Originally developed for aquaculture, hardy hybrid striped bass were released into the wild to give anglers a fun fish to target. With the heavy body of their white bass parent and the aggressive bite of the striped bass side of the family, hybrids are stocked into lakes in the Southeast as a fun fish for anglers to target.
Learn How to Catch Hybrid Striped Bass
A “Made” Fish
Palmetto bass are the original crossbreed between a female striped bass and a male white bass. A cross between a male striper and a female white bass is called a sunshine bass. Hybrids are easy to produce and tolerate poor water conditions, offering a great tasting sportfish for southern anglers.
Since the hybrid bass’ creation, the frankenfish have been stocked in lakes and reservoirs across the United States. Resembling the striped bass side of the family, hybrids are bright silver with thin black stripes. Identifying hybrid bass is simple. A white bass has at least one line uninterrupted from shoulder to tail. Palmetto bass have broken stripes in the first third of their body. Sunshine bass have a zigzag in the stripe about mid-body.
Due to their lab origin, hybrids are sterile and are managed by state stocking programs. The fish still exhibit breeding behavior and school-up to run upriver like a spawning white bass.
School Is in Session
Hybrid bass have a voracious appetite. In the first year after stocking, a hybrid striped bass grows 12 inches. Hybrid stripers gather in large schools to chase baitfish. To find feeding fish, I look for birds diving to pick bait off the water.
Palmetto bass school with their own kind. If I catch one palmetto out of a school, I’m likely to catch more palmettos. Sunshine bass often mix with a white bass school.
Pro Tip
Early in the morning, I look for hybrid striped bass in the shallows by walking the dog with a Zara Spook Jr. or burning a Rat-L-Trap near the surface.
In summer, hybrid bass move to deeper water to beat the heat. I use my fish finder to locate a hump in 20 to 40 feet of water. Then, I troll a spoon or work a bucktail jig from the peak of the hump to the slope.
Hybrid striped bass are aggressive feeders, so they are easy to fool. Once I hook a hybrid, the fish uses its deep body and thick shoulders to put up a good fight. I use 20-pound test leader to quickly work the fish to the boat. A shorter fight time improves the odds the fish survives release.
Hybrid Bass Facts
Male white bass + female striped bass = Palmetto Bass
White Rock BassFemale white bass + male striped bass = Sunshine Bass, Cherokee Bass
AKA: WiperFactory Fish
10 million hybrid striped bass produced annuallyWorld Record White Rock Bass
27.5 pounds by Jerald Shaum of Greers Ferry Lake, Arkansas on May 24, 1997
Hybrid Striped Bass Tackle Box
- Rod: 7’ St. Croix Premier Heavy fast action
- Reel: 40 size Quantum Smoke S3 Baitcaster
- Line: 50-lb FINS Braids Windtamer
- Leader: 20-lb fluorocarbon
Casting Lures
- Deep Diving Crankbait: ⅝-oz and 1-oz Strike King Pro-XD
- Spoons: ¾-oz Silver H2OX Classic
- Alabama rig 7/16-oz Yum YUMbrella Flash Mob Junior with spoons
- Carolina rig and live gizzard shad 3/4-oz egg sinker and 3/0 hook
Trolling Lures
- Strike King Pro-Model 6XD Hard Knock
- ⅞-oz Bomber Lures Slab Spoon
- Crocodile Spoon or Johnson Spoon
Lab-created sportfish is a formula for easy fishing. | Feature photo: Cory Byrnes
