Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass - Rockfish - Striper Fishing

Here is a little bit of scientific information about striper, or striped bass, or even rockfish if you prefer. Once on the verge of extinction in Chesapeake Bay waters these striper have made a come back for the record books. With tougher guidelines and restrictions the striped bass caught in the Chesapeake Bay fishing grounds will likely be here for a long time this time.

Striped bass -- (Morone saxatilis)

Physical Description: Striped bass are the largest members of the temperate bass family. They are primarily anadromous, which means they live in a saltwater habitat and migrate to fresh water only to spawn. Landlocked striped bass introduced in freshwater systems are the exception to this rule.

The body color of striped bass is olive-green, blue-gray or bluish-black on the top with silver sides and a white belly. It is easily identified by its seven or eight black stripes that run horizontally along its sides. Fins are dusky silver color, except for the white pelvic fins. Young striped bass may not have the horizontal stripes or they may be interrupted.

Striped bass also have two distinct dorsal fins. The first has seven to 12 stiff spines, which make this fin taller than the second. The second dorsal fin has only one stiff spine with eight to 14 soft rays. Stripers also have a forked tail.

Many freshwater anglers have difficulty distinguishing striped bass from white bass and hybrids. The stripes on the striper are solid, unbroken and most will extend all the way to the tail. On whites and wipers, the stripes are faint and only one will extend to the tail on each side. Striped bass also have a longer, sleeker body and a larger head than white bass and hybrid. In addition, striped bass have two tooth patches on the tongue, as opposed to one.

Range: Striped bass are found in abundant numbers along the East Coast, Gulf Coast, and West Coast of the United States. Along the East Coast, they range from the St. Lawrence River in Canada to the St. John's River in Florida. Those native to the Mid-Atlantic (Maryland, Maryland and North Carolina) migrate north in the summer and return during the fall. In this region, the Chesapeake and Hudson River systems are the primary spawning grounds. Large numbers can also be found in the river systems of Maine during the summer months.

In the Gulf of Mexico, they can be found along the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. On the Pacific Coast they range from the Columbia River in Oregon to southern California, with the greatest concentration around San Francisco Bay.

There have been numerous attempts to introduce striped bass into inland waters of the United States. Some states, such as Texas, have had much success. Stripers have been stocked in large reservoirs and their associated river systems throughout the Midwest and South. Survival and growth of stocked stripers depend heavily on an abundance of food species, primarily threadfin or gizzard shad, as well as plenty of deep water. Most inland waters lack the spawning conditions stripers require, so they must be maintained through continued stocking programs.

Habitat: In their native saltwater environments, striped bass are regarded as "inshore" fish. They will not stray far from the coasts, preferring the security of medium depths (less than 100 feet) with the ability to move shallow in pursuit of food. They will generally travel in schools in search of abundant open-water baitfish and are often found near piers, flats, rocks, and surf troughs.

Although they spend most of their lives in ocean water near the coast, they migrate to freshwater rivers to spawn. Stripers will often swim up to 100 miles into tidal rivers to find proper spawning conditions.

When stocked in fresh water, they are likely to inhabit open-water areas for most of the year. True to their nomadic nature, striped bass will follow their preferred prey species instead of holding to cover or structure. They are less likely to be found near the shore unless they happen to be chasing a school of baitfish.

Although they are unable to spawn in most cases, freshwater stripers will still migrate into tributaries in attempts to spawn, most often in early spring. At these times, stripers are more easily found by fishermen in coves, dams, creek arms or the tributary itself.

Striped bass prefer water temperatures between 60 and 68 F but can tolerate a wide range of temperatures as evidenced by their native and introduced range.

Food Usage/Selection: Young striped bass favor zooplankton and move to freshwater shrimp and midge larvae as they grow. Adult striped bass are known for ravenous appetites and predatory feeding habits. In salt water, the bulk of their diet is small fish such as herring, menhaden, flounder, silversides, and eels. They also consume significant quantities of worms, squid, and crabs. Land-locked freshwater stripers feed almost exclusively on large shad and minnow species, although they will consume mayflies (where available) when hatching near the surface.

Many fishermen have found striped bass to be more active feeders during the nighttime hours. As a result, they prefer to fish for striped bass in low-light conditions or at night. Also, striped bass move in schools and all fish within a school will generally feed at the same time on the same prey.

Sporting Qualities: The greatest challenge in fishing for saltwater striped bass is determining what their favored foods are and which one they have selected to feed on at that time. Aside from those challenges, striped bass can be caught using virtually every fishing technique known (casting, trolling, jigging and fly-fishing) using nearly any type of bait or lure. Popular methods along the East Coast include surf casting, plugging from a drifting boat, drifting eels from a boat, fly-fishing with streamers and surface flies, jigging with feathered jigs, and trolling with sandworms.

General information: The striped bass is a schooling species, moving about in small groups during the first two years of life and thereafter feeding and migrating in large schools. Seven or eight narrow stripes extending lengthwise from back of the head to the base of the tail form the most easily recognized characteristic of this species, hence the old Indian and colonial name of "linesider". Striped bass can live up to 40 years and can reach weights greater than 60 pounds, although individuals larger than 50 pounds are rare. Females reach significantly greater sizes than do males; most stripers over 30 pounds are female. Thus, the term "bulls," originally coined to describe extremely large individuals, has been more accurately changed to "cows" in recent times.

