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The striped bass, also called striper, rockfish, linesider, or rock, are found along the Atlantic Coast of North America as well as many other places. They are the top recreational sportfish in many areas. Striped bass feed on zooplankton, insects, worms, herring, shad, and white perch just to name a few. But, what eats striped bass?
Young and small striped bass are eaten by bluefish, adult striped bass, and other larger fish. The adult striped bass however are consumed by sharks, mammals, large fish, seals, and numerous aquatic birds. There are also Atlantic cod and Atlanic tomcod that will occasionally munch on a striped bass. Don’t forget about us humans! Many Americans love their fried, roasted, and baked striped bass.
Predators of young stripers
Silver hake, Cod, Weakfish, Bluefish,
Freshwater preditors of juvinile Striped Bass
Largemouth Bass, Catfish, Smallmouth Bass
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What do striped bass eat?
Squid, eels, flounder, sea worms, and sea herring are on the menu of the striped bass. They are definitely not picky eaters. Whatever they can get their mouth on they will eat. They primarily feed at dusk and dawn, but they may nibble a little bit during the day, depending on temperature. In the morning, for their very first feeding of the day is prime, but night time is great too!
How many ways can you catch striper
There are many ways to catch the striped bass; such as trolling, shore fishing, night fishing, and fly fishing. We are going to wade into the 4 top ways, that one angler suggests as being the best ways to catch striped bass.
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- Planer boards- a planer board allows you to get bait out of the boat in a very controlled and even manner. You can use up to 10 planer boards to trail behind your boat. This will cover an area of over 100 feet. The planer board allows you to troll very slowly, which is a huge benefit if you are using live bait.
- Shallow trolling- big stripers are huge fans of cold, according to 1 fishing guide, and they frequently get right on the bank in just a few feet of water. Usually you want your boat in about 8-10 feet of water, then you can flatline baitfish and maneuver your boat along the banks. This way the bait will travel in the shallows.
- Deep trolling- there are two methods that will get your bait down deep. You can use a lead-core line or downriggers. THe lead-core line is simpler and will require less equipment. It is color coded line that changes color every 30 feet, allowing you to know how much line you have in the water.
- Casting- some anglers prefer the good old fashioned way of standing on the shore, the dock, or a bridge and casting to catch the striped bass. You want to look for shallow areas that drop quickly into deep water. A striped bass will push their prey up towards the shallow water, trap them, and feed on them. Always watch for birds diving and/or surface activity. The bigger stripers will run with maybe 1 or 2 other fish, so if you catch one, make sure to re-cast in the same general area.
Interesting facts about striper
We have another post that gives you some interesting facts about the striped bass, but in our deeper research we found a few we might have missed or believe that we can include now.
- Stripers mainly stay in the vicinity of the coastline
- Striped bass do not have eyelids. When the sun comes up, they retreat deeper into the water to keep the sun out of their eyes.
- Stripers have large tails that help them maneuver very well, helping them with their control in turbulent water.
Facts about any fish, is always interesting and that is why I decided to throw a few more here. Yes, we are talking about what eats striped bass, but why not throw something unexpected into the mix?
What are the effects on striped bass when seals are present
One of the main predators of the striped bass is the seal. Which means, if you are taking a trip to Cape Cod to do some fishing, beware.
If fishing on the beach at Cape Cod sounds appealing, it is. But, you are going to see some seals. It is said that seals will come up and attempt to take fish right off of your hook. It is even believed by some anglers, that if a seal sees you with a rod and tackle box, they will follow you. So, I imagine that at dawn and dusk, especially, striped bass would be nervous when they come up to feed.
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Are sharks in freshwater or in saltwater
There are a handful of sharks that are found in freshwater, but we tend to believe that sharks live in the ocean. But, there is one shark that can live in both fresh and saltwater, kind of like the striped bass can survive in both. This enfamous shark is called the bull shark.
The bull shark (and other sharks) in freshwater east mainly fish as their primary diet, including the striped bass. It is also said that anglers fishing for striped bass at night may have to deal with sand sharks. They are a nuisance to anglers, but nothing more.
There is nothing to worry about it you are going striped bass fishing. We are not writing this to freak anyone out or discourage you from going striped bass fishing, especially in Cape Cod. You are very rarely going to see a shark (or a seal) actually catch and eat a striped bass, so there is no harm to you at all, while you are enjoying a day on the lake with your family or your friends.
Striped bass fishing, fun for the whole family
Depending where you are going fishing, and what time you are going fishing, you are the biggest predator of a striped bass. Since they are fish that will eat just about anything, it isn’t too hard to figure out what lure, bait or live bait to use. As long as they can see it and it is appealing, you will get a bite.
If they are not biting on what you are using, then all you simply need to do is change the lure. They will eat anything, but most anglers say that the lure/bait needs to mimic what they are craving at that particular time, or it may be a little more challenging to catch them. So, take your time and find the correct lure and the perfect spot and you will have a super successful day fishing for striped bass. You will catch and take home enough for a couple of meals. So do not worry about sharks, seals, or any other predators of the striped bass.
For more info on catching Striped Bass, take a peek at this post HERE
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