The white bass are running! In any big-river town, the word spreads quickly in the springtime. Folks from all walks of life throw their fishing rods into the back of their pickup trucks and head for the nearest dam. It's a carnival-like atmosphere on the river bank, with bent poles and thrashing fish everywhere. Smiles and laughter are the rule of the day, and nobody goes home empty-handed. Every so often, a school of chunky, aggressive white bass will attack a school of baitfish near the surface, and the splashy explosions that dot the river evoke oohs and ahhs from the crowd.