Can't Belive My Eyes....Florida Striped Bass !!!

[Dr. Bass]

Took a ride to a St' John's bait and tackle shop yesterday.

Still can't believe my eyes, STRIPED BASS photos. And the real deal to boot. Two species down here, real stripers and hybrids.

The state stocked 780,000 striper fingerlings in the St' John's alone last year. That's my back yard!!!

Fish 10-15 are common, Lake George produces many catches over 20 pounds.

Check out the state record

http://www.floridafisheries.com/photos/xx-str.jpg

It's actually been broken, now stands at 42 pounds !!!

Apparently they are excusively river dwellers down here. Hanging around the springs in summer which always stand at 72 degress then get WAY active in the winter preferring baits like gizzard shad, shiners and minnows. That's just about now :D !!! The big spawn is when the water hits 60-68 which is around March-May. Spawning is a lot less succesfful because of a ton of predators.

Hopefully pics to come :cool: !!!

Merry XMAS smile.gif

[aimless2]

When I was a kid (many moons ago) my parents took us to Silver Springs. There were many stripers in there. All little. When I got older and started fishing for them I always wondered what the deal was with that.

[Dr. Bass]

Originally posted by aimless2:
When I was a kid (many moons ago) my parents took us to Silver Springs. There were many stripers in there. All little. When I got older and started fishing for them I always wondered what the deal was with that. That's the place near Lake George !!

Plenty of 20 pounders taken out of there now

The St' John's here in Volusia County has plenty of 10-12 pounders as well.

How psyched am I !!

[aimless2]

You must think you're in heaven. Now you have all the Florida fish and the bass. How good is that.

[Dr. Bass]

That's about right

Been doing a lot of research

Just amazing it is genetically the same species

Looks like the Panhandle holds the big girls

Gonna book a trip there

Should get out on the St. John's in early January

Got to find a way to get some gizzard shad

Saw 50 75 pound tarpon at Blue Springs park last week :eek:

[Bgsdad]

You are in Heaven!!!

[Dr. Bass]

Originally posted by Bgsdad:
You are in Heaven!!! Merry XMAS Bruce

Back heal up well??

[VDAWG]

I seriously didn't know that hybrid stripers can spawn !!
arent they a cross between a srtiper and a white bass making them a whiper???which can not spawn...
This is a question only !!!
as i dont know first hand ,But this is what i was told By a fellow from upstate Pa. that has a lake full of um ..and I alway's though it to be true
He said he had ta stock the lake till he had the amount he wanted,Because they do not reproduce...

[aimless2]

VDAWG, you're right about the hybrids smile.gif

[Dr. Bass]

Originally posted by VDAWG:
I seriously didn't know that hybrid stripers can spawn !!
arent they a cross between a srtiper and a white bass making them a whiper???which can not spawn...
This is a question only !!!
as i dont know first hand ,But this is what i was told By a fellow from upstate Pa. that has a lake full of um ..and I alway's though it to be true
He said he had ta stock the lake till he had the amount he wanted,Because they do not reproduce... I think you are right , and Merry XMAS BTW

But these are REAL STRIPERS.

The state has done genetic testing on them, real bonafied STRIPAHS

Type Florida Striped Bass in any search engine to check it out

They also have hatcheries down here stocking many lakes and river systems with stripers, the St. John's alone got 780,000 :eek: last year..

God I love this State smile.gif

[Dr. Bass]

Check out this website

http://floridafisheries.com/updates/striper2004.html

It explains evereeting :D

[Dr. Bass]

40-60 poundahs from the Apalachicola River :eek:

[smellinfishy]

Good stuff Dr. Bass, I lived in St Augustine for a few winters. When the surf would go flat I used to fish, but only caught jacks.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

[Dr. Bass]

Thanks Steve

YOu too as well

[Dr. Bass]

Here 's another site

http://www.stripers247.com/floridaplaces.htm

Looks like the Hybrid is referred to as The Sunshine Bass down here

Hopefully I will be hoisting all of these up pretty soon

[VDAWG]

Dr.Bass,Thanks i didnt want to be confused ,Thats Cool as hell !!!!
Good luck catch um up
and have a happy holiday !!!!

[ 12-25-2004, 05:36 PM: Message edited by: VDAWG ]

[Dr. Bass]

Same to you and your family, Vinnie

[med]

I've been catchin them in Florida for about 5 yrs now....we have a place on Amelia Island, just north of Jacksonville....the back waters between St. Mary's inlet and Nassau sound look just like the area between Hereford and Cold Spring inlets...use many of the same techniques....had several spots pointed out by local charter capt. we have become friends with...he specializes in reds and tarpon in season but insisted the striped ones were there...I didnt believe it until I made a trip to find out....and there they were....so when it gets cold up here, south I go...hope to be there in a week or so.... :D :D

[Dr. Bass]

Originally posted by med:
I've been catchin them in Florida for about 5 yrs now....we have a place on Amelia Island, just north of Jacksonville....the back waters between St. Mary's inlet and Nassau sound look just like the area between Hereford and Cold Spring inlets...use many of the same techniques....had several spots pointed out by local charter capt. we have become friends with...he specializes in reds and tarpon in season but insisted the striped ones were there...I didnt believe it until I made a trip to find out....and there they were....so when it gets cold up here, south I go...hope to be there in a week or so.... :D :D that's awesome man

How big were they??


Lake George is about 20 minutes from my house.

