The Elusive Striped Bass

Striped bass, or “stripers,” are among the most sought after fish by bass anglers. breed in fresh water, but spend their adult lives in salt water. They are also able to live exclusively in fresh water in some inland water bodies. Four important areas with breeding stocks of are Chesapeake Bay, Cape Cod, the Hudson River and the Delaware river. All these areas are popular for bass fishing, especially the Chesapeake, which is one of the largest breeding areas. have been introduced by state game and fish commissions into many reservoirs to the delight of anglers. These choice fish have also been hybridized with other kinds of bass to produce specialized sport fish such as the sunshine bass and paradise bass.

Striped bass can be finicky about what baits they will take. Many baits are used in bass fishing for stripers, including clams, eels, small fish, night crawlers, chicken livers, and other insects. These fish can grow up to four feet long and weigh as much as fifty pounds. A seventy-eight pound striper was caught in Atlantic City in 1982. and the largest on record was a 125 pound female caught in 1891. have been known to swim up rivers for more than one hundred miles. They can be found all along the Atlantic coast, from Florida to Nova Scotia, and on the West coast around San Francisco Bay. Although suffered a decline in the 1970s and 1980s, their numbers in the wild are climbing, and they are regularly stocked   in legal fishing areas for the pleasure of anglers.

Surfcasting with rod and reel is a popular way to catch for those anglers who don’t own a boat. These fisherman cast into the surf while standing in the ocean, hoping to catch the elusive striper. Surfcasting gear usually involves 8-12 foot rods using 15-30 pound test monofilament or braid line. Live bait can be very effective in catching from the surf, but plastic lures can also work. Anglers who are surfcasting often use lead shot to anchor their bait to the ocean floor.

Another method of catching often employed by amateurs is trolling. A strong hand line, usually with artificial bait is drawn through the water, often behind a boat. Since bass will try to eat almost anything that moves, even inexperienced anglers can often easily catch a striper this way. Boats practicing this technique require a special trolling motor, to keep the bait moving slowly enough through the water.