Wipers on the east coast

[Wiperboy]

I have been fortunate to chase wipers (striped-bass hybrids) throughout the midwest and consider them an unbelievable mix of raw power and speed. The unfortunate part about living in the middle of the country is access to stripers so hybrids are my best outlet. What are your experiences with these fish along the coast? I'm a surf nut at heart!

[JohnR]

I have not heard of any Hybrids up here in the northeast - just more south.

How would they compare to the real saltwater ones?

[Mike P]

I've heard rumors of them being caught in Raritan Bay (NJ) but I've never personally seen a hybrid up this way. But since stripers and white perch both breed in the Hudson River, naturally-occuring hybrids are at least theoretically possible---male milt from a striper drifting over to a perch's egg nest?

[Wiperboy]

Wipers or hybrids as they are know are a combination of the striped bass and a white bass. The cross could be a male striper and female white bass or the just the opposite cross. Wipers are not as streamlined as stripers but have the characteristic large tall which gives them tremendous power. They are tall like a white bass with broken stripes across the middle of the body. They are pound for pound stronger than either parent species and are highly disease resistent. They combine the bull like power of the striper and the erratic side to side motion of white bass making fights unreal. They can get as big as 25 pounds with 10 pounders being a very quality fish. I know there are some Jersey lakes that have hybrids so you should really give them a try. They can be caught throughout the day light period which makes them an attractive outlet when stripers are not blitzing the surf. These fish are some tough cookies!

[basswipe]

I caught literally thousands in lake Braunig,Medina,Canyon and Calaveras when I was in TX.Never heard of Hybrids in salt as white bass aren't found in the ocean.Also never heard
heard of Sunshine Bass(reverse hybrid) in the salt either.
Both are strictly hatchery fish and neither is capable of reproduction so the likelyhood of finding either in the ocean is unlikely.Though I would have to imagine if a person actaully placed one in the ocean it could survive.Mike Ps suggestion of a cross between Stripers and White Perch might be a possibility as both occur in saltwater.