STRIPED BASS
COMMON NAME: STRIPED-BASS
OTHER NAMES: STRIPER
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Morone saxatilis
RANGE AND HABITAT: Native to the Atlantic Ocean, and its coastal tributaries. Striped bass breed in freshwater and spend their adult lives in saltwater. They can also live exclusively in freshwater and currently flourish in inland water bodies. For saltwater striped bass, four important bodies of water with breeding stocks of striped bass are: Chesapeake Bay, Massachusetts Bay/Cape Cod, Hudson River and Delaware River. There are many smaller breeding areas that contribute to the overall striped bass population such as the Takanasse Lake. It is believed that many of the rivers and tributaries that emptied into the Atlantic, had at one time, breeding stock of striped bass. One of the smaller breeding areas is the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, where populations from Chesapeake and Delaware bays have intermingled.
FOOD: Primarily small fish
ADULT SIZE: Normally 24-36 inches and weigh 3-30 pounds in Long Island. Grows much larger in saltwater habitats.
IDENTIFICATION: Long, silvery fish with 7-9 distinct lines running lengthwise along sides and back. Sharp spine on gill cover. Teeth on the base of the tongue are arranged in 2 parallel patches.
FISHING TIPS: Striped bass can be caught on a number of baits including:
clams, eels, anchovies, bloodworms, night crawlers, chicken livers, bunker/menhaden,
herring, and sand worms.
At other times, striped bass can be very choosy about the baits they take.
Because of the wide variety of baits that are known to work and their
finicky nature, they are considered among fishermen as being an opportunistic
or “lazy” feeder. However, it is estimated that 90% of their
diet is fish. Jigs, jigging spoons, and crankbaits are good lures for
casting. Trolling with large, deep-diving crankbaits and tubes and umrella
rigs can also be effective.