Habitat: The striped bass or "striper" is native to most of the East Coast, ranging from the lower St. Lawrence River in Canada to northern Florida, and along portions of the Gulf of Mexico. Stripers inhabit the whole coast surf, inshore bars, reefs, tide rips, bays and estuaries. Stripers are particularly active in areas with tidal and current flows and in the wash of breaking waves.

Food: Striped bass eat a variety of foods, including fish such as alewives, flounder, sea herring, menhaden, sand lance, silver hake, tomcod, smelt, silversides and eels, as well as lobsters, crabs, soft clams, small mussels, sea worms and squid. They feed most actively at dusk and dawn, although some feeding occurs throughout the day. During the midsummer they tend to become more nocturnal.

Chesapeake Beach Croaker Fishing

Croaker - May to November - Croaker usually run hand in hand or fin and fin that is with spot. Usually if you are catching croaker you will most like catch spot too. Croaker usually appear in all areas of the Chesapeake Bay in the late spring and will hang around in the surf, bays and inlets until fall when the water starts to cool around October at which time the bite will slow down.

SIZE: Averages a pound or less, but sometimes reache super sizes of 3 pounds or more.
FOOD VALUE: Croaker make good panfish.
GAME QUALITIES: Very scrappy fighter. A large croaker can be a real fun fight.
TACKLE AND BAITS: A blast to catch on light tackle. Can be caught on bloodworms, squid strips, cutbait, and even a small jig.
FISHING STYLE: Drifting, anchored, bottom fishing.

Chesapeake Beach Spot Fishing

Spot - May to November - Spot usually appear in all areas of the Chesapeake Bay in the late spring and will hang around in the surf, bays and inlets until fall when the water starts to cool around late October or early November at which time they will make a run to warmer deeper water for the winter.

SIZE: Averages 6-8 inches; Sometimes will grow to over a pound..
FOOD VALUE: One of the most popular panfish.
GAME QUALITIES: Spirited panfish. Great fishing fun for the kids and family.
TACKLE AND BAITS: Light spinning tackle, small hooks, blooworms, fishbites, pieces of cut fish, squid or shrimp.
FISHING STYLE: Bottom fishing, either drifting or anchored.
MORE INFORMATION: Caught bottom fishing with bait, anchored or drifting from boats, also caught from docks, piers, shore and surf; big runs of fish in the fall in lower Chesapeake Bay and in surf and piers of Virginia Beach.
Caught throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay and Bay tributary rivers, coastal ocean waters, inlets - all inshore Maryland coastal waters
June - October; peak July - September for Chesapeake Bay and tributary rivers; peak middle August - middle October in lower Bay and coastal cean areas.
8 - 12 ounces

Chesapeake Beach Flounder Fishing

Flounder - April to November - Flounder aka fluke enter the Chesapeake Bay around late April to early May. Flounder are usually daytime feeders and tend to hit squid or stripped cut bait. If you are looking to catch a trophy sized flounder, over 5 or 6 pounds you may want tp try live bait like a small spot or small croaker above.

SIZE: Averages around a pound or two but can reach sizes over 15 pounds.
FOOD VALUE: Excellent table fare, common on many restuarant menus.
GAME QUALITIES: Very scrappy fighter. A very distinct fighting action and experienced flounder anglers can usually tell right away if they have a flounder on the line as soon as the fight starts.
TACKLE AND BAITS: Fun to catch but you must be patient. Give them the bait a bit before you yank back on the rod. Use squid strips or cut bait strips on a small lightweight bucktail. Can be caught trolling on the bottom around structure.
FISHING STYLE: Drifting, trolling. Can be caught on the edges of boat or shipping channels or around rocks or bridge pilings.

Chesapeake Beach Drum Fishing

BLACK DRUM - March, April, May, June - Black Drum, are similar to Redfish aka Red Drum and become active in the Chesapeake Bay around the month of March.

SIZE: Drum over 100 pounds have been caught and specimens weighing 30 to 50 pounds are not rare in many areas. Striped juveniles generally weigh 1-15 pounds. World record 113 pounds.
FOOD VALUE: Drum to about 6 or 8 pounds are as tasty as Redfish. Larger ones become quite coarse.
GAME QUALITIES: Strong, bullish fight, but not so tough as the Redfish, size for size.
TACKLE AND BAITS: Any sort of crustacean including cut blue crab to whole small crab, makes fine bait for Drum. Many anglers prefer clams. Drum are not avid lure-chasers but can be taken on slowly worked jigs in deep water.
FISHING STYLE: Anchored mostly.

Chesapeake Beach Gray Trout Fishing

Trout - May to November - Gray trout, also called weakfish and summer trout become active in the Chesapeake Bay around the month of May and will not leave until as late as November. They range from pan size to larger than 10 pound.

SIZE: Averages around a pound or two for bottom fishers but can reach sizes over 15 pounds, especially for wire liners or live baiters.
FOOD VALUE: Very good, larger trout can be filet'd.
GAME QUALITIES: Not really a brawler but the larger trout can put up a decent fight straight down. Care must be taken when fighting and landing gray trout because they have a very soft mouth.
TACKLE AND BAITS: Wide range of baits can be used for gray trout. Squid, peeler crabs, shrimp, live spot or other live bait, artificial lures.
FISHING STYLE: Drifting or anchored up for the smaller gray trout, trolling along structure for large gray trout.

Chesapeake Beach Blue Fishing

Bluefish

Chesapeake Beach Speckled Trout Fishing

Speckled Trout

Chesapeake Beach Spanish Mackerel Fishing

Spanish Mackerel

Chesapeake Beach Sea Bass Fishing

Black Sea Bass