Striped Bass

The mid-Atlantic icon — and a genuine West Coast surf target in Monterey Bay.

Morone saxatilis · Also known as: Rockfish (Chesapeake), stripers, linesides. Ideal water temp 55–68°F.

Habitat & structure

Chesapeake: channel edges, light lines at night, bridge pilings, tributary mouths. California: surf troughs and river mouths in summer. Follows bait and comfortable temps religiously.

Where they’re biting

Chesapeake Bay (Annapolis & Lower Bay) — Topwater on shallow rock and stump fields in fall; light lines at night.
Monterey Bay — Surf stripers on swimbaits, June–September.

Season by season

Season	Best bait	Best lures	Notes
Spring	Bloodworms, cut menhaden (where legal)	Bucktails, swim shads on channel edges	Trophy season around the spawn — heavy regulation, check current MD rules.
Summer	Live spot, eels	Topwater at first light; CA surf: 5" swimbaits	Chesapeake heat = fish deep or early. Monterey surf bite peaks.
Fall	Live eels at night	Walk-the-dog topwater, jigging spoons under birds	Best all-around season on the bay.
Winter	Cut bait deep	Big soft plastics jigged slow	Ocean-run fish off VA/MD; bay fishery mostly catch-and-release — verify regs.

Preferred water temperature

Active from 50°F to 70°F — sweet spot 55–68°F. Watch the live water temp on our location pages.

Weather, light & cloud cover

Dawn, dusk and night are the money hours; big fish feed after dark around lights and current seams. Midsummer heat pushes Chesapeake fish deep and stresses them — fish early, land fast, or leave them alone above 80°F.

Proven for striped bass

3.5" Paddle Tail Swimbait — Soft plastic · spring / summer / fall. Match jighead to depth: 1/8 oz over flats, 3/8 oz on channel edges. Slow and steady beats fancy.
5" Jerk Shad (Fluke-style), Weedless — Soft plastic · spring / summer / fall. Twitch-twitch-pause over potholes. Rigged weedless it skips under mangroves and docks.
5" Surf Swimbait on 1 oz Head — Soft plastic · summer / fall. Dawn patrol at river mouths and troughs. Long cast, medium retrieve just under the surface.
Walk-the-Dog Topwater (Spook-style) — Topwater · spring / summer / fall. First two hours of light over grass and shell. Don’t set on the blow-up — wait for weight.
Chugging Popper — Topwater · summer / fall. The extra splash helps fish find it in dirty water and chop. Pop-pop-pause cadence.
Pencil Popper 6" — Topwater · summer / fall. Rod-tip whip to make it dance in the surf zone. Casts a mile into wind.

What should you throw today?

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