Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)

The Striped Bass or Morone saxatilis is an anadromous fish which simply means that they spend most of their lives in saltwater, but return to freshwater to breed. This fish is found in the Atlantic Ocean near the shores of North America. Striped Bass are an extremely popular sporting fish, in fact they are the state fish of Rhode Island, Maryland, South Carolina and Kentucky! The Atlantic Ocean isn't the only place you can find Striped Bass though, they have been introduced to many places across the world including Iran, Russia, Ecuador, Latvia, Russia, Turkey and South Africa as well as on the Pacific Coastline of North America.

Striped Bass go by a few different names including Rockfish, Pimpfish and Stripers. They have long horizontal stripes that run from their gills to the base of their tail. These fish can get quite large reaching lengths of over 6-1/2' and can weigh over 125lbs! They are also quite long lived, reaching the ripe old age of 30. You can check out the Striped Bass for yourself in the video below...

Striped Bass will normally spawn in freshwater, often in rivers, creeks, bays or tributaries that are close to the ocean. After the eggs are hatch they spend a bit of time in the freshwater, but will almost always make their way to saltwater where they spend the rest of their lives.
Popular fishing methods for Striped Bass include trolling and surfcasting. The baits to use when fishing for this type of Bass are Eels, Herring, Anchovies, Clams, Nightcrawlers, Sandworms and even Chicken Livers! If you have a fishing tip or recipe for Striped Bass that you would like to share please do so below...