The striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in the Chesapeake have been part of a vital fishery since colonial times. The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States is over 200 miles in length, with the average width being 30 miles. Females spawn in over 150 other rivers that empty into the Chesapeake Bay and have been doing this for centuries. The striped bass fishery in the Chesapeake Bay makes up 75 percent of the stripers that migrate along the Atlantic Coast.
Striped bass, also known as rockfish or stripers have been fished around the Chesapeake Bay since the bay was discovered. The striped bass can attain the length of 60 inches and live up to 30 years. They have full bodies with long horizontal black lines, and adults can have up to seven to eight lines. The striped bass schools in large groups searching for prey. In the Chesapeake Bay, the menhaden, bay anchovies and shad become the prey. Female striped bass spawn between the ages of 4 and 8 and produce up to 500,000 eggs. When mature, the stripers return to the ocean to feed and then each spring spawn in the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay making this fish anadromous.
During spring, large adult striped bass migrate from the Atlantic Ocean into the Chesapeake Bay to spawn. They head to the major rivers, waiting for the rivers to warm to 50 degrees. At the mouths of any of the 150 rivers in the bay during this time, fisherman can catch large adult stripers. Trolling live shad, bay anchovies and menhaden work the best as bait. Fly fishing with weighted flies or other flies that mimic bait fish work, too. Check the local regulations. States have a catch-and-release program to protect the striper during the spawning time.
During the late spring and summer the striped bass return to the Chesapeake Bay and head for the deeper channels to migrate back to the sea. In the early hours of the morning in the upper bay, fishing by boat near the bottom around Love point, Sandy Point, and Swan point can yield catches. As the fish exit the bay to migrate, they can be caught around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The migrating large adult stripers return at the end of the summer and fall to catch the bait fish exiting the bay. Trolling with umbrella rigs and live lines seem to work the best.
Stripers in the Chesapeake Bay are caught primarily by sight fishing, which means locating the striped bass by sighting birds feeding on the surface on bait fish. The birds are a sign bait fish are around, and stripers are where the bait fish are. To catch the striped bass use a durable pole that can take the stress of 60 to 70 lbs. and has a good casting ability.
Menhaden, shad and bay anchovies migrate to the Chesapeake Bay to spawn. They are the primary prey of the striped bass. Anglers use lures that mimic these bait fish. Fishermen catch the bait fish and use them as live bait to attract the striped bass. Anglers use the bait in chum pots to lure the fish to the area. Chum pots are filled with ground up bait fish and then thrown in the water.
