For fisherman, it's hard to think heaven could be better than the striper coast. From Martha's Vineyard to Cape Hatteras, catching striped bass is one of the thrills of the sport. This native fish moves through the salty ocean and bays, but migrates up fresh-water rivers to spawn.
The first European settlers found America's waters teeming with large silvery fish that made wonderful eating. Also known as rockfish, they are now the state fish of seven east coast states. Spending most of their lives in the Atlantic, these powerful swimmers swim into bays and rivers to spawn. They have been successfully introduced to the San Francisco area of the Pacific as well as to many freshwater rivers and lakes.
Although their life cycle was spent mostly in the salty ocean, the 'rockfish' swam up freshwater creeks and rivers to spawn. Still, when they were stocked purely as recreational fish in landlocked lakes, they proceeded to reproduce. In places where over-fishing reduced populations to perhaps zero, like the St. Lawrence River in Canada, they have made such a strong comeback that they are no longer a protected species.
The 'striper' is a strong swimmer and moves around so much that it can be tricky to catch. It might be found forty feet down on a shallow ocean shelf or in a shallow wetlands. It can be huge; the biggest recorded striper weighed one hundred and twenty-four pounds and was over five and a half feet long. The record catch using a rod and reel is an eighty-nine pounder caught in Long Island Sound. The previous record was set using an artificial lure; that Atlantic Beach specimen was caught in the surf and weighed seventy-eight and a half pounds.
There is no lack of tips on catching these fish. Online recommendations include using a fish-finder, since the bass are always on the move. You can also watch for flocks of seabirds that feed on the bait fish that the bass chase to the surface.
It seems that live eels are one of the best bait, although many different ones work. Recommendations include clams, sandworms, bloodworms, mackerel, shad, and herring. Rockfish will take dead bait but it has to be fresh. Artificial lures work well; check out the tips on how to move them through the water. Trolling from a boat is a traditional way to catch big ones.
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 first European settlers found America's waters teeming with large silvery fish that made wonderful eating. Also known as rockfish, they are now the state fish of seven east coast states. Spending most of their lives in the Atlantic, these powerful swimmers swim into bays and rivers to spawn. They have been successfully introduced to the San Francisco area of the Pacific as well as to many freshwater rivers and lakes.
Although their life cycle was spent mostly in the salty ocean, the 'rockfish' swam up freshwater creeks and rivers to spawn. Still, when they were stocked purely as recreational fish in landlocked lakes, they proceeded to reproduce. In places where over-fishing reduced populations to perhaps zero, like the St. Lawrence River in Canada, they have made such a strong comeback that they are no longer a protected species.
The 'striper' is a strong swimmer and moves around so much that it can be tricky to catch. It might be found forty feet down on a shallow ocean shelf or in a shallow wetlands. It can be huge; the biggest recorded striper weighed one hundred and twenty-four pounds and was over five and a half feet long. The record catch using a rod and reel is an eighty-nine pounder caught in Long Island Sound. The previous record was set using an artificial lure; that Atlantic Beach specimen was caught in the surf and weighed seventy-eight and a half pounds.
There is no lack of tips on catching these fish. Online recommendations include using a fish-finder, since the bass are always on the move. You can also watch for flocks of seabirds that feed on the bait fish that the bass chase to the surface.
It seems that live eels are one of the best bait, although many different ones work. Recommendations include clams, sandworms, bloodworms, mackerel, shad, and herring. Rockfish will take dead bait but it has to be fresh. Artificial lures work well; check out the tips on how to move them through the water. Trolling from a boat is a traditional way to catch big ones.
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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