CHAPTER 23

The Temperate Bass, Herring, Minnow, and Sturgeon Families

In This Chapter

How striped, white, and yellow bass and white perch behave

The characteristics of American and hickory shad

The characteristics of carp

The characteristics of sturgeon

In this chapter, you’ll learn about the temperate bass family, which includes the striped bass, white bass, yellow bass, and white perch. You will also be introduced to the American shad and the hickory shad, the two most popular members of the herring family. Then you’ll get details on the common carp, a member of the minnow family whose status as a game fish is growing. Finally, you’ll learn about North America’s largest game fish, the members of the sturgeon family.

Temperate Bass Family

The members of the temperate bass family are true bass that received their name because of their preference for moderate water temperatures. The four temperate bass include the striped bass, white bass, yellow bass, and white perch. Striped bass are both anadromous and landlocked; white bass and yellow bass are both freshwater species; white perch live mainly in freshwater, but some are anadromous.

Unlike other bass that are members of the sunfish family and build and protect nests, the temperate bass scatter their eggs randomly and then abandon them. Temperate bass are a schooling species, and once anglers locate a school of feeding fish, the action can be some of the most exciting of all freshwater fishing.

Striped Bass

The striped bass, Morone saxatilis, is the most popular temperate bass because of the fish’s size, aggressive feeding nature, fighting ability, and table fare. Sometimes called striper or rockfish, this first-rate game fish has silvery sides with seven or so dark stripes running along its length, and these horizontal stripes give the fish its name. The striped bass has two spines on the back of its gill cover and two patches of teeth on its tongue.

Anadromous striped bass have a range along the east, west, and gulf coasts, whereas landlocked fish have been widely stocked in large southern reservoirs. Anadromous stripers gather at the mouths of large rivers until water temperature and water flows induce the upstream run to natural and manmade barriers. Landlocked fish make a similar run up tributaries or into the shallows where spawning occurs when water temperatures reach the upper 50s. Striped bass commonly travel the channel when migrating to and from spawning grounds.

Spring offers the best fishing of the year for anadromous and landlocked stripers because of fish concentrations, and prime spots include waters below dams, areas of slack water, eddies, tributaries, and channels. After the spawn, striper fishing is very much an open-water affair, although the edges of sandy flats and large points commonly hold fish. In the cooler water of spring and fall, stripers roam the upper 30 feet of the water column, but look for fish in the 40- to 60-foot range during the summer. Winter fishing is usually slow in the northern part of the range, but the southern range offers good fishing, particularly in deep basins above dams and near warm-water discharges.

Striped bass are famous for their aggressive attacks on schools of baitfish such as threadfin shad and gizzard shad, but stripers also prey on crustaceans and insects. The fish sometimes feed during the day, particularly on overcast days, but early morning and evening mark the most active times as fish move shallow or to the surface in low-light conditions.

Since striped bass have a roaming tendency, the key to successful angling is to locate a school of fish. Once fish are found, the action can be some of the best freshwater fishing has to offer. Many anglers locate stripers by witnessing the surface activity of fleeing baitfish or diving birds. Otherwise, anglers rely on fishing structural edges or using electronics to locate fish. The angling techniques of trolling and drifting also facilitate locating fish.

Fishing Vocab

Jump Fishing is a technique that involves locating a school of surface-feeding stripers and then moving in to fish for them. Schools are commonly located by the activity of gulls that join stripers in the feeding frenzy. When you are jump fishing, stop and cast to the fish from a distance so you do not alert the school.

Trolling with plugs or jigs works well for striped bass, particularly in the summer when fish may be more scattered and holding in deeper water. Planer boards allow for covering a wide area, and downriggers allow for getting lures to desired depths. Drift fishing with live minnows, cut bait, or jigs works well year-round, and the use of worms or eels works during the anadromous runs.

Casting ranks as the most thrilling way to catch striped bass, especially when the fish are chasing baitfish to the surface in late summer and fall. Casting is also popular in the spring and during low-light periods when stripers are more likely to inhabit shallow depths. Effective lures include jigs, shallow-running plugs, and surface lures. Success often requires that the lures match the color and size of the baitfish that the stripers are chasing. Generally, the most reliable colors are black and silver or white.

White Bass

The white bass, Morone chrysops, is essentially a smaller version of the striped bass. Averaging less than one pound, white bass are free-roaming, schooling, aggressive-feeding, and good-tasting fish. Sometimes called the silver bass, the white bass has silvery sides with dark stripes along its length, and the stripes above the lateral line are more distinct than those below. Unlike the striped bass, the white bass has only one patch of teeth on its tongue and only a single spine on the back of its gill cover. White bass are found throughout the eastern half of the United States and in a limited number of waters in the southwest.

