We started Captain Experiences to make it easy to book fishing and hunting guides around the world. With over 1,500 Damn Good Guides, our platform makes finding and booking a trip seamless. Head here to check out our trips.
What is a Striped Bass?
Striped bass , commonly known as striper, linesider, or rockfish, are one of the most popular game fish in the United States found both in fresh and saltwater. So popular in fact, it is the state fish of three states.
Originally a saltwater fish, striped bass have been successfully stocked in freshwater lakes and rivers across the United States, beginning a rich history of fisheries as early as the Colonial Period. However, they do need to be restocked periodically, as it is rare for them to spawn in freshwater as they do in salt.
Where are Striped Bass Found?
Striper are found on the Atlantic Coast, from Nova Scotia to Florida, but are most popular north of the Carolinas. These fish live their entire lives in the ocean and only enter the freshwater rivers to spawn. Striper have been introduced to the Pacific Coast as well and can now be found from Canada to Mexico. In freshwater, they stretch from Canada to The Gulf, as well as from coast to coast in various lakes and reservoirs where they have been introduced.
Within these areas, they thrive in water that is 55 to 68 degrees. Water that is too warm or to cold is not ideal and can cause these fish not to eat. However, striper will travel into warmer water to feed if they get caught in cooler temperatures. If conditions allow, striper will head back to cooler, more oxygen rich waters once they are done feeding.
Top Three Places to Catch Striped Bass
New Jersey
Striper fishing in New Jersey is top-notch and offers a variety of opportunities to the anglers that make the trip. With a strong population of these hard fighting and great tasting fish, Cape May, New Jersey might be the best place to target striper. Anglers in Cape May catch striper on a variety of tackle. Trolling, casting, jigging, and live bait are all popular and effective depending on the season and what these fish are biting. There are two seasons for these fish with the first being april through may during their spawning migration, and the second is november to december. These fish are the most sought after inshore game fish in the state and are perfect for your next trip.
Massachusetts
Summer in Massachusetts brings on the striped bass runs especially near Chattam. During these runs the striper fishing is arguably the best in the world. Anglers from around the world travel to Chattam to experience the non-stop action and stout tug from one of these formidable gamefish. Striped bass patrol the waters around Chatham and Cape Cod from June to October. When conditions are good, anglers can choose to target striper on fly fishing gear. Hooking into a solid Striper on a light fly rig is an experience you won't forget.
Texas
Texas is home to a variety of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs that hold populations of striped bass. One of the most famous lakes in Texas for striped bass fishing is Lake Texoma which falls on the border with Oklahoma. The constant flow of water into the lake from the Red and Wash*ta Rivers make Lake Texoma one of the only self-sustaining freshwater striped bass fisheries in the US. The natural salinity of the Red River contributes to the success of the striped bass population. Striper fishing is good year-round, and you can see fish from 15 to 20 pounds and beyond. With schools of these large fish crushing topwater in the summer and suspended bait in the winter, the action is hot year-round.
Where Was The Biggest Striped Bass Caught?
On August 4th, 2011, Gregory Myerson landed a 81.88 pound, 54 inch striped bass near the Outer Southwest Reef off the coast of Westbrook, Connecticut. He fought the fish for 20 minutes after hooking it with a drifted live eel. This catch gave him the bragging rights of having both the All-Tackle Record as well as the Men’s Line Class Record for striped bass from the International Game Fish Association.
