Hybrid Striped Bass(wiper/palmetto) Wipers are an aggressive, hard-fighting, punch-packing, schooling fish that love to corral baitfish and attack with vigor. You'll be able to see this "busting" behavior, which is common to its parent species, the striped and white bass, with baitfish jumping out of the water and wipers splashing. The schools move fast and in seemingly random fashion. Wipers are sterile hybrids and do not reproduce, except potentially with the parent species.
Wipers are considered low-light fish, meaning they are most often found in the morning, evening and on cloudy days. Wiper fishing is not, by any means, limited to these times, it's just that they are harder to find when they are not active near the surface. Catching wipers on a fly is a lot of fun and very possible if you are in the right place at the right time.
Hybrid Striped Bass(wiper/palmetto) in Florida
The following is courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:
Appearance: Sunshine bass were first produced in Florida by state hatcheries, and all sunshines are still produced and stocked. This is because they are a hybrid of a female white bass and male striped bass that does not occur naturally. Sunshines often have broken stripes on the front half and straight lines on the rear half of the body.
Habitat: Sunshines occur where they are stocked by the FWC--typically in community lakes or waters with an abundance of shad.
Behavior: Sunshines are voracious feeders and consume any kind of small fish including threadfin and gizzard shad. Young fish also feed on mayflies and crustaceans. Sunshines travel and feed in schools with peak activity in early morning or evening.
State Record: 16.31 lbs. Big Catch: 24 inches or 7.0 lbs.
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