I know there isn't much secret in the Penny's Bend run of white bass on the Eno anymore, I have been fishing the run too long to remember when I started, so with that in mind and seeing a lot of responses from people who would like to try it and keep asking about best lures, rod/reel combos, etc I thought I would share what I know and anyone else can feel free to share some tricks or tips as well. If you were to rummage through my fishing vest you would find many different lures but if i had to narrow it down to a handful, I would choose a 2.5 to 3 inch jerkbait (rebel,husky jerk,x-rap) in white or clown. A 1/8 oz rooster tail would be another choice, again white, firetiger, chartruese colors. My 3rd choice would be a soft plastic on 1/32oz crappie jig suspended about 2 feet under a small cork. Curly tails, panfish assassin, tubes, I could fill up my vest with the different types I have tried. The colors? white, chartruese, pink, green. Noticing a pattern with the colors? When the water clears up I'll switch to more shad/minnow colors with the jerk baits and crappie plastics. Those are my 3 go to lures untill I figure out what the white bas are killing in a given year, 2 years ago the flat slammed jerkbaits, last year I hardly caught any on a jerk bait but they about ate the rooster tail off my spinners. The cork and jig has been the most reliable for me and a handfull of others.
I carry multiple rods with me to save time switching between lures. I have a 5'6'' ultralight for spinners, jerkbaits and an occasional topwater. I run 4lb fireline on it with a 6lb mono leader. The mono give me something to grab on to so I can lift those 2-3lb females out of the water
My second rod is a 7' ultralight I use for throwing the cork/jig. I use small diameter 4 lb mono and can cast the 1/32 jig about 3/4 of the way across the river depending on which bait I have on the jig.
I'll also carry a 3rd and sometimes 4th rod rigged up different ways till I zero in on what they want.
If I had to choose one rod/reel set up I would go with a 6' ultralight rod with a 1500 sized reel and 4lb line. 6lb line if you are not comfortable with 4lb. I use 4lb for the extra casting distance. Also you want to make sure your reel has a smooth drag, even the small male whites can pull out drag. I have had the small males pull drag when I was fooling around with a baitcaster and 10lb line, not to mention what a 2lb or bigger female will do.
Ok that's my $2 worth of whitebass info. If you have fished the run before more than likely you have seen me at Penny's Bend, I'm the fat guy in a green and black hat catching the fish and throwing them back when many other people aren't catching. Good luck when y'all go
James
I carry multiple rods with me to save time switching between lures. I have a 5'6'' ultralight for spinners, jerkbaits and an occasional topwater. I run 4lb fireline on it with a 6lb mono leader. The mono give me something to grab on to so I can lift those 2-3lb females out of the water
My second rod is a 7' ultralight I use for throwing the cork/jig. I use small diameter 4 lb mono and can cast the 1/32 jig about 3/4 of the way across the river depending on which bait I have on the jig.
I'll also carry a 3rd and sometimes 4th rod rigged up different ways till I zero in on what they want.
If I had to choose one rod/reel set up I would go with a 6' ultralight rod with a 1500 sized reel and 4lb line. 6lb line if you are not comfortable with 4lb. I use 4lb for the extra casting distance. Also you want to make sure your reel has a smooth drag, even the small male whites can pull out drag. I have had the small males pull drag when I was fooling around with a baitcaster and 10lb line, not to mention what a 2lb or bigger female will do.
Ok that's my $2 worth of whitebass info. If you have fished the run before more than likely you have seen me at Penny's Bend, I'm the fat guy in a green and black hat catching the fish and throwing them back when many other people aren't catching. Good luck when y'all go
James