Jeff Samsel

Trip Report: Big Brown Trout On The White River

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:13:25 -0400

If you're looking to catch a giant brown trout in the White River, leave the little spinners at home. In this tailwater, it's all about big lures and serious boat handling. Jeff Samsel reports on learning the ropes of this late winter fishery.

And if you want to test your might against some White River browns, whether with big plugs, bait or flies, visit gastons.com or call (870) 431-5202

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Joe_Cermele — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:11:42 -0400

It’s the dream of everyone who fishes an Arkansas tailwater. A replica of the world record brown trout – the 40-pound, 4-ounce giant that H. “Rip” Collins pulled from the Little Red River in 1992 – is displayed in the visitor's center that rests on a bluff overlooking Bull Shoals Dam and the upper end of its legendary tailwater on the White River. Are there world record fish swimming in the White and the Little Red? Probably. Why not find out for yourself?

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Joe_Cermele — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:10:16 -0400

On high water, Saska maximizes his window of opportunity by “hotspotting” – hitting very specific banks or gravel bars that browns use at specific water levels and then running to the next one. If a bank produces, he might drift it two or three times before making a move. When the water is a little lower and the fish spread out more, he’ll basically drift the river, switching banks to make sure baits stay over the most productive water.

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Joe_Cermele — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:09:02 -0400

We got our best (highest) water in the morning, and by afternoon it would begin fall. On lower water, I found my best success with an XCalibur Twitch Bait, which is an inch shorter than most of the baits that we used. Along with stretching the brown trout bite a little longer, the slightly smaller offering produced more stocker-size rainbows in between browns.

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Joe_Cermele — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:01:38 -0400

Saska, who fishes mostly with artificial lures, added oars to his johnboat so he could maintain control of his drift line, speed, and angle. The White is a large trout river, and the fish orient very specific ways to cover and structure, according to water levels. Whether Saska’s clients are dredging nymphs through runs along the edges of gravel bars, drifting trout worms with bottom-bouncing rigs, or casting big jerkbaits to shoreline targets, boat positioning remains critical.

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Joe_Cermele — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:59:53 -0400

Virtually all brown trout caught from the White River are released. Keeper size is 24 inches, which is about a 6 pounds on average, but most of the real trophies get put back anyway. Most anglers who want a mount opt to measure and photograph the fish so that they can get a reproduction made.

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Joe_Cermele — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:58:22 -0400

Saska changes jerkbaits regularly any time the bite has waned even a little, especially if conditions have changed. The sun breaking out or the water level going up or down even a little can drastically alter the fish’s preferences regarding colors, profiles, and running depths.

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Joe_Cermele — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:44:30 -0400

You can learn a lot about fish by watching other fishermen. They gravitate toward comfort – fires on cold days and shade on hot days – and congregate around food sources. Fish are the same way. And if you watch fishermen closely, you’ll likely notice that the big boys don’t waste a lot of plate space on salad greens. Remember that when you’re picking lures.

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Joe_Cermele — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:44:30 -0400

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Joe_Cermele — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:39:46 -0400

While not all streams yield the quality of trout that the White does on a regular basis, anglers in many areas could substantially increase their chances of catching larger trout by spending time working lures that imitate substantial food items. It may take a fish or two on the line to gain the necessary confidence to stick with a jerkbait, but once that confidence has been instilled, watch out!