Wekiva springs, which hold 10-15 pounders is about a 5 mintue boat ride.

I am planning some trips this winter and spring

One to Apalachicola and maybe up there now as well

Do you have that guys name??

Let me know when your going too

[med]

generally the fish are a bit smaller than we get up here, but I have gotten a few 15 lbers...but VERY much like the back bay fishery up here...looks and fishes the same...a run up the St. Mary's river should be productive too..

[FISHNFOOL]

Ron,

I used to live in the panhandle near Port St Joe and fished the Apalachacola river alot for Lgmouth,Bass Bream and every once in a while we'd get a Striper on a rattle trap There are groups of guys who just target the stripers that way, I fished with the hardcore lgmouth Bass guys who thought stripers were a pessed....lol

Your right about when they go on the spawn its a tough bite, most guys I seen used chicken livers, cut baits live mullets,white perch etc live lining.

I think the town we put in was White city...not sure but think its close to the name....lol

Apalachacola river runs right to the Gulf next to where I worked, The box plant is gone now and I believe that the resign plant is on its way out too. There was a old Hess plant there too now its a marina.I miss that place and the friends I had made while working in the area.

Good luck finding the stripers Ron.

Also fished the St Johns while fishing in a redfish tourney a few years ago.
never seen a striper but caught tarpon, lgmouth bass, reds,ladyfish,flounder,croker,specks,all kinds of other fish I couldnt believe what I thought was brackish water held lgmouth bass.

hook a red then toss in the same stump and pull a bass(lgmouth) out then a flounder crazy

hope your holiday was a great one at your new home.

Joe

[finaddict5]

Dr.Bass thanks for that Stripers 24/7 link for Fla. stripers. I vacation in the Tarpon Springs area every winter for the last ten years and love fishing down there. :D I was under the impression that stripers were only in the St. John's River system. :eek: Boy was I wrong! :rolleyes: May have to target some stripes when I head down in February. Stirpers up north and tarpon in the keys....can't get any better than that. :D ;) Happy New Year, Bry

[ 12-27-2004, 01:49 PM: Message edited by: finaddict5 ]

[Dr. Bass]

Originally posted by finaddict5:
Dr.Bass thanks for that Stripers 24/7 link for Fla. stripers. I vacation in the Tarpon Springs area every winter for the last ten years and love fishing down there. :D I was under the impression that stripers were only in the St. John's River system. :eek: Boy was I wrong! :rolleyes: May have to target some stripes when I head down in February. Stirpers up north and tarpon in the keys....can't get any better than that. :D ;) Happy New Year, Bry Bry

No problem man

catch'em up

Where you planning on going for them in Fl??

Happy New to you as well smile.gif

[Dr. Bass]

Originally posted by FISHNFOOL:
Ron,

hope your holiday was a great one at your new home.

Joe Joe

Thanks man

Yeah, I can't believe what that river holds as well

I am gonna head to Blue Springs Park and get some photos for the Barn. Should be good

Saw school of 50-75 pound Tarpon just sitting in the springs about 2 weeks ago, unreal

Happy New Year !!

Ron

[Dr. Bass]

Originally posted by med:
generally the fish are a bit smaller than we get up here, but I have gotten a few 15 lbers...but VERY much like the back bay fishery up here...looks and fishes the same...a run up the St. Mary's river should be productive too.. Thanks man

Good luck

[Dr. Bass]

Check this info out !!!

Some pretty decent data on egg production for a 15-16 pound female as well.

This is copied from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Convservation Commission

BIOLOGISTS SPAWN CAPTIVE STRIPED BASS BROOD FISH

Personnel at the Blackwater Fisheries Research and Development Center located in Holt, Florida have been producing fingerling striped bass and hybrid striped bass for stocking in Florida public waters since 1989. Typically, this process involves collecting wild striped bass brood fish from panhandle rivers and lakes. These fish are transported to the Research Center and spawned. After spawning these fish are normally released back into the river from which they were captured.

Recently, biologists have been conducting research to determine if the wild striped bass spawned at this center can be maintained in tanks and spawned again the following year. This spring biologists at the Research Center did just that. A female striped bass, captured from the Apalachicola River and spawned at the Research Center last year, spawned again this year. After spawning last year, the fish was kept in a special conditioning tank in which water temperature and lighting were regulated to mimic seasonal changes the fish would experience in nature. When captured in the spring of 1996 this fish weighed 14 pounds and produced 62,000 fry (newly hatched fish) when spawned. This year she weighed 17 pounds and produced 370,000 fry. Three male striped bass, also held in the special conditioning tanks, were used to spawn with the female. One male was collected from the Apalachicola River in 1996. The other two were five year old males raised from fry at the Research Center since 1992.

There are several advantages to maintaining captive striped bass brood fish from year to year. One is that time, money and effort can be saved by not having to collect fish from area waters. Also, during some years few brood fish are available due to unfavorable seasonal changes in temperatures and water levels. By adjusting temperature and lighting in holding tanks, biologists can better control when brood fish will spawn. By controlling spawning times the fish production season can be extended because biologists do not have to wait for wild fish to be captured.

Biologists at the Research Center are planning to expand efforts to spawn captive fish next year. Presently there are six female and seven male striped bass being held at the Research Center, ranging in weight from 3 to 22 pounds. If successful, the spawning of these captive fish will greatly enhance striped bass and hybrid striped bass fingerling production, resulting in a greater number of fish stockings in Florida?s public waters.