Hybrid Striped Bass: Ultimate Species Guide

North America is home to many different bass species. From the world-famous largemouth bass to the exotic peacock bass of the southeast, the US is a bass fishing paradise. However, some bass aren’t given the same attention as others.

Most anglers think of largemouth and smallmouth when they think about bass fishing as a sport, but with the multitude of bass species out there, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

One extremely fun type of bass to target is the hybrid striped bass. It’s unique, puts up a fight, and, unfortunately, doesn’t get enough attention.

Today, we will detail hybrid striped bass to help change that.

The Unique Hybrid Bass Situation

Hybrid bass are unlike any bass in the world. Mostly because they’re not just one species of bass that naturally developed. They’re a hybrid of two bass that couldn’t be more different than one another.

White bass are smaller-than-average freshwater fish often found around the East Coast of the United States and the South. Striped bass are giants from the Atlantic oceans and spend some time in brackish water and coastal lakes.

Oddly enough, those two dramatically different fish can breed naturally and with some human help. However, while it is possible, it rarely occurs naturally, mostly due to farming. 

They’re extremely popular to farm because all hybrid bass are sterile. So, they’re easy to stock a lake with and not worry about them breeding out of control.

The Characteristics of a Hybrid Striped Bass

Hybrid striped bass have characteristics as unique as the circumstances behind their birth. They’re unlike any other bass in the country.

First, they are shorter but taller from belly to spine than striped bass. Striped bass can get extremely long, but hybrid bass is more in line with the length of the longer freshwater bass species. They also have a meaty belly, but they’re not quite as stocky as the white bass they’re related to.

The dorsal fin is also long with aggressive spikes compared to the more subtle fin of the striped bass. This is a good way to tell a large hybrid apart from a smaller striped bass.

With white bass, it’s fairly simple. Even though they look closer to hybrid bass, they only get up to 5 pounds most of the time. Hybrid bass can reach weights of 25 pounds fairly regularly, and even the smaller ones are big enough to prevent confusion.

The striped bass is the only bass of the three that can get into the high double digits in weight. Some of the largest inland striped bass get up to 70 pounds, and their saltwater counterparts get up to 82 pounds.

Where are Hybrid Bass Located?

One of the great things about hybrid bass is that they are accessible to most Americans. Naturally, they shouldn’t occur anywhere but on the East Coast because the striped bass can’t live further inland. However, farming has changed that. 

Hybrid bass are regularly farmed in massive amounts, and they’re used to stock lakes nationwide. Thanks to them being sterile, lake management staff doesn’t have to worry about them wreaking havoc like other fish introduced outside their normal territory.

They’re also quite hardy fish. So, while temperature matters, they can survive in various climates nationwide.

The main issue is how well your local lakes are managed. Since hybrid bass don’t reproduce, it requires good lake management to keep them stocked with a healthy population. If your lake’s management team falls behind or doesn’t prioritize monitoring, you might have bad luck even at a lake that advertises being stocked.

You’ll find the highest populations of hybrid bass throughout the East Coast, Midwest, and around the Gulf.

When Are Hybrid Bass Most Active?

Hybrid bass might be hardy, but they certainly have their favorite temperature that lets them perform at their best, and when that happens, the bite is good.

Hybrid bass love water that is in the lower 60s. This is when they feed the most and are more likely to take your lure. If the temperature climbs into the 70s and beyond, they can still bite but won’t be nearly as easy to attract. 

If the temperature drops below 45, they start getting lethargic, which, in many ways, mirrors largemouth.

However, since they’re found across most of the country, you have to consider local weather and understand when your local region has optimal temperatures. Places like Florida maintain those temperatures for much of the year, and the season doesn’t matter as much, but somewhere like Missouri only gets those temps a few months out of the year before it’s much hotter or colder.

Beyond water temperatures, they also generally mirror the activity of other freshwater predators. During peak activity, they follow the bait fish throughout the water column, head to the shade when the temperature rises, and watch the sun beat on the surface.

How to Find Hybrid Bass

Like any fish, hybrid bass don’t just stick around in one spot. Depending on various factors, they move around the water column and to different lake features. We’ll go over some of the best places to look for spotted bass now.

1: Open Water is Prime Hybrid Territory

With most types of bass fishing, you end up fishing close to the bank along reed lines and docks if you want to consistently catch bass. Even people with the best bass boats spend much time fishing those tight spots with plenty of cover.

You don’t have to do that with hybrid bass. Like their big relatives, the striped bass, they aren’t afraid to get out in the open and chase their prey. 

Because of that, there isn’t anything wrong with casting right out into the middle of a lake and trying different retrieval patterns. With largemouth and smallies, that usually isn’t very productive unless you know they’re suspended there.

