White Bass

COMMON NAMES: White bass, Silver bass

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Morone chrysops

IDENTIFICATION: White bass are silvery in color and have a milky white belly. In addition, they have six or more dark lateral lines on the sides and back. This fish has two dorsal fins with the first having nine spines. The white bass closely resembles the hybrid striped bass and the white perch.

RANGE AND HABITAT: White bass are are found in larger impoundments and the Great Lakes. They prefer large open clear water with a firm bottom and water depths of less than 30 feet.

LIFE HISTORY: White bass spawn in late April and May. An old saying states that when the dogwood trees are blooming, white bass are spawning. Adults migrate up tributary streams of Lake Erie and in larger impoundments they seek wind swept points. Females broadcast their eggs into the water where they are fertilized by the males and then settle to the bottom and adhere to hard surfaces. The eggs will hatch in approximately two weeks. Adult white bass feed primarily on small fishes, including their own young, and larger insects. Life expectancy is usually 3 to 5 years.

ADULT SIZE: White bass average 1 to 2 pounds and are usually between 10 and 14 inches in length.

FISHING METHODS: The best fishing for white bass is in the spring when they run upriver to spawn. At other times of the year they can be located by watching seagulls and terns circling above the water. The gulls are attracted to areas where schools of white bass drive bait fish to the surface. Once located, anglers can catch white bass on spinners, minnows, and worms. These fish can make for a lot of fast and furious fishing.