# Where are the White Bass and Hybrids



## Sauger Seeker (Sep 11, 2014)

Newbie to posting on the forum. Been reading the forum for years and finally decided to register.
I fish 3-4 evenings a week at Racine Dam and was wondering if any of the other tailwaters are as slow as Racine is this year? Lots of 3" shad and shiners in the water, but nothing chasing them. Years past we've caught buckets of white bass and hybrids late summer and early fall, but not this year. Lucky to catch one or two an evening and it's been that way for months. Usually just before dark a few will roll in along the walkway, but nowhere near the numbers we've seen the last few years. Incredibly slow!

I occasionally fish Belleville on the WV side, but it's been slow too the times I've been there the last couple months.

Where are the fish?


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## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

really i was wanting to go out there this evening i live in nelsonville is it not worth a 35 min drive
what have u been using any live bait ?


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## look111 (May 3, 2012)

it's been like that at the greenup pool too. july and august were horrible. same story, bait would be there and absolutely nothing chasing them. couldn't even find the dependable drum!! hopefully the pools cooling down soon will trigger something. hope this helps, hear other pools are slow as well.


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## BMustang (Jul 27, 2004)

^^^ Ditto for the Markland pool. Very frustrating.

See my notes in the "Tough bass fishing last night 
" thread.


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## Sauger Seeker (Sep 11, 2014)

Been using live bait, shad and shiners dipped out along the walkway. Also using jigs and tails and occasionally crankbaits.
Was up there a little while tonight after dark and saw a guy catch a nice eye (20"-22") and a small shovelhead. I never had a hit. Talked to another guy who had been there since 4:30 this evening and he never caught anything and neither did his wife and son.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Patience friends,,,, every year on the river is different. Water is still 79 here at Greenup , so don't give up. We need some cooler weather to lower the water temp. The fish will be there,,,,


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Daveo76 said:


> Patience friends,,,, every year on the river is different. Water is still 79 here at Greenup , so don't give up. We need some cooler weather to lower the water temp. The fish will be there,,,,


They're just now starting to show up at the usual spots here in Columbus (good fish too I might add). Really shouldn't be long until they are "on" just about everywhere.


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## GarrettMyers (May 16, 2011)

Check your local trib


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Daveo76 said:


> *Patience friends,,,,* every year on the river is different. Water is still 79 here at Greenup , so don't give up. *We need some cooler weather to lower the water temp. The fish will be there,,,,[/*QUOTE]
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

GarrettMyers said:


> Check your local trib
> 
> 
> X3!


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## I Fish (Sep 24, 2008)

I don't think any weather is going to help Racine. It's my belief, with the poor shad hatch and high water in 2012, Racine is done for a while. Last year was equally bad, you couldn't even catch skipjack. The Blues we were catching a couple years ago even seem non existent. The water looked sterile from lack of activity. Also, there isn't really any tributaries below the Racine dam. I don't know if the fish migrated down river and out of that pool looking for food, or, if they starved out. My last 3 trips there have been fishless, and the few before that weren't very good. I've quit going there, as you can't hardly even catch a sheephead.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Well, the word got out about 'our' spot. About 15 guys there yeaterday afternoon till dark. They were fishing everywhere with everything!
Paul & Rick never had a hit, and NEVER SEEN A FISH ON! 
Maybe some rain will help???


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## Ringleader (Aug 7, 2014)

I went to Belleville Saturday morning. Plenty of shad in the water, and I watched stripers coming up to hit them about 4 feet from the bank...also jumping all over the place...No bites. I threw everything I had at them and nothing. 
Moved down between the piers and caught one sauger and a 6" baby striper.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Ringleader said:


> I went to Belleville Saturday morning. Plenty of shad in the water, and I watched stripers coming up to hit them about 4 feet from the bank...also jumping all over the place...No bites. I threw everything I had at them and nothing.
> Moved down between the piers and caught one sauger and a 6" baby striper.



When the guys were catching the whites up here last week, they waited till they seen a boil/ riser and casted a surface floater, a bill-less shad colored plug, and 'skipped' it back along the side of the fast white water.
Maybe that'll help ya,,,


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## Sauger Seeker (Sep 11, 2014)

Daveo76
Water temp at Racine was 74 Saturday. I was there 2 1/2 hours this evening along with 4 other guys and all I saw caught was a small white bass and a 5" skipjack. There were 
4" shad and 3" shiners everywhere and all that was chasing them were little skipjack. I didn't have the first tap on a live shiner, flukes or crankbaits.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Sauger Seeker said:


> Daveo76
> Water temp at Racine was 74 Saturday. I was there 2 1/2 hours this evening along with 4 other guys and all I saw caught was a small white bass and a 5" skipjack. There were
> 4" shad and 3" shiners everywhere and all that was chasing them were little skipjack. I didn't have the first tap on a live shiner, flukes or crankbaits.


I've only fishe Racine twice (loved it) but the water was up a little and caught a few on Launchers &flukes from the sidewalk, but went on up against the wall where the Bass and smallies were trapping the shiners. I'd love to fish it again


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## Sauger Seeker (Sep 11, 2014)

Daveo76,

I met you at Racine a couple years ago when you were there with Rick. I talked to you and told you about the hybrids out near the slab. It has changed a lot since you were there.


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## I Fish (Sep 24, 2008)

Sauger Seeker said:


> Daveo76,
> 
> I met you at Racine a couple years ago when you were there with Rick. I talked to you and told you about the hybrids out near the slab. It has changed a lot since you were there.


It's changed a lot is an understatement. It was my never fail, go to spot. Seriously, I could catch fish there every time. I'm lucky to get a hit there now, to the point I don't go anymore. It sucks. I've went down a couple of times, half wanting to catch fish, half wanting to see some of the guys I used to fish around. There wasn't a soul there either time, and, I didn't get a bite.


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## MuskieManOhio (Jun 29, 2008)

Sauger Seeker it was a pleasure talking to you the other night I was the guy who caught the eye I hope things get better down their if you go back down I wish you the best of luck!


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## fishercreekrick (Jan 19, 2010)

Been fishing Marikand here's some from this week


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## fishercreekrick (Jan 19, 2010)

That's markland


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## Sauger Seeker (Sep 11, 2014)

Hey Muskie Man it was nice to meet you too. That sure was a nice eye. I'm sure our paths will cross there again. Best of luck to you too!


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## kycreek (May 31, 2006)

We caught a dozen hybrids last Sunday morning early. But as soon as it heated up it was like flipping a switch. We had the boat on the trailor by 11:30 am.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

kycreekboy said:


> We caught a dozen hybrids last Sunday morning early. But as soon as it heated up it was like flipping a switch. We had the boat on the trailor by 11:30 am.


Supposed to be cool all week, so reel those lures fast (faster)


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