Fishing Vocab

A wiper, also called a whiterock, is a hybrid resulting from breeding between the white bass and the striped bass. Hatchery-raised wipers have been introduced in many southern reservoirs.

This freshwater species likes the cool, deep water of clear rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. White bass spawn in tributaries, and strong year-classes of fish seem to appear every three years or so. Like the striped bass, the white bass feeds most actively in the morning and evening with evening being the more productive time. Overcast days are better than sunny ones, and surface feeding occurs most heavily in summer and early fall. Fishing at night is popular during the summer on some waters.

Jump fishing is a favorite technique of white bass anglers. Once a feeding school is located, the fun kicks into high gear for anglers using light tackle. Popular offerings include marabou jigs, small crankbaits, and live minnows. Again, the key is to match the size and color of the natural prey. Once alerted, white bass shut down quickly, so anglers are reminded to use a quiet approach in their fishing areas.

Yellow Bass

The yellow bass, Morone mississippiensis, has a grayish-green back, yellow to gold sides, and dark stripes along its length. The yellowish sides are the distinguishing feature between white and yellow bass, and these sides give the yellow bass its name. The yellow bass has a fairly limited range, and the fish’s scientific name gives indication that this range is in the central portion of the United States.

Sometimes called the streaker, the yellow bass is similar to the white bass in its schooling, roaming, feeding, and fighting qualities. But yellow bass hold more often in deep water and do less surface feeding. Yellow bass are also somewhat smaller in size and considered better table fare. Fishing strategy involves locating a school of fish and then casting small jigs, spinners, spoons, or plugs, or tossing out live worms or minnows.

White Perch

The white perch, Morone americana, has a dark back, silvery-green sides, and a white belly. Sometimes called a silver perch, the white perch lacks the stripes of its cousins and is the smallest member of the temperate bass family, averaging only a ½ pound or so. The fish’s native range included the Atlantic Coast from Quebec to the Carolinas as well as the Great Lakes, but the white bass has been stocked in other waters.

Fishing Vocab

Brackish water refers to water having a lower salinity than seawater. Brackish water is commonly found where a freshwater stream or river empties into an ocean.

Able to survive in saltwater, brackish water, and fresh water, white perch prey on whatever is seasonably available. Favorite foods include insects, crustaceans, eggs, and baitfish. While white perch pursue baitfish on the surface less frequently than the other temperate bass, whites routinely surface feed on insects in the evening and after dark.

Bad Cast

In some waters, anglers look down upon white perch because the species feeds on the eggs of walleyes, sauger, and white bass.

White perch are willing biters, and catching fish amounts to locating a school. Effective angling techniques include casting small jigs, spoons, and spinners, fishing with live bait such as worms or minnows, and fly-fishing with dry flies or wet flies. White perch are fairly inactive in the winter, but fishing can be good the rest of the year. A quiet approach is necessary for catching white perch just as it is for the other members of the temperate bass family.

Herring Family

For many freshwater anglers, members of the herring family such as gizzard shad, threadfin shad, and alewives are important for their baitfish value, but two members of the family, the American shad and the hickory shad, are highly prized for their sporting and eating value. Known for their fighting and leaping abilities, these shad are often called the poor man’s salmon. Shad are a good eating fish; their roe is used for caviar and their flesh is commonly pickled or smoked.

Primarily plankton eaters, shad don’t feed once they enter a coastal river, but the fish do strike lures. These silver-colored, slender-bodied fish enter spawning flows in large numbers, which in turn attracts throngs of anglers and is cause for celebration in many communities. Males are called buck shad while females are called roe shad.

American Shad

The American shad, Alosa spapidissima, has a green to blue top with silvery sides, large scales, rows of dark spots behind the gill cover, and a forked tail. Sometimes called the white shad, this fish is the largest and most widespread shad. The American shad’s native range extends along the entire East Coast from Canada to Florida, but the fish has been stocked along the West Coast from Alaska to California.

American shad spawn when water temperatures reach the mid-60s. Fish in the northern part of the range return to sea post-spawn, and those in the southern portion of the range commonly die after the spawn. Like other members of the herring family, the American shad eats primarily plankton, but the fish will also eat eggs, crustaceans, and small fish. American shad do grow to 7 or 8 pounds, but the average catch weighs a couple of pounds.

