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Florida Fish Species

Alligator Gar
American Eel
American Shad
Atlantic Croaker
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Black Drum
Blue Catfish
Blue Tilapia
Bluegill
Bowfin
Brown Bullhead
Brown Hoplo
Chain Pickerel
Channel Catfish
Clown Knifefish
Common Carp
Flathead Catfish
Flier
Florida Gar
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
Goldfish
Grass Carp
Green Sunfish
Hybrid Striped Bass(wiper/palmetto)
Inland Silverside
Ladyfish
Lake Chubsucker
Largemouth Bass
Longnose Gar
Longnose Sucker
Mayan Cichlid
Mozambique Tilapia
Oscar
Peacock Bass
Red Drum
Redbreast Sunfish
Redear Sunfish
Redfin Pickerel
Redspotted Sunfish
Shoal Bass
Spotted Bass
Spotted Sunfish
Spotted Tilapia
Striped Bass
Striped Mullet
Suckermouth Catfish
Sunfish (Bream)
Suwannee Bass
Threadfin Shad
Warmouth
White Bass
White Catfish
Yellow Bullhead

Striped Bass
Striped bass go by a wide range of names including Atlantic striped bass, stripers, linesiders, rock, pimpfish, or rockfish.  Native to the eastern seaboard of the US and Canada, from the St. Lawrence River to Louisiana, stripers have been introduced to the Pacific coast, Texas and numerous impoundments throughout the country.  The largest of the true bass family, this anadromous fish has gain great popularity with anglers wherever it has been introduced.

Rockfish are readily identifiable by their streamlined silvery bodies, marked with seven or eight stripes running from behind the gill plate to the tail. The dorsal fin is separated into spiny and soft-rayed portions. Further, they have a pair of tooth patches on the tongue.   Striped bass have been recorded over 6 ft in length and 125 pounds, although most consider any fish over 10 pounds in fresh water to be a respectable catch.  They are believed to live upwards of 30 years.
 
Striped bass travel up rivers to spawn in water of 61 to 69 degrees from April through mid-June. The female broadcast eggs into the water column, as do other temperate bass, where they are fertilized by one or more males. The males bump the female until ripe eggs are discharged and scattered in the water as males release sperm. Female striped bass mature as early as age 4, males reach sexual maturity as early as age 2 or 3.  Eggs hatch within one to three days after fertilization, depending on the water temperature.
 
Initially juvenile bass feed primarily on crustaceans, insect larvae, and larval fish.  As stripers mature they become primarily piscivores or fish-eaters.  By year one, they are typically four to five inches long, 11-12 inches year two and sixteen or more by year three.  Exceptional growth rates, willingness to take a lure, hard fighting when hooked, and excellent table fare, it is easy to understand the popularity of Striped Bass.
 

Striped Bass in Florida

The following is courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:
 
Appearance: Striped bass are quick powerful fish with silvery sides and white belly. They have seven or eight black stripes along the sides. Stripes are absent on young fish of less than six inches.
 
Habitat:  In Florida, striped bass are found primarily in the St. Johns River and its tributaries, and a few panhandle rivers. Striped bass need long stretches of flowing water to reproduce successfully. These conditions are rare in Florida.
 
Behavior:  Stripers do not tolerate water temperatures over 75˚F for long. During Florida summers, striped bass become less active and must find cool water to survive. Striped bass populations depend on annual stockings from FWC and federal hatcheries.
 
State Record:  42.25 lbs. Big Catch: 30 inches or 12 lbs.
 
Most Recent Striped Bass Forum Posts
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Striped Bass Articles, Blogs, & Podcasts
Blog: Hump Days 10.18.16 by Neal Wilkinson
Blog: Chasing Boils 07.31.15 by David Coulson
Blog: Pleasant day at Lake Pleasant 02.15.13 by David Coulson
Blog: Boomerang Tool Co. Grip 11.07.12 by Joshua Christensen
Blog: 4 Apps Every Angler With A Smartphone Should Use 02.09.12 by Joshua Christensen
Blog: Clouser Pattern Detailed - New Article 12.16.11 by Matt Snider
Blog: Striper Report, Lake Livingston 12.03.11 by Amy Block
Blog: Diamond Valley largemouth and stripers 10.07.11 by Mike Stevens
Recent Florida Striped Bass Photos by Fish Explorer Members
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