It’s a thrill almost too exciting to describe: the water beginning to boil all around the boat, fish thrashing about everywhere, shad getting pummeled — many thrown a foot or two out of the water.

In the boat, the scene’s not less frenetic: anglers stepping over themselves to pick up rod and reel, to tie on a small inline spinner or curlytail grub, or to make a cast at what seems like a sea of individual boils. Once the lure does finally hit the water, it’s not long before a hard thump is felt at the end of the line and the sharp squeal of the reel’s drag brings a touch of reality to the situation.

Such is the scenario played out whenever anglers fishing one of the lakes in Mississippi that’s known for having a strong population of white bass join battle with their quarry.

Though their average size of about a pound is relatively small when compared to that of their relatives, striped and hybrid bass, white bass can, pound for pound, outduel just about anything that swims. With a largely flat, wide body and big fins, they’re strong fighters, making them a treat for anglers using light tackle. What’s more, these fish aren’t that hard to find or catch, being in nearly identical locations year after year.

SPAWNING RUN

In early spring, a perennial journey, prompted by warming waters that elicit behaviors related to the white bass’s reproductive biology, begins once again. The fish move out of the main body of their lake home and head upstream, eventually making their way into tributaries to spawn. Once in these areas, the whites look for a sandy bottom on which to lay eggs. These spots are generally found near points, coves or pockets protected from strong current. But the bass don’t shun hard artificial bottoms. In fact, at numerous lakes and reservoirs around the state, the fish will spawn on hard, recessed bottoms near docks, sunken roadbeds — even inundated parking lots.

The white bass stay shallow during this period of the year, making themselves easy pickings for anglers. A variety of lures will work, a few of the most common being small white spinnerbaits, crankbaits and jigs; many anglers troll along the tributaries with these lures. After the spawn, which is usually sometime in late April, the fish once again make their way back into the main body of water. After the rigors of procreating, they’re usually ready to gobble up just about any live or artificial offering placed in front of them.

BACK TO SCHOOL

White-bass anglers working a point or mouth of a creek will often see the water all around erupt with activity — feeding behavior similar to that of stripers or hybrids schooling in the fall. When white bass school up like this, their turbulence can eerily mimic the sight of a machine gun being fired into the water from above.

Just about any small topwater or subsurface bait can get results during this spell. Ideal picks: small topwater poppers or prop baits, white hair jigs or an inline spinner having one treble hook. Other smart choices: 1/4-ounce lipless crankbaits and casting spoons.

But no matter what you’ve tied on, the excitement of seeing all that energy and the thrill of being able to catch fish on every cast are sure to make for a splendid day of fishing.

By late spring, the fishing typically tends to even more consistency, with the fish being in their usual places on the main lake or river. On the river, many anglers target the chunky bruisers along the many dikes used to break up the current along the stream. The fish stack up along this cover, where they can ambush baitfish and find respite from the current.

Another dynamite place for finding white bass during this period is on boat ramps. When no hard, sandy bottom is present, the fish hover over these slabs of concrete, which are also havens for baitfish such as shad and small panfish. You can fish boat ramps all day in late April or May and likely catch more white bass than you’ll feel like taking home to fillet.