Another good thing about white bass is their abundance. There are big ones in many waters across Iowa.

"White bass exist in all large reservoirs, the Upper Mississippi River and the chain of Iowa Great Lakes," continued Bonneau.

An avid angler, the biologist feels some of the best white bass fishing is below the big reservoir dams. He feels slack water fishing is best in Red Rock, Saylorville, and Rathbun Reservoirs.

"White bass populations are cyclical, somewhat like crappies. The species provides outstanding angling during high cycles. They're prolific, and angling has little impact on their population. No angler should feel guilty about keeping them," Bonneau continued.

IDNR fisheries biologist Randy Schultz has sampled white bass in lakes as small as 100 acres but says they do best in very large bodies of water with high gizzard shad populations.

"They are common in Iowa's natural lakes. Storm, North Twin, Blackhawk, Okoboji, Spirit, Minnewashta, Upper and Lower Gar and Clear Lake are good bets," he said. "Lake Manawa near Council Bluffs has an excellent wiper population, and Three Mile Lake in Union County is another good bet."

Scott Gritters is an IDNR fishery biologist stationed on the Mississippi River, Iowa's largest body of water. "White bass are common on the big river," he said. "Our creel surveys show that they rank between the third and ninth most commonly caught fish. Any white bass over 16 inches is a good one, and the state record is a 20-inch fish that weighed 3 pounds, 14 ounces." Noting that he grew up near the Des Moines River near Pella, the biologist added, "I still fish white bass in the Red Rock tailwater and on the reservoir itself."

Walleye tournament angler Dave Nichols is also a savvy white-bass fisherman. "This is one hard fighting fish. In the Mississippi River I've noticed that a school of white bass will drive bait into the rocks and then go into a feeding frenzy. The water is churning with white bass gorging on shad.

"Very often walleyes will follow and be down below the bass feasting on wounded bait.

"Once you find a school of white bass they're easy to catch. Cast any lure that imitates a shad, and these aggressive fish will attack it. Sometimes I put on a very heavy jig and hope it will quickly sink through the bass to the walleyes waiting below, but often a white bass will grab it before it gets far beneath the surface," he said.

Biologist Gritters says gulls are often an indicator of white bass. They are a natural fish finder for any observant angler.

"Schools work as a team to trap and confuse minnows. The bass churn the water. Gulls key in and pick up the injured minnows for supper," he said.

With the exception of fishing smaller inland rivers when white bass move along shore, a boat is almost essential to find and approach schooling fish. "Anglers shouldn't approach too closely with the boat. A lot of motor activity will drive the school away, especially if they've been pressured," said Gritters.

White bass schools can be hard to find, but once a school is located, the fish are remarkably easy to catch. Spinning equipment is ideal, especially a rod-and-reel rig that allows long casts. They'll attack any lure that even remotely resembles a gizzard shad. Dense, heavy lures like Kastmasters, or heavy leadhead jigs help reach a long ways into a distant school.

Gritters likes using in-line spinners. If the fish refuse to take them, he switches to a floating silver Rapala. "Sometimes I loop the line around the front treble hook to keep the lure from diving at all. This makes it look like a wounded minnow on the surface," he said.

In reality, nearly any silvery spoon or spinner will work. I prefer using spoons or leadhead jigs dressed with white twistertails or hair. A plain jig with a live minnow works great, but when bass are aggressively feeding, artificials are just as effective, and don't require rebaiting.

Although biologists and seasoned anglers all agree that white bass are fun to catch, they don't agree on their food value. Some think they make good eating, but only if handled properly.