Also known as
- Striper US
- Rockfish US
- Rock US
- Linesider US
- Squidhound US
- Greenhead US
- Bass US
- Roller US
- Bull US
- Cow US
Identification
An elongated moderately compressed predator with a muscular streamlined build tuned for sustained swimming and explosive bursts. Delivers bulldogging runs, sustained pulling power, and occasional long dives. Females grow far larger than males.
- Brassy to dark olive-green upper body fading to silvery-white flanks and white underside
- Seven to eight continuous horizontal dark stripes running from behind the head to the tail
- Two clearly separated back fins — spiny front, soft-rayed rear
- Lower jaw projects slightly past the upper when the mouth is closed
Where it holds
- Inshore
- Estuaries
- Rivers
Behaviour
A schooling anadromous predator feeding heavily on bunker, herring, shad, and other baitfish, plus crabs, squid, and eels. Pushes bait to the surface in highly visible blitzes. Hunts most aggressively on moving water — tides, current seams, and bridge rips concentrate fish and prey. Peaks at dawn, dusk, and warm-month nights. Active 12-20°C (54-68°F), optimal 14-18°C (57-64°F); lockjaw above 24°C (75°F). Landlocked reservoir populations follow bait schools year-round.
Diet: Bunker, Herring, Shad, Anchovies, Eels, Crabs, Squid
How it's caught
Line Fishing
Spinning
Cast bucktails with soft-plastic trailers, paddle-tail swimbaits, metal lures, and topwater plugs to breaking fish, rips, jetties, and bridge shadow-lines. Vary retrieves from slow-swim to burn-and-stop based on activity. The single most versatile method for this species across inshore, estuary, and reservoir settings.
Live Lining
Free-line or float live bunker, herring, mackerel, or eels on 6/0-8/0 circle hooks near structure, rips, and channel edges. Live eels at night are the standout producer for trophy fish. Drift-fish live bunker across schools pushing bait on the surface. Circle hooks mandatory in many jurisdictions for conservation.
Trolling
Troll umbrella rigs, bunker spoons, tube-and-worm, and deep-diving plugs at 2-4 knots along channel edges, drop-offs, and reservoir points. Wire line or lead-core reaches deeper suspended fish. A search-and-locate tactic that excels during migration windows and on unfamiliar water.
Surf Casting
Long-cast metal lures, bottle plugs, pencil poppers, and rigged eels beyond the breakers into troughs, cuts, and along sandbars from beach and jetty stations. Fresh cut bunker or clams on fish-finder rigs for bait stations. Moving tides at dawn, dusk, and through the night dominate the productive windows.
Jigging
Vertical-drop diamond jigs, bucktails, and soft-plastic-rigged metals through rips, around bridge pilings, and on rocky structure. Sharp upward jerks with controlled falls imitate injured baitfish. Bucktails tipped with pork or paddle-tail trailers are the go-to when fish hold deep on strong current.
Drift Fishing
Deploy chunks of cut bunker or herring upstream to create a scent slick, then drift baited circle hooks at matching depth through the slick. Minimal weight lets chunks drift naturally. The standout bait tactic for trophy fish on strong tidal movement in rips and channel mouths.
Fly Fishing
Saltwater Fly
Strip 10-25cm baitfish-imitating flies on 9-10wt tackle through rips, along beaches, around structure, and into feeding blitzes. Intermediate or sinking line reaches fish at depth; fast strips with hard pauses trigger aggressive strikes. At night, switch to large dark patterns worked slowly across bridge shadow-lines.
