Paul Montalvo
Last Fall I was fishing for striped bass using green crabs and sand fleas for bait but without any luck. In this presentation I will look into the biology of striped bass in order to determine why I haven t been able to catch them in the past, and what I need to know to have the best chance of catching them this year Including their migration patterns, diet, and habitat use.
The striped bass population is currently abundant and sustainably fished. They can live up to 30 years and grow up to 6.6 feet long. Striped bass are anadromous fish that range all along the east coast of the USA. They spawn in several estuaries along the east coast with the Chesapeake bay being the largest.
Striped bass females are mostly migratory, so their habitat is very large. They can be found off the coast of South Carolina to as far North as Nova Scotia. Males on the other hand will stay around their natal estuary for their whole life. Within estuaries different contingents exist in which subpopulations will live in varying degrees of salinity. These contingents stay out of each other s way. Females in the same contingent will school together in migrations Return to same area to spawn every year.
Migration groups have highly varied destinations. Different contingents take different routes to get to the same general locations during migrations.
In the spring females migrate north to Massachussets stopping in the Chesapeake bay in late April to Mid-May (Now!) In the fall, females migrate south towards the Carolinas, stopping in the Chesapeake bay in Mid October to Early November.
Amphipods (small shrimp like crustaceans) are most common prey for smaller juveniles As they get bigger they eat more blue crabs and lots of bunker. Bunker makes up the majority of the dietary biomass in migratory striped bass, and it is suggested that striper migration may be patterned in part to follow the migration of bunker.
To have the best chance of finally catching a big striper I will be applying the following plan: First go fishing ASAP if at all possible! Second, This Fall I will check the fishing reports in New Jersey around early to mid October. Third check the local tackle shops for freshly caught wild bunker. Lastly use the fresh bunker for bait instead of green crabs and sand fleas.
Romeo J. Mansueti. 1961. Age, Growth, and Movements of the Striped Bass, Roccus saxatilis, Taken in Size Selective Fishing Gear in Maryland. Chesapeake Science. 2:1/2, 9-36 David H. Secor and Philip M. Piccoli. 1996. Age- and Sex-Dependent Migrations of Striped Bass in the Hudson River as Determined by Chemical Microanalysis of Otoliths. Estuaries. 19:4, 778-793 Mather M. E. et al. 2010. Diversity in destinations, routes and timing of small adultand sub-adult striped bass Morone saxatilis on their southward autumn migration. Journal of Fish Biology. 77: 2326 2337 Paul J. Rudershausen, Jack E. Tuomikoski, Jeffrey A. Buckel & Joseph E. Hightower (2005): Prey Selectivity and Diet of Striped Bass in Western Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 134:5, 1059-1074 Jordan R. et al. 2003. Feeding Habits of Age-0 Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis, in the Mid-Hudson River Estuary:Temporal, Spatial, and Ontogenetic Variation. Estuaries. 26:6, 1486-1493 Walter, III J. F. et al. 2003. Atlantic coast feeding habits of striped bass: a synthesis supporting a coast-wide understanding of trophic biology. Fisheries Management and Ecology. 10: 349 360 John H. Clark & Desmond M. Kahn (2009). Amount and Disposition of Striped Bass Discarded in Delaware's Spring Striped Bass Gill-Net Fishery during 2002 and 2003: Effects of Regulations and Fishing Strategies. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 29:3, 576-585 K. J. Hartman. 2000. The Influence of Size on Striped Bass Foraging. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 194: 26-268. Rebecca L. Wingate, David H. Secor & Richard T. Kraus (2011): Seasonal Patterns of Movement and Residency by Striped Bass within a Subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 140:6, 1441-1450 Sukgeun Jung and Edward D. Houde. 2005. Fish Biomass Size Spectra in Chesapeake Bay. Estuaries. 28:2 226-240 David H. Secor, Jay R. Rooker, Erik Zlokovitz, Vincent S. Zdanowicz. 2001. Identification of Riverine, Estuarine, and Coastal Contingents of Hudson River Striped Bass Based Upon Otolith Elemental Fingerprints. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 211: 245-253. William H. Kriete Jr, John V. Merriner, Herbert M. Austin. 1978. Movement of 1970 Yearclass Striped Bass Between Virginia, New York, and New England. Proc. Ann. Conf. S. E. Fish & Wildl. Agencies. 32: 692-696
Mature at ages 4-8 for females, and 2-4 for males.