Ever since colonial days, people have been overawed by the abundance and diversity of game in the New World. However, some things stand out. Catching striped bass has proved so enthralling that this species has been moved across the country and into another ocean. The East Coast no linger has the monopoly on this superb sport fish.
The very first European visitors to North America reported vast schools of these large, striped fish. They were found all along the coast from Canada to Florida. Spawning primarily in the Chesapeake and the Massachusetts Bay and the Delaware and Hudson river, they are a state fish in seven east coast states. Because they are such a great recreational species, they have been introduced into the Pacific and thrive around San Francisco.
Their popularity led to over-fishing, and in some rivers, like the St. Lawrence in Canada, they actually disappeared. However, they have been restored there. In landlocked lakes and some major rivers, the species now spends its entire life cycle in fresh water.
These fish really move around. They can be caught forty feet down in the ocean and in shallow wetlands. They grow to an immense size, with the largest recorded one weighing in at 124 pounds. The record catch with a rod was a striper caught with a live eel as bait in Long Island Sound. It weighed almost 89 pounds. A 78 1/2 pounder was caught with an artificial lure off the beach at Atlantic City.
It's no surprise that tips on stalking these, getting them to bite, hooking them, and landing them are plentiful. One of the first online tips is to use a fish finder, since the schools move around in the oceans or bays and have no regular 'stomping grounds'. You can also watch for flocks of seagulls circling a patch of disturbed water. This means that the bass are chasing feeder fish to the surface, which makes a feast for the birds as well.
They will take a wide range of baits. Popular ones are live eels, sandworms, clams, herring, bloodworms, mackerel, and shad. They will take live or dead bait, but it has to be fresh. Artificial lures work as well. Check online for proven techniques for using a rod and reel or for trolling.
The stripers feed day and night, but dawn and dusk are when they are most aggressive. They like cool waters, so they move in deeper waters on sunny, hot days. On a cool evening, they may be sighted swimming only a foot or two below the surface. Moving water stirs up the sediment that their prey feeds on, so that's where they congregate. They like bridge pilings, rock outcroppings, and the mouths of creeks and rivers.
A strong striper cam put up a twenty minute fight. The average fish caught on a hook designed to discourage smaller ones is from 8 to 40 pounds. Since the fish have firm, white flesh that is mild but flavorful, every region has its own ways to cook it. All are delicious.
The striped or Atlantic bass, also known as the rockfish, is the perfect recreational fish. It's hard enough to catch to make it interesting, big enough to give good sport, and delicious to eat. It's definitely worth learning how to find and catch it.
The very first European visitors to North America reported vast schools of these large, striped fish. They were found all along the coast from Canada to Florida. Spawning primarily in the Chesapeake and the Massachusetts Bay and the Delaware and Hudson river, they are a state fish in seven east coast states. Because they are such a great recreational species, they have been introduced into the Pacific and thrive around San Francisco.
Their popularity led to over-fishing, and in some rivers, like the St. Lawrence in Canada, they actually disappeared. However, they have been restored there. In landlocked lakes and some major rivers, the species now spends its entire life cycle in fresh water.
These fish really move around. They can be caught forty feet down in the ocean and in shallow wetlands. They grow to an immense size, with the largest recorded one weighing in at 124 pounds. The record catch with a rod was a striper caught with a live eel as bait in Long Island Sound. It weighed almost 89 pounds. A 78 1/2 pounder was caught with an artificial lure off the beach at Atlantic City.
It's no surprise that tips on stalking these, getting them to bite, hooking them, and landing them are plentiful. One of the first online tips is to use a fish finder, since the schools move around in the oceans or bays and have no regular 'stomping grounds'. You can also watch for flocks of seagulls circling a patch of disturbed water. This means that the bass are chasing feeder fish to the surface, which makes a feast for the birds as well.
They will take a wide range of baits. Popular ones are live eels, sandworms, clams, herring, bloodworms, mackerel, and shad. They will take live or dead bait, but it has to be fresh. Artificial lures work as well. Check online for proven techniques for using a rod and reel or for trolling.
The stripers feed day and night, but dawn and dusk are when they are most aggressive. They like cool waters, so they move in deeper waters on sunny, hot days. On a cool evening, they may be sighted swimming only a foot or two below the surface. Moving water stirs up the sediment that their prey feeds on, so that's where they congregate. They like bridge pilings, rock outcroppings, and the mouths of creeks and rivers.
A strong striper cam put up a twenty minute fight. The average fish caught on a hook designed to discourage smaller ones is from 8 to 40 pounds. Since the fish have firm, white flesh that is mild but flavorful, every region has its own ways to cook it. All are delicious.
The striped or Atlantic bass, also known as the rockfish, is the perfect recreational fish. It's hard enough to catch to make it interesting, big enough to give good sport, and delicious to eat. It's definitely worth learning how to find and catch it.
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