Other Common Names:

Striper, Rockfish, Linesides

StateRecord:

41 pounds 9 ounces

IdentifyingFeatures:

Striped bass have a dark, olive-green tobluish-black back and silvery-white sides and belly. There are 7 to 8 black,unbroken, horizontal stripes along the side.

TypicalAdult:

Length: Up to 35 inches (sometimesup to 48 inches)
Weight: Up to 37 pounds (sometimes up to 100 pounds)
Life span: Up to 9 years

Habitat:

Striped bass are an anadromous species offish. Anadromous fish inhabits both fresh water and salt water, dependingon the time of year. Striped bass live in the Atlantic and Pacific coastalwaters and the Gulf of Mexico but enter freshwater streams to spawn. Thepreferred water temperature is 65-75°F.

FeedingBehavior:

Striped bass feed on threadfin, gizzard shad,crustaceans, insects, and bottom organisms. The heaviest feeding timesare at dawn and dusk.

ReproductiveBehavior (Spawning):

When:Spring
Preferred Water Temperature: 55-60 °F
How: Adults swim up tributary streams and spawn below dams or naturalobstructions such as rock formations. The female deposits eggs in lightto moderate current. The moving water keeps the eggs afloat until theyhatch. Adults do not guard the eggs.

DidYou Know:

Up to 50 striped bass may spawn together.

Striped bass move in packs or schools tofeed, with all members tending to feed at the same time.