Hickory Shad

The hickory shad, Alosa mediocris, has a green to gray top, silver sides, large scales, black spots behind the gill cover, and a forked tail. Very similar in appearance to the American shad, the hickory can be distinguished by the extension of its lower jaw beyond the upper jaw. Found from Canada to Florida, the hickory shad is really more of a southern fish.

Capable of reaching weights of 2 or 3 pounds, hickory shad generally average 1 pound. What hickory shad may lack in size, though, they make up for in their leaping, acrobatic fight. These fish spawn when water temperatures are in the low 60s. Some fish return to sea during summer; others die. In addition to plankton, hickory shad prey on eggs, small fish, crustaceans, and insects.

Fishing for American and Hickory Shad

Despite not actively eating once they enter spawning tributaries, shad instinctively strike at lures. Generally, the fish move at night and settle in pools where they rest during the day. The heads and tails of pools hold the highest concentrations of fish, so these are the best fishing spots. When migrating up and down tributaries, American and hickory shad tend to follow channels.

Fishing Vocab

A shad dart is a small, flat-headed, lead-headed jig with a bucktail body.

Shad do feed after spawning and prior to their return to sea, so coastal tributaries and backwaters offer angling opportunities into early summer. Early morning generally is the best time for shad fishing, followed by evenings and overcast days. Favorite lures include shad darts, small spoons, and flies, and bright colors, especially silver and gold, produce better catches than natural, dull colors. Tiny silver spoons and ⅛-ounce shad darts rank as the top two offerings.

Whether an angler trolls or casts, two keys are to get the lure to bottom and to impart erratic lure action. Once a fish is hooked, play the fish easily as shad have a soft mouth. The fact that shad are accessible to shore anglers and waders gives additional meaning to the nickname poor man’s salmon.

Minnow Family

Some two hundred members of the minnow family can be found in North America. Minnows are small fish used as bait by freshwater anglers, and the most common minnows include chubs, shiners, and dace. The one member of the minnow family that grows to large sizes is the carp.

Common Carp

The common carp, Cyprinus carpio, was introduced into the United States in the late 1800s. The fish has very large scales, sides that vary in color from brown to gold to yellow, and a pair of barbels on each side of the jaw. Carp are found throughout the United States and southern Canada, but the fish is most prevalent in the eastern states. The carp’s widespread presence can be attributed to the fish’s tolerance for a wide range of water conditions and its prolific breeding.

Carp are bottom feeders with a sucker-like mouth. The species has a strong sense of taste in its barbels and mouth, and carp detect food by their sense of smell. Common foods include vegetation, algae, aquatic insects, and crustaceans, which the carp ingest by grubbing on the bottom. In the process of scouring the bottom for food, carp often destroy native plants and the habitat of native fish. As a result, carp are considered second-class citizens by anglers in many waters.

Despite their disfavor with some anglers, carp are fast growing in popularity as a game fish, not so much for their food value but for their sporting value. After all, carp numbers are thriving, the fish grow to a large size, and they are great fighters. Carp offer anglers the easiest way to routinely catch freshwater fish that weigh between 10 and 40 pounds. Worldwide interest in the species has grown, and the United States and Canada have become popular destinations for carp anglers from around the globe.

Common baits for carp include corn, worms, dough balls, processed baits, and homemade baits. Since carp feed on the bottom, the baits must be presented there with either a weight or a properly set float. Most fishing is done from shore, so anglers use ultra-long rods for casting and heavy rods for handling these big fish. Where legal, anglers chum the waters with corn, commercial products, or homemade recipes to lure fish into the area.

Fishing Vocab

Legering is a technique that allows bait to be cast a long distance and presented on bottom to entice carp to bite. The best legering setups use the least amount of weight possible to cast the bait out and to prevent carp from feeling resistance when they pick up the bait. Legered rods are usually set in rod holders and have some type of strike indicator.

Since carb grub for their food instead of chase it, carp fishing is a sit-and-wait style of fishing that requires patience. Carp offer year-round fishing opportunities, but the very best action typically occurs in late spring and early summer when water temperatures are in the mid-60s and the fish move shallow to feed and spawn. Carp fishing is likely to continue to grow in popularity as more North American anglers adapt to the sophisticated equipment and systems utilized by the European carp anglers who revere the common carp and practice total catch-and-release of their quarry.

