, 2014)

I was there at the 59 bridge location on Wednesday. I think the cold weather messed things up a little. Instead of it getting in the 60s, it was more in the 50s with a brisk wind to throw at ya. A friend and I kayak fished down river and we both caught each a half limit of white bass. The sun was out maybe an hour, tops, then it went to a overcast sky the rest of the day. 

Even though the conditions weren't as predicted, I still felt lucky to have caught what we did in the short amount of time we were there on the water.


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Good to hear good reports of people catching fish. Crowds at boat ramps and wardens go with the spawn.


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

Yakety_Yak said:


> I was there at the 59 bridge location on Wednesday. I think the cold weather messed things up a little. Instead of it getting in the 60s, it was more in the 50s with a brisk wind to throw at ya. A friend and I kayak fished down river and we both caught each a half limit of white bass. The sun was out maybe an hour, tops, then it went to a overcast sky the rest of the day.
> 
> Even though the conditions weren't as predicted, I still felt lucky to have caught what we did in the short amount of time we were there on the water.


thanks for the update....try going north from the airport ramp next time....a tip for the 2cool community, because y'all are awesome....except you lurkers who pot-lick.....LOL....

my weekend just cleared up; I'm going to try and give it another shot Saturday or sunday....hopefully more reports to follow...
snookered


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

instead of starting a new thread, I'll just update this one....

back to the Nueces, the spawn is still running strong...out of three limits of fish, we only had 5 females though....their eggs were fully hydrated, and we witnessed spawning activities....most of the bigger females aren't there yet though, so there's still time....

quick limits, despite more people acting like the river was a ride at Schlitterbahn....the little storm swimbaits were the hot ticket this trip....and we towed a couple guys back to the ramp who had run out of gas.....nice day on the water....
snookered


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Thanks for the good report, haven't had a chance to make it down there yet. Hopefully soon, before it's over. Think there's time yet.


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

Postman said:


> Thanks for the good report, haven't had a chance to make it down there yet. Hopefully soon, before it's over. Think there's time yet.


yeah, there's time....I would make it sooner than later though...I don't think we'll be catching them into march like some years....it's been a pretty mild winter already...
snookered


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## salth2o (Sep 21, 2004)

Heck yeah! Love seeing a cooler full of whites.


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Generally, how do you think the run off will affect the spawn. I'm no expert by a long shot but think it won't affect the spawn, just the bite. What you say?


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

Postman said:


> Generally, how do you think the run off will affect the spawn. I'm no expert by a long shot but think it won't affect the spawn, just the bite. What you say?


I agree....they're going up river and are going to spawn, no matter what....high water of course affects WHERE they spawn in the riverbed...

but yeah, I'm with you, it only affects the bite....in years past, if we had high, dirty water, we relied more on rattle traps and white jigs....very low, clear water, we use more subtle colors....

sometimes you just gotta match the hatch! hoping I can move some plans around and get back up there again this weekend....should be off the chain...
snookered


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Any updates, haven't got a chance to go. Is the run over? What's the ramp look like at 59 and Nueces river...I mean how many trucks/trailers. Thanks.


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

Postman said:


> Any updates, haven't got a chance to go. Is the run over? What's the ramp look like at 59 and Nueces river...I mean how many trucks/trailers. Thanks.


was up at the ranch this weekend, didn't make the river....heard it's been crowded every day, even on the weekdays, so I'm guessing they are still running hard...
snookered


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Thanks for the update, still haven't taken time to go.


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

New report?


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

my weekend consisted of changing the wheel bearing on my chevy....no fishing for me...
snookered


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Hopefully you didn't have to change it on the side of the highway, that's usually my luck. Got a trip down to the Nueces planned this Saturday, taking my son in law and 6 year old grandson. It's probably over but we're going anyway just to take him. Last year we went on Vallentine's Day and we kept 23, been a lot warmer earlier this year.


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

Postman said:


> Hopefully you didn't have to change it on the side of the highway, that's usually my luck. Got a trip down to the Nueces planned this Saturday, taking my son in law and 6 year old grandson. It's probably over but we're going anyway just to take him. Last year we went on Vallentine's Day and we kept 23, been a lot warmer earlier this year.


It actually went out at the Airport ramp last weekend, but was able to limp it home to Corpus and got it changed out in the comfort of the driveway :spineyes:

the game warden stopped us, and I had him listen to the grinding sounds it was making at the top of the hill....he said "that sounds really bad, and good luck with that, let me see y'all's fishing licenses" all in one breath....I was kinda hot about being hassled when my truck sounded like it was dying, and purposely handed him all the wrong licenses first....i.e. gave him my sandhill crane permit, then my duck stamp, and then finally my supercombo....he was young and didn't get the hint...LOL...

actually have a free weekend coming up; may see you up there...the few reports that I've seen are that the fish are "headed back down to the lake", so going south may be productive....not sure what the reports are good for though, LOL...

post up your report if you go! last week we were a few shy of a three man limit north of airport....still none of the huge females from the past few years, still all males...so not sure what's going on...
snookered


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Finally made it to the river Saturday. Caught only 10 fish but had a good time with grandson. We didn't go far enough up river soon enough. Put in at 59 and fished our way up river. Ran into people with limits and we ran out of time, and to leave. People were thick, I guess so were the fish but we didn't catch that many. I would suggest putting in at the airport and go up river as far as you can go without grinding rock. The females we caught were still full of eggs. Good luck.


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

glad you got out Postman, and thanks for the report! might be worth one more shot at the title this year yet...
snookered


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Looking for recent report, thanks.


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