2: Fish Shallow During Feeding Time

While hybrid bass stick to open water most of the time, you still have to pay attention to where you’re fishing in the water column.

Specifically, you want to identify when there’s a feeding frenzy by looking for schools of bait fish near the surface and start casting into it.

Deep water often yields better results, but hybrid bass will follow bait fish to the surface, making shallow water fishing an excellent option during feeding frenzies.

3: Cast a Heavy Spoon Deep

When it’s not feeding time, a good strategy is to toss a heavier lure, usually a shiny spoon, and let it sink deep into the column. Jig it around a bit, and try a variety of retrievals to catch their attention.

A spoon isn’t necessary for this. You just want something that can flutter through the water column and go deep while mimicking the shad that hybrids feast on.

4: Currents Are Perfect

If you can find rougher water, that’s the best place to target hybrids. 

The smaller bait fish tend to have trouble navigating, and the hybrids take full advantage of that when they’re hunting. Detecting bites and tracking your lure can be more difficult, but it’s worth it when you hook into a giant.

5: Early Morning and Later Evenings

In most areas, the best time to catch hybrids when they’re most active is early morning and then again toward the later part of the evening. 

They love to hunt in low-light conditions and during the warmer seasons. The water temperatures tend to be optimal at those times. 

In most situations, those are the best times to target them.

What Type of Setup is Best for Hybrid Bass?

Hybrid bass can get pretty large. Again, they can reach 25 pounds fairly often. Even midsized hybrids weigh more than the average angler’s best with largemouth. As such, you’re going to want a setup that’s a bit tougher.

First, a baitcaster is essential. The extra strength, line capacity, and higher casting distance will help you make long casts over open water and sink your lure to the bottom. Spinning reels can work, but this is one fish we prefer to solely use baitcasting equipment for.

Our preferred rod type is an 8-foot medium-heavy or heavy rod with a sensitive tip. This will allow you to present your spoon or jig without having to wave the rod all over the place. You can notice softer bites if you target bass relaxing at the bottom, and it has plenty of backbone to fight larger hybrids.

A 12 to 15-pound line is best in most situations if you’re using standard mono. While hybrids can reach 25 pounds and higher, the majority you’ll catch will be in the teens or even smaller if you get in on a fresh stock. It’s unnecessary to set up your kit to easily catch world records. 

However, using a braided line or fluorocarbon, you can easily up the poundage without sacrificing versatility.

The Best Lures and Strategies for Hybrid Bass

This is the fun part every angler gets excited about. Which lures should you use? Well, you’ll be happy to know that you likely have a tackle box full of suitable lures if you fish for largemouth or smallies.

For the most part, hybrid bass attack the same lures. The only difference is that you don’t want to use big lures because they don’t have giant mouths despite their impressive sizes.

Unfortunately, those won't work here if you jumped in on the giant swimbait phase of the late 2010s. Instead, here are some of our top options.

1: Any Heavy Jigging Spoon

We’ve mentioned this one. A heavy jigging spoon is one of the most popular lures for hybrids if you’re fishing deep. It doesn’t matter which ones you get as long as the weight matches your setup and the hook quality is good enough not to bend out when a big fish bites.

Any reputable brands are good for this; you can find plenty on Tackle Warehouse.

When using a jigging spoon, drop it to the bottom, let it sit, and bounce it a few times. If you repeat that, you’ll eventually get a hybrid on the line if they’re not at the top feeding.

2: Spinnerbaits and Swimbaits Trolled

If you want to take a more aggressive approach, you can always toss spinnerbaits and swimbaits behind your boat and drag them slowly near the surface.

The trick with this one is to find the schools of bait fish and work your lures behind them. This gets the lures right in front of the predators you’re targeting.

3: Jerkbaits and Cranks

You can’t go wrong with a jerkbait or a crank, and the only difference in performance will come down to how much action the fish want and the type of retrieval you want to do.

Crankbaits are great for chucking out over open water and buzzing back in when the fish are active, and if it’s a little slower, a jerkbait’s frequent pauses are enticing enough to make the hybrids snap.

Rapala has some high-quality options for both of these, but we recommend sticking to their smaller options that are shorter than 3 inches.

Enjoy a Hard Fight with Hybrid Striped Bass

Hybrid striped bass put up a hard fight. Instead of propelling themselves out of the water like largemouth and wearing themselves out quickly, they stay in it for the long haul. 

You can expect them to dive deep and thrash for far longer than a largemouth, but you will surely get a great picture when you finally get to the boat.

For extra tips and tools to enhance your hybrid bass fishing experience, download the BassForecast app and get ready to maximize your success.