Catching hybrid and white bass

Published 6:40 am Thursday, July 25, 2013

Hybrid bass have been stocked in Lake Oconee for a good number of years and they offer anglers a good opportunity for successful angling on that lake. While Lake Sinclair had not seen hybrid bass stocked to any large degree since 2005, it still has a sizable population of hybrid bass that have escaped through the Wallace Dam into the lake.

This year the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division (GWRD) began a new stocking program for hybrid bass in Lake Sinclair and in the years ahead the angling for these testy fighting fish should get better in Lake Sinclair. Even prior to 2005 when both lakes were receiving significant numbers of hybrid bass, angler success for hybrid bass was better in Lake Oconee than it was in Lake Sinclair.

The reasons why Lake Sinclair anglers had less success had much to do with the actions of the hybrid bass and to some degree with the number of anglers who were targeting the hybrid bass. In Lake Oconee, the hybrid bass have always been found surface feeding from June through early fall and their frantic feeding habits on the surface give their presence away.

A large number of anglers have targeted the hybrid bass in Lake Oconee over the years and angling for them has been good lately and even great in past years. White bass reproduce in both lakes and both lakes have a sizable population of white bass. The hybrid and white bass will school or feed together.

Their habit or consistency for surface feeding in Lake Sinclair was never raised to the same level as it was in Lake Oconee where they were more predictable both in time of day and the location on the lake where the feeding frenzy takes place.

This year has seen good angling for hybrid and white bass at Lake Oconee and decent fishing as of late on Lake Sinclair. Several techniques can be used to catch the hybrids and whites but when they are found surface feeding, nothing beats a popping cork rig.

The popping cork rig consist of a popping cork that is available at most local bait and tackle stores, a 12-24 inch piece of monofilament leader line and a Thing popper (chartreuse or white). Tie the reel’s main line to the top of the popping cork and then tie one end of the monofilament leader to the bottom of the popping cork. Attach a Thing popper to the other end of the monofilament leader and you have a popping cork rig.

The popping cork has a concave head so that when you jerk the popping cork across the water it makes a popping sound. The hybrid bass are attracted to the popping sound and will inhale the Thing popper. The popping cork will catch hybrid bass, white bass and even largemouth bass. When you find surface feeding fish cast the popping cork rig beyond the feeding frenzy and work the rig into the feeding.

The hybrid/white/largemouth bass are schooling and surface feeding at Lake Sinclair right now in the late afternoon on humps, points and ledges. I have been catching a mixed bag of all three types of fish with a popping cork. When not surface feeding the fish will also strike a Rat-L-Trap or almost any type of deep diving crankbait.

The hybrid and white bass have also been surface feeding at Lake Oconee both in the early morning and late afternoon. Again the popping cork rig worked into the feeding fish will draw an instant strike. Anglers at Lake Oconee are also catching the hybrid and white bass using live shad or spoons on the down lake humps at other times of the day especially when Georgia Power is moving water.

The hybrid and white bass can be fun to catch on a popping cork rig when they are surface feeding and prepared properly they are also quite tasty on the dinner table. Buy a few popping corks and rig them up. You might find the catching and the eating to your liking. Good fishing and see you next week.

 

Bobby Peoples can be reached by e-mail at brpeoples@windstream.net.