Temperate bass
Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis — also called Striper, Rockfish (Chesapeake), Linesider
The signature gamefish of the Atlantic seaboard and a freshwater giant in the right reservoirs. Stripers school by year-class and migrate aggressively to follow bait. Slot limits and trophy slots are strict — verify with state regulations before keeping any fish.
- Range
- Atlantic coast (ME to FL), Gulf, stocked in major southern reservoirs (Norman, Texoma, Powell, Mead).
- Size
- Typical 5–15 lb; trophy 30 lb+; world record 81 lb 14 oz.
- Spawn temp
- 55–68°F
- Best seasons
- Spring run, Fall blitz, Summer (deep)
Best baits for striped bass
- Bucktail jig + soft trailer
- Pencil popper / topwater
- Live herring / shad
- Trolled stretch crankbait (saltwater)
- Spoon (jigging or trolled)
Season by season
Spring
Pre-spawn runs into freshwater tributaries (Hudson, Susquehanna, Roanoke). Bucktails and live herring.
Summer
Coastal: at the inlets and rips on the change of tide. Freshwater: deep main-lake points, downlines with live shad.
Fall
Blitz season. Stripers herd bait to the surface — topwater, jigs, anything you throw will get crushed. Best window of the year.
Winter
Coastal: migrated south. Freshwater: deep main-lake basins, vertical jigging spoons under arches on the graph.
Local secret
Watch the birds. When stripers herd bait to the surface, gulls and gannets will show you where — and a topwater into the blitz is one of fishing's greatest moments.
Top US waters for striped bass
- Chesapeake Bay, MD/VA
- Cape Cod Canal, MA
- Lake Texoma, TX/OK
- Lake Lanier, GA
- Smith Mountain Lake, VA
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