Wiper,White Bass,or Striper

[FishArt]

count the number of rays in the anal and the dorsal fins. then go online to a identification site. based on those two number you should be able to distinguish the type. i say striper though.

I've never heard this info before - are you sending folks on a wild goose chase??? LOL!

I still say a pure striper is more elongated. And, according to the ID features in the "Freshwater Gamefish of North America" book, the pure striper should have "7 or 8 unbroken stripes". Now, I realize that isn't always the case, but USUALLY it is. The above fish has several rows with broken lines. The book says that hybrids have "stripes broken above and below the lateral line". The above fish clearly has many broken above and it looks like none below, but there are a few broken-looking spots that are questionable. The two patches vs. one patch only can tell if it's a striper or a white bass. It's not definitive for a hybrid.

Bottom line is we'll never know for certain unless you have it DNA tested. However, since Josh agrees that it's a hybrid and he's NEVER wrong, I'm still saying HYBRID - lol!

Who cares, paint it pretty much the same regardless of what it truly is!!!

[Jknuth]

osh agrees that it's a hybrid and he's NEVER wrong, I'm still saying HYBRID - lol!

Ruh Roh...
lol
I am pretty sure I have been wrong before.




I still say hybrid.

[Manny]

LOL .... Well I am going to stay with Striper

I guess the world will never know for sure untill I get DNA evidence done ........................NOT !.........LOL

Im sure its a mutt of some sort.... LOL

[KAMoHunter]

Marty, it is a very common pratice among scientist to identify common fish species by the number of rays/spines in the anal/dorsal fins. take for example a crappie. a black crappie has more/less (i dont remember which way it goes) spines/rays than a white crappie. in some situations that what they use to ID them not a wild goose chase. just not something many people that dont have complex ID training t hink to use.

[Jknuth]

The only issue with fin rays is it isn't an Identifier for Hybrid striped bass.
What you need to look for is deeper body then a striper, broken bars on the body. More commonly above the lateral line.

Again since it it a hybrid it can vary. However wipers are sterile well at least functionally so. Meaning the eggs vary from white bass to stripers.
Striper eggs are buoyant and white bass eggs are sticky and sink. Wipers do spawn with striped bass and white bass but the chance of fertilization is very very very low. like one in 200,00.

That the bass you caught is most likely a pure striper or a artificially made hybrid. but since they cant or generally dont cross back its a pure fish.

Here is a fun one.



A hybrid that seems to fall into the striper side of things more then the others.
This fish was shocked from Lake Columbia WI. We have wipers only there.

Neat fish any way you look at it.

[Barry MFD]

This striper has a few broken lines above the lat. line ya think and no mistake, its a striper.

[Bill4bass]

Nice Fish Barry!!!!

[Barry MFD]

I'll be fishing with this guide next summer looking for a 40lb trophy. Check out some of the fish on his web site.   http://www.trophybassonly.com/id76.htm

[FishArt]

This striper has a few broken lines above the lat. line ya think and no mistake, its a striper.

Yep, as mentioned markings are not always an indicator. With this fish, (minus the spawning and/or stuffed belly) the length vs. the overall depth is the clear, telltale sign it's a pure striper...