Neches River Fishing Report...

We made the trip to Chandler River Park on the Neches River to fish the white and yellow bass run. White bass were in short supply and we only caught a couple but the yellow bass, which have no size restriction or limit cooperated and in about three and a half hours or so we had supper.   

I can imagine this area could be crowded if the bite was on good for a weekend day but we were pretty much by ourselves at a favorite spot where we have caught these fish three years in a row now. We had pretty much stopped fishing and were sitting on a log eating lunch when a couple of guys came by and asked how we were doing and when we said a few they immediately stopped and started fishing. We had spread our chairs pretty wide on the bank taking up a lot of space so for a community hole like this I don't know which was the worst manners but since the bite had slowed we let them have it.  

I'd like to bring my canoe here sometime and I did talk to a kayaker who claimed it was the worst year in 30 years he has been fishing the spring run. I had seen some internet chatter that the yellow bass had taken over this part of the river. That's ok with me as the white bass is a bit of a course meat and I've eaten enough of that in my life and prefer the more panfish type quality of the yellows. We don't need a freezer full of these things. Nothing is fishier that a package of white bass fillets caught during the spring run thawed out for a 4th of July fish fry. I doubt the yellows would freeze well either.   

SOMEBODY said I looked like an old man in this photo. Maybe just a river rat. 

Thanks to my friend Quince who gave me a package of inline Mepps style spinners purchased off TEMU. I'd say they produced a dozen of these fish with second place going to the old favorite Roadrunner and third a simple ball head jig.    

Without the TEMU lures we would have had a nice fish fry for me and Cathy but with them we had enough fish to invite the Zamoras over. 

Yellow bass fillets makes an attractive plate. 

If you invite this crew you better have 21 fish. 

I also made a dew berry cobbler with a bag of berries the boys picked last spring and with the vines loaded with blooms I thought I better clear it out of the freezer. 

Sitting around the fire made everyone want smores. I passed on these but the warmth felt good. On a windy March day I don't think anything can be colder than sticking your hand in an ice chest full of white bass to fetch another fish to fillet. Somehow we will carry on.