Striped bass are one
of the most popular
saltwater game fish. It
is found from Maine to
Florida’s St. John’s
River, sections of the Gulf Coast and from Florida to
Louisiana. They were planted along the Pacific coast
before 1900 and their population has grown ever since.
They can be found from Los Angeles to the Columbia River
in Washington.
They can also be found in freshwater. If you are looking for
information on catching the freshwater species, take a look
at the Striped Bass section in our freshwater types of fish
section.
Catching Striped Bass
The striper is an inshore species that is caught using a
variety of techniques. Natural baits and lures are very
effective for stripers. Fish can be found around jetties,
piers, bridges and the surf. Many private boaters enjoy
catching these fish fairly close to shore.
Natural baits that work are eels, mullet, herring, menhaden,
mackerel, croakers, spot and scup. Chumming helps
attract stripers. Use the same types of fish for chum, but
just make sure to cut them into chunks. The most popular
lures are spoons, plugs, and jigs. Stripers can be caught
trolling, drifting or anchoring over a productive area.
Stripers will often school up and attack schools of bait fish
on the surface. When fishing for stripers, make sure to
bring a pair of binoculars with you on the boat. If you see
birds diving down on the water, they are feeding on small
baits that are being ambushed from below. If you are lucky
enough to be in the vicinity when this happens, get your
lines in and hurry over to the circling birds. You can catch
10 fish or more in a very short time. Spoons, topwater lures
and other lures that mimic the bait fish will work for the
feeding stripers. This feeding spree could end very shortly,
so make sure to take advantage of it.
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