Sturgeon Family

The sturgeon is the oldest and largest game fish in North America. The fish’s long physique, scaleless body, rows of scutes on back and sides, mouth that’s located on its underside, sharklike tail, and barbels give it a prehistoric look. Sturgeon are slow-growing fish that may live as long as humans. Over the years, though, commercial fishing, pollution, and manmade developments have seriously affected habitat and caused a decline in sturgeon numbers. Fortunately, today’s management plans, stocking efforts, closed seasons, and catch-and-release fishing have combined to make a brighter future for sturgeon populations. The most popular sturgeon are the lake sturgeon, the Atlantic sturgeon, the white sturgeon, and the shovelnose sturgeon.

Fishing Vocab

Scutes are bony plates characteristic of the sturgeon, armadillo, and turtle.

Sturgeon are bottom feeders that rely on their barbels to feel and taste for food. Common sturgeon foods include worms, insects, small fish, crayfish, clams, snails, fish eggs, leeches, and aquatic vegetation. Favorite holding places and good fishing spots are the deeper water below dams and falls as well as the deeper water of channels, outside river bends, and the waters downstream of natural and manmade structures. Popular sturgeon baits include night crawlers, dead minnows, and cut bait. Because sturgeon feed on the bottom and because the fish inhabit deep water with current, anglers must use enough weight to get their bait to bottom for best results. Evenings and after dark are prime feeding times. Obviously, heavy tackle is required to handle these monstrous fish.

Lake Sturgeon

The lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, is the most common sturgeon. In addition to the standard sturgeon features, the lake sturgeon has brownish to dark-gray sides and a long, somewhat cone-shaped snout. The lake sturgeon can be found across much of Canada, the Great Lakes region, and the Mississippi River drainage. Even though the fish is most commonly found in lakes, as the name suggests, lake sturgeon are also found in rivers. This species prefers clear, cool, deep water with bottoms of sand, gravel, and rock.

Lake sturgeon enter tributaries to spawn from April through June when water temperatures range from the upper 50s into the low 60s. Spawning takes place in moving water in relatively shallow areas of rock and gravel where the fertilized eggs stick to rocks, vegetation, or wood. Females may take over twenty years to reach sexual maturity, and the fish may spawn every five years or so. Males may not reach sexual maturity until their late teens.

Lake sturgeon are powerful fighters and great leapers. Fish average 10 to 50 pounds, and weights well over 200 pounds have been recorded. All signs indicate that modern management efforts for the lake sturgeon are enhancing fish habitat and fish numbers.

Atlantic Sturgeon

The Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrhynchus, ranks as the second-largest sturgeon; it grows to lengths of 12 feet and reaches weights of 800 pounds. Greenish gray or brown in color, this sturgeon has a range extending from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The anadromous Atlantic sturgeon migrates to rivers in the spring to spawn, with the Hudson River possibly seeing the strongest run of fish. Females may not reach sexual maturity until nearly twenty years old, and males mature at around twelve years of age. After spawning, females return to the ocean, but males may remain in the river until fall. Young sturgeon remain in the river for a period of three to seven years.

More so than other sturgeon species, the Atlantic sturgeon is protected by various regulations, so fishing opportunities are limited.

White Sturgeon

The white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus, is the largest of all freshwater fish. Gray in color with a short snout, this sturgeon carries the name white because the lower half of its body is white in color. White sturgeon, also called Pacific sturgeon, have a range extending from Alaska to California with the Pacific Northwest having the highest populations. Most white sturgeon are anadromous, but some have become landlocked and spend their entire lives in rivers such as the Columbia.

These sturgeon spawn in late spring as water temperatures rise through the 50s. Ideal spawning sites include the waters below dams, waterfalls, and rapids where there is a rocky bottom and current. Females reach sexual maturity at ages varying from thirteen to twenty-five, and they may go eleven years between spawns. Males mature at ten or so years, and their spawning cycle runs every five years or so. White sturgeon can reach weights of 1,400 pounds.

Shovelnose Sturgeon

The shovelnose sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus platorynchus, is a small sturgeon averaging only 2 pounds or so in weight. With a brown body and white belly, the shovelnose sturgeon is easily identified by its flattened, shovel-shaped head. This species has a range limited to the Mississippi Valley region where it prefers the fast-moving flows of larger rivers. In late spring, shovelnose sturgeon migrate upstream or into tributaries where the fish, like their white sturgeon cousins, spawn in swift water below dams, falls, and rapids. Females reach sexual maturity around seven years of age, and males reach maturity at about five years of age.

Shovelnose sturgeon prefer sand or gravel bottoms that contain their favorite foods, snails and clams. Despite their diminutive size compared to other sturgeon, shovelnose sturgeon are great fighters and leapers, and the fish provide excellent sport on light tackle.