Using lightweight tackle and poppers gives Mike Cyze the right conditions for a fun fight with fall white bass.

Without a doubt, the month of September is one of the best times to be out on your favorite river or lake and search for those hungry, aggressively feeding white bass. In fact, it’s a fairly normal occurrence to see big schools of these savage fighters schooling minnows and other baitfish to the surface as they go into one of their feeding frenzies. The waters just start to boil as the hungry fish feed on the forage that is trying desperately to get away. I’d like to share with you a method of fishing that I have used to get the most enjoyment out of catching these tough, aggressive fighters.

Light setup

When starting your search, it’s a good idea to slowly cruise the areas you are planning to fish and look for any signs of feeding white bass. When you’re doing this, make it a point to go very slowly, so that you do not spook any schools of fish that may be in the area. If you get too close to them, they will leave the area quickly and move deep. Once you have located some actively feeding fish, it’s time to get in on the action.

What you’re going to need is a lightweight rod that is on the long side. I have been using a fly rod that I converted to a lightweight spinning reel setup. This long fly rod allows me to cast the very light lures that I use.

Bait and tackle

Have on hand some small 1/16-ounce lead head hair jigs in a variety of different colors. Try to stick with bright colors for best results. Next, get yourself some small fly-rod poppers, like the ones you use for bass and bluegill. I’ll usually start with a bigger popper in the 3/4- to 1-inch size range. Also, make sure you use some good quality line in the 4-pound test range, maximum. In fact, for even more fun, use 2-pound test line. This will definitely test your skills at fighting and landing a fish.

To rig your lures, first tie the popper of your choice directly onto your main line. Now, take a separate piece of line about two and a half feet long to use as a trailer leader, and tie one end to the popper by tying to the bend of the popper’s hook. On the loose end of the line you now have left, tie on the lead head jig. What you now have is a rig that has a popper coming off your main line, with the jig behind on the leader.

To fish this rig, you’re going to simply cast near the area of the feeding white bass, past the feeding fish and slowly retrieve the lures through the school. Never cast directly into the school. The popper will ride up on, or just slightly below the surface, while the jig behind will go a bit deeper. As you reel, the jig will hop and dance in the water, which will attract the fish. When using this rig, it’s very common to get two fish on at one time. Believe me, when you have a double strike and two white bass hooked, each going a different direction, the action is fast and furious to say the least.

If you don’t want to use the fly-rod method to fish this rig, you can go with a plain ultralight rod and reel set-up. I do recommend, though, a long rod at least 6 feet long with a fast tip and midsection. Fish the double-lure rig in the way I described above. Use that nice steady retrieve and you will catch some of the biggest white bass of your life.

For more valuable fishing lessons, turn to the October issue of MidWest Outdoors, available the first full week of October at the newsstand or by subscribing on our website.