Smithville 9-10-09

[MOfishmgr]

Well I finally took a day off, well actually I'll still have 40 hours in this week so no leave taken. What's a fish biologist do on his day off? Go fishing what else?! Headed up to Smithville and went to my favorite stumps. First cast a nice fat 11 incher! Only one more keeper the rest of the day. I decided late last night to go and forgot to charge my trolling motor batteries, so dipping trees wasn't much of an option. So about 11am I headed to one of my favorite white bass points and dropped anchor. An hour later I had caught over 50 and had 10 big fat ones in the livewell. Now many folks won't eat a white bass, but if you are careful to remove any red meat they are quite good. The last mess I cooked, my wife took one bite and asked what kind of fish are these? I said white bass and she said they were so much better than the walleye I had cooked the week before! Can you imagine someone saying that?

The best way to clean them starts with putting them on ice immediately. As they die on ice they draw the blood out of their tissues into their organs to prolong life. So when you clean them the fillets are nice and white. When you remove the fillet from the skin use a light knife. Don't bear down on the skin and virtually all the red meat stays on the skin. I soak them a day or two in salt water and then cook them up. They don't freeze well and should be eaten within 30 days after freezing. So when the crappie fishing gets tough there is another option. And catching white bass on an ultralight is about as much fun as you can get!

I'm taking the whole week off next week and hope to get at least two days fishing in once the honey-dos are done. Hope to see some of you out there. I'll be in a white Sea Ray fish and ski, look me up.

[hothead]

Nice tips on the whites. I can eat them, but usually not crazy about em. Got one stupid neighbor that always leaves the red meat. Wont touch em. YUCK, NASTY!:D

[gatorbitu]

Thanks for the tip and best of luck next week.

[cook]

Good tip on the ice..I don't know about a livewell...but they die pretty quick on a stringer even in cold water(early spring)

[moswampy]

whites were still biting when I got to the lake last night was suprised to catch a couple crappie trolling mainlake. It has been quite a while since I have caught keepers while trolling mainlake. did have a run in with a joyrider in a powerboat, he decided to try and pick up my marker bouy while I was 40 yards away and trolling to it. I whislted loudly and told him it was my bouy with my hands raised in a "what the hell" manner over my head. He then kicked it in gear turning two donuts around the bouy the second one about 15 yards off of the nose of my boat. Gotta love the idiots in the world. BTW that nice baby blue boat is setting in the first cove West of Crowes Creek access pulled up on the sand while they camp if anyone wants to hit the side of it with a jig:D

[kazualobzerver]

Why do people find it necessary to be jerks? His boat needs a visit from someone with a freshly charged cordless drill so he can thoroughly check his bilge pump next time he launches. Not really but people like that get me going.

[jackb]

The most disrespectful boaters...Smithville. The least knowledgeable boaters...Smithville. The laziest water patrol...Smithville. Been that way for 20 years that I know of.

[moswampy]

May have to strap my M4 to the console with 1/2 mag fmg, 1/2 mag vmax for my fishing adventure this afternoon. Bet the WP would show up quickly then:D

[cook]

Bet the WP would show up quickly then:D

Yep...and unfortunately for you...it would not turn out well