Bass fishing made Easy!

Striped bass fishing is considered one of the most popular fishing games in North America. The striped bass also known as the striper is mainly found in the eastern parts of the country ranging from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Southern Georgia. The four main areas where the breeding stocks of striped bass are found include Cape Cod, Chesapeake Bay, the Delaware River and the Hudson River. Although all theses areas are frequented by anglers throughout the season, Chesapeake Bay is considered the largest breeding area. The reason why they found in the north eastern and mid Atlantic regions is due to their temperature preference for spawning. They would spawn when the water temperature is around 56-65 degree Fahrenheit. If the water gets hotter they would migrate to the cooler areas. Although they breed in fresh water, their adult lives are spent in the salt waters. Amazingly they also are also able to survive in some inland freshwater bodies. In the spring they would travel further north and down the coastline to spawn. They return in the fall to the eastern seaboard in order to avoid the cold waters. They have also been introduced into many reservoirs by the state fishing and gaming commissions. They have also been cross bred to produce many new game fish like the sunshine bass, whiterock, wiper and paradise bass.

A striped bass eats other fish, crustaceans and insects. They have a long life span and form groups in shallow waters. The largest fresh water striped bass ever caught weighed 59 pound and 12 ounce while the largest salt water striped bass caught weighed around 78 pounds and 8 ounces. While the former was caught in Arizona along the Colorado River the later was caught from Atlantic City River at New Jersey. But the all time record is a 125 pound female caught in 1891. Experienced anglers remark that Striped bass have certain favorite hiding places like deep areas of a lake, deep waters along the valleys, ridges and rocks. Just like any other bass, they too prefer cooler areas.

You can catch a striped bass in a variety of ways including trolling, casting and by using a fishing pole. Trolling is mainly employed by amateurs. In this, a strong hand line with artificial bait is drawn through the water. Trolling from a boat requires special trolling motor to adjust the speed of the bait through the water. Surf casting is suggested for those who don’t own a boat. The casting gear includes an 8-12 foot rod using 15-30 pound braid line. Anglers also use lead shots to anchor their bait to the sea floor.

A striped bass is very particular about the bait. One can use many kinds of baits including night crawlers, eels, small fish, clams and other insects. They also have a liking for plastic lures. Some anglers testify that the bigger the bait, the bigger will be the catch too. The best time to fish for striped bass is either during the early morning or evening hours when the sun is not too hot. A striped bass is extremely fast and powerful and will make each fishing trip simply unforgettable.