The Striped Bass  - (Morone Saxatilis or Roccus Saxatilis{old}) being Latin for "rock
dweller" as this fish is usually found in the surf around rocky areas prowling for its next meal.
It needs to be equipped with a powerful tail fin in order to navigate in crashing waves and
make explosive strikes toward its quarry. It is this extraordinary might that makes the
"Stripah" one of the most sought after gamefish species throughout the U.S by the
experienced angler.
Nicknames -
The Striped Bass is known by many
pseudonyms:
Striper, rocks, rockfish, linesides,
linesiders, greenhead, old pajamas,
roller, squidhead, squidhound,
bunkerchunker, herringhog
, and just
plain
bass. "Striper" being the most
widely used and recognized name by
far.  The Native Americans of
Massachusetts and Narragansett
referred to the striper as
"
missuckeke kequock".
The smaller males are referred to as
"bucks" or "Jacks", and the larger
females often called "cows" (
slang:
hogs/hawgs
)
Classification -
Striped bass are not members of
the same family as largemouth and
smallmouth bass (black basses)
though they are often mistaken to
be. They are members of the
"
temperate" bass family.Stripers
don't only have a different
appearance, but have different
habitat requirements and spawning
behavior. Physical differences are
mentioned in the
Anatomy section.
Spawning differences are discussed
in the
Migration section.
Striped bass can live up to 40 years
and can reach weights greater than
100 pounds, although individual fish
larger than 50 pounds are rare.
Stripers begin their lives in brackish
waters (where salt water meets
fresh water) and have the ability to
adapt and live in both environs.
Habitat -
Striperchum.com
Striped bass prefer deep, clear water near
rocky to sandy coasts. They are rarely found
more than 8 miles from shore. Spawning
stripers migrate into fresh water estuaries
(Chesapeake Bay, Delaware River, Roanoke
River, Hudson River) each spring. They can be
found all along the Atlantic coast most of the
Summer months. Older fish can sustain cooler
deeper waters, but most fish prefer warmer,
well oxygenated water. In water over 25 feet
deep stripers are often found suspended just
above the thermocline where the water is more
oxygenated than in deeper water. Many
veteran observers feel the larger stripers travel
below the large school. In the Spring, when
water temperatures rise above 58 degrees F,
the bigger "cows" can be found lurking for
baitfish in very shallow water (especially at
night). Fish can also be found above humps and
just off of a point attempting to rest and stem
the tide.
Striped Bass can be found in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District
of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Mississippi, Missouri, Navajo Nation, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,
North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific.
Experienced "Striperchums" spread the chum . . . . and chum around
often !!!
Commercial fishing for striped bass has been banned in the Hudson River since 1976. Stripers were deemed
too risky to consume due to high PCB levels found in the fish at that time. The river  has come a long way since
1976, due to the Hudson River Estuary Action Plan, once again providing the recreational angler with a  
robust, healthy fishery.