# white bass run in Galena / Big Walnut Creek



## glennwelker (Apr 9, 2010)

Looking to catch the white bass run this year in Galena. Does anyone know when the run starts? Is it possible to find room to take a 6 year old to fish from the bank? Do most people wade?

Lots of questions.


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## toad (Apr 6, 2004)

generally around mother's day depending on the weather. I fish hoover from a boat so I don't know much about your other questions. I stay out of the bank guys way so I'm no further up the creek than a couple hundred yards from the lake during the run.


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## hogjerker (Apr 8, 2008)

Most guys just wear boots. It's pretty shallow. It also gets crowded. You might turn right just past the bridge where everyone parks and keep going. There is a park with a baseball diamond and access to the creek. You can still catch the bass from there and stay out of the way of the crowd. And Toad is correct, usually mid to late May.


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## TerryMayberry (Dec 23, 2009)

I had no idea that hoover had a white bass run. Sounds like fun
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TiDuhble (Apr 10, 2008)

the run is hit or miss. Last year they actually ran on 2 days a week apart. So I wouldn't call it fun or an actually run


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## toad (Apr 6, 2004)

> Is it possible to find room to take a 6 year old to fish from the bank


They also run into the duck pond (why I don't know) in the south end by the dam. This would be a good place to take a 6 year old.


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## fishbone (May 5, 2007)

Timing is hard to predict, usually the first couple of weeks of May. I'd recommend going to Ruffner Park in Galena. Directly behind the baseball diamond there are several places you can fish from the bank. A pair of boots would be best. Use tandem twister tails or minnows on light or UL equipment. If you wade with a youngster, watch the current and the slick rocks.


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## FishEyeDoc (May 3, 2010)

I was reading this thread about the white bass run in Galena when I saw you refer to the "duck pond" as a good place to take a 6 year old. I searched all the google maps I could find but there is no reference to it. I have a 6 year old daughter who I have been taking to Hoff park pond for the bluegills and I think she is ready for something more. We tried to fish Ruffner park in Galena on Friday and we saw plenty of fish but the minnows we were using kept snagging on the algea on the bottom of the creek. So, it sounds like the duck pond would be a place we want to go. Could you tell me where it is and how to access it? Thank you in advance, Chris and Abby.


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## chriscreek (Nov 2, 2009)

you can catch them now. there are not a lot in there yet. the water levels need to go up.


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## meisterdog (May 10, 2004)

duck pond is along sunbury rd. as you go up sunbury turn into the first entrance on the rt. by the dam. the cut out on the lake is called duck pond prob. bcause there are numerous ducks and geese there all the time. you will see people there fishing but i have never had any luck catching there. hit the rocks by the dam. you will catch them there as well. i have in past years. good luck and i with the little one well with catching many WB


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

I fished Galena today and the bite was slow. The water level is low and clear. The white bass were not aggressive. If you did not put the bait right in front of them, they would not bite. I was throwing a 1/32 jig with a tube and it felt like I was using too much weight. I did manage to catch a few along with others but it was some work. We need some rain to get the creek level up.


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## Buckeye_Sam (Jun 6, 2005)

You're dead on gone2fish. I've been fishing the white bass run, or non-run many years for as long as I can remember. The years that it was really good are years where we had good spring rains that brought the water flow up. That seems to really bring them up into the creek in good numbers. When the water is low and clear there's fewer fish and they are harder to catch. I'd say if we don't get a good heavy rain in the next two weeks you can forget about the Galena run this year.

I've caught fish in the duck pond too, but only one year where they were really in there good. Water temp is cooler at that end of the lake so they'll come in later than Galena. The years I've found them in there it hasn't been until late May or even early June. It is a much more kid friendly area to fish than Galena though, despite all the goose poop.


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## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

Drove by the creek today and forget about it the water is very low! We need rain badly or no run this yr good news the slabs were biting good.


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## ohiofishgirl (Apr 12, 2010)

Fished Galena yesterday afternoon and not much luck. I was throwing everything I could. Caught a few on minnows and small hair jigs. They are definitely in there, saw several schools swim by, but they're just not biting. One gentleman walked past me we a stringer full of them and said they were hitting a lot better early morning. I still think we need some rain to fill up the creek and murk it up a little.


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

Went back to Galena today after voting. Fishing was slow but I did have fun. I was trying the lil fishie and felt a couple of bumps but after about 20 minutes I switched over to the 1/32 jig with tube lure I had success with Sunday. Caught 15, all males.


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## craig (Feb 9, 2008)

I live in Galena and for a week or more its been packed down there, but have seen many people walking out of there with five gallon buckets full to the top and large stringer fulls, I pretty much only fish for saugeyes so was wondering how they taste?


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

I fillet the white bass that I want to cook. The wife will eat one or two meals of white bass then she is done for the year. I will giveaway the majority of the fish I catch or throw them back in. White bass are good if you know how to prepare them. I will say this, they are not as tasty as saugeye.


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## awfdahuk (May 1, 2006)

gone 2 fish. when did you become the official galena spokesman for the white bass run.. lol


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

Caught a few more today. I was on the water about 6:30 and broke it off about noon. Good numbers are being caught if you fish were they are at.


