Need fish for a fish fry?

[Kevan Paul]

The Yellow Bass are on Fire at Clear Lake Ia. This is a fish that has no limit so you can catch quantities like this and not hurt the lake. Yellow Bass have a nice white flaky meat and they don't have that fishy flavour that you might think. So if your looking to fill the freezer you might want to check out Clear Lake. 200 fish days not uncommon.

In this pic 5 guys 5 hours 720 fish. Mudbugs with cutbait / spikes works best.

[monstermoose78]

How big are they?

[Alagnak]

" This is a fish that has no limit so you can catch quantities like this and not hurt the lake"

Not trying get in a whizzing match here, but this has to be one of the most ignorant statements I've ever heard in regards to fishing. Please explain the connection with having no limits on a species of fish and how that means it could not 'hurt' the lake. I know of the yellow bass, I understand there are millions of them, I read it- I understand that there is no limit. But, I will bet my fishing boat on the fact that 1/4 of the metro population could come down and wipe those out between now and next weekend. I see that you guide and am trying to make a buck (so do I), but careful what you wish for.

[CAMAN]

Sounds like fun for the kids, but who really wants to clean and store 720 fish?!?

And +1 Alagnak

[bigblue]

Kevan stated not hurt the lake I am sure he is addressing as to to other species in the lake . Those things are prolific which sometimes is not a good thing . My two cents and that's not worth much now days.

[Kevan Paul]

I feel the Yellows do deserve a spot in the line-up but not at the top which is where they are at right now. So we would love to see the Metro come on down and fish C.L. for the weekend. (maybe even fish next years Yellow Bass Bonanza:) The yellows are a short lived fish and are keeper size in 2-3 yrs. The main thing we are doing is what Big Blue was talking about and that's making room for the other species. We have a great Crappie and Perch population starting to build and with all the yellows in the lake they tend to fight for food. If we could knock down the yellows for a couple of yrs this could give the others a great chance to build a solid population. We all respect the lake and thats very important and so is selective harvest. Thats why we are releasing all crappies, perch, gills, and walleye. The fish in this picture are going to be turned into Yellow Bass Jerky. Yes Its Very Tasty!! One of the guys in the pic owns a Meat locker and has been experimenting with fish jerky and he has one hell of a recipe. Check out this video we did last year. This might help explain things.

[Scott M]

" This is a fish that has no limit so you can catch quantities like this and not hurt the lake"

Not trying get in a whizzing match here, but this has to be one of the most ignorant statements I've ever heard in regards to fishing. Please explain the connection with having no limits on a species of fish and how that means it could not 'hurt' the lake. I know of the yellow bass, I understand there are millions of them, I read it- I understand that there is no limit. But, I will bet my fishing boat on the fact that 1/4 of the metro population could come down and wipe those out between now and next weekend. I see that you guide and am trying to make a buck (so do I), but careful what you wish for.

[Sonicrunch]

2 hours away. We should have a get together down there!!

[paceman]

That does look like a lot of fun!

[Fuzzbient]

Wow, that looks like it would be a blast for the kids too! How does the taste and texture compare to white bass?

[Kevan Paul]

I don't eat white bass. Iowa Whites are soft and fishy and have a big blood line. Yellows have a hard white flaky meat with out the big blood line. I like them over Crappie my self. Stopped out yesterday and the bite is still on. It should be good til ice out.

[Kevan Paul]

They are good for kids but you do have to keep on the move. One hole you might only get 10 and the next could be a all day spot. We don't run bobbers so it helps the young kids get familiar with jigging.

[Tim Moore]

I don't eat white bass. Iowa Whites are soft and fishy and have a big blood line. Yellows have a hard white flaky meat with out the big blood line. I like them over Crappie my self. Stopped out yesterday and the bite is still on. It should be good til ice out.

I think the white bass are the same as what we call white perch in New England. The ones we catch are excellent eating and highly sought after. It's funny the flavor of a fish can be different from region to region.

Some whites I caught last weekend.

[Kevan Paul]

This is the kind of white bass im talking about. White Perch are a little different. Notice the bars. These fish have a very heavy blood line.

This is a Yellow Bass notice the bars are broken.

[brian6715]

Kevan, your PM is full! Could you send me a message or give a few tips on where to start, I am thinking of bringing a friend down from southern MN this weekend to catch a few of these yellow bass

[Tim Moore]

I was inspired to do a little research (finally) on these. I have spoken to several people in the past from the Minnesota area and sometimes we think we are talking about the same fish when in fact, as you pointed out, we are not.

The white bass (Morone chrysops) and white perch (Morone americana) are from the same family (Moronidae) but two seperate species. The white perch are actually a catadromous saltwater species (which would explain why we have a spring run in one of our tidal rivers). They can tolerate freshwater so well that they have adapted to life in lakes and ponds. It seems that they are spreading westward and in some areas are becoming a nuisance.

Not that anyone wanted to know any of this but you never know.

Anyway, thanks for posting the pics Kevin.

[Kevan Paul]

Thanks for the info that is good to know. Hell I couldn't tell ya what you had so you taught me something new. Thanks Its all good!

[Kevan Paul]

Fish the little lake. 7-12 ft. Go to the very center of the little lake and then start working west. You will find lots of spots with lots of fish. Like I said before if your marking fish and they won't bite MOVE and keep moving! You will know when your on them because you will catch them immediately. I like keeping the smaller ones for the fryer. 6-8" 10" are master angler in iowa so get a photo and turn it in.

The 6-8's cook up nice!

Green, Blue, Orange. #10 or 12 MUDBUGS Spikes or cutbait. Don't run wax worms. They fall off to easy. Have fun and post a report when finished.