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

awfdahuk said:


> gone 2 fish. when did you become the official galena spokesman for the white bass run.. lol


I became the official spokesman when I have thrown back more white bass than you have caught this year. Try sipping that hater-aid while at work, don"t gulp it down.


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## Jigging Jim (Apr 3, 2010)

gone2fish said:


> I became the official spokesman when I have thrown back more white bass than you have caught this year. Try sipping that hater-aid while at work, don"t gulp it down.


omg - I'm still laughing !


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

Man, I love fishing for white bass. Some days are better than others but as far as numbers caught. I guess that's why they call it fishing and not catching. I had the place to myself. Well not exactly, it was God, me, and the white bass. I started with the lure I was using yesterday. A Rapala #5 crank bait. I did pretty good with it today. So good that I did not tie on the patented tubes.


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## TurkGrave (Apr 18, 2005)

Fished the creek in Galena for several hours wading three location caught nothing worth mentioning, but then hit Redbank on the way home caught my first Saugeye 16 inches! Very windy not many people catching. Hopefully this rain and storm gets the white bass running!


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## chriscreek (Nov 2, 2009)

did the rain get the creek up? stop global warming(i wont have to drive up and check)


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

The creek level at Galena is low, real low and clear as a glass of drinking water. Yesterday I caught a few on the crankbait and switch over to tubes. It was slow. Today I started using tubes, then switched over to a spinner. Even slower today. I am praying for some rain. The fish are in the creek but the low water levels are having a major impact of catch rates.


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

I always catch fish on mothers day. Galena is still slow. The water is low and clear. The water temperature has dropped also. I caught the first two on tubes. Then no bites, hits, or bumps. Switched over to crank bait with no luck. Went with the inline spinner as the sun came up and managed to get about eight more before they shut down. I did catch a couple of females this trip out.


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

I joined a couple of friends up at Galena yesterday about an hour before sunset. I started with a 1/16th oz. white inline spinner and did pretty well with it until it got completely dark. I switched over to the patented 1/32th oz jig with tube and got few more. I thought the minnows would be working better but that was not the case last night. Broke it off 12:30 - 1:00.


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

My partner and I hit the creek early, real early Thursday morning. With the creek level up from the recent rain I thought we would do well. Well to make a long story short, some folks came down and fished a different spot and started to knock them in the head with road-runners. Some more people came and they were using jigs with orange twisters. They started to lay into them too. My partner could not take it anymore and moved to where the action was happening. I watched him take a couple of fish and I moved to the spot. I changed to my patented tubes and it was fish-on every other cast. I had a ball. everyone was catching fish.


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## 01mercLS (Oct 28, 2006)

Awesome, I need to get out there and try for some white bass. When is the big run?


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## BuckIfan09 (Mar 25, 2009)

01mercLS said:


> Awesome, I need to get out there and try for some white bass. When is the big run?


Get your poles out now and head on up. There is definitely fish all around. Sad to say I was there last night from 6p to 10:30p and did not bring one in. But with that said, I had a lot of action in the later times. Thanks to an OGFer there who gave me a tip in what I needed to do with the minnows. I got hits but could not get them out of the water. I think I may have been one of the few who actually didn't bring one in. Good luck to those who are out there, I had fun, could have been better bringing some home.


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## PACC (Mar 4, 2010)

What was the tip for the minnows? I normally go through the bottom and out the top of the head cause I use a jighead. I had a heck of a time on Monday. Lots of times the bobber was pulled under but when I set the hook- GONE!


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## BuckIfan09 (Mar 25, 2009)

PACC said:


> What was the tip for the minnows? I normally go through the bottom and out the top of the head cause I use a jighead. I had a heck of a time on Monday. Lots of times the bobber was pulled under but when I set the hook- GONE!


I can't say too much on this, every time I hooked it to the bottom up from the jaw I lost it. I switched to hooking it on the back just below the dorsal fin, making sure not to go to low and hit the backbone. That usually seems to work better, I got some fishes hooked but I did lose them also. I have heard hooking them towards the tail works good. I have not done that personally. Plus, I don't use jigheads, just smaller hooks like crappie hooks and panfish style hooks. Hope that helps.


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

Got up to Galena yesterday with somewhat high expectations. The water level is dropping and clearing. The white bass were spawning in the shallow water and from the sound of it they were having a good time. At daybreak I did manage to get a few fish to bite but it was slow. Around 11:00 am they shut down in the area I was fishing. I was using a tube (double jig) and picked up some on a chartreuse and orange rooster tail.


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## gone2fish (Mar 10, 2005)

Got to the creek about 7:30 pm yesterday evening. The creek level was low and clear. I started with a chartreuse and orange spinner and had no luck with it. Switched over to the tubes and caught a few. It was real slow yesterday. This will be my last post on this thread, have to go to work Tuesday. I fished Galena pretty hard during my two week vacation. Caught fish and enjoy the time off. It is a blessing to be able to catch them again for another year. 

It was once told to me that the time spent fishing does not count against you in the book of life. Good luck.


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## trouter (Aug 6, 2010)

Hi I was wondering if anyone knows where a good place like a boat dock or ramp to put in a canoe on big or little walnut creek? and maybe what they are hitting on this time of year there


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## bassin mickey (Apr 22, 2004)

Put some wheels on it and your good to go at either spot. !!!


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