White Bass VS Striped Bass: Differences Every Angler Should Know

White bass and striped bass are two fun options for spicing up your bass-angling journey and stepping away from largemouth for a while. However, they’re also the most unique bass in America for one big reason. 

They’re closely related, and they breed together frequently to make hybrids.

This can make it difficult for some anglers to tell them apart. Especially when they’re small or swimming in the same water.

Today, we’re going to go over the differences between white bass vs striped bass to help you identify them and also to help you strategize more effectively when it’s time for your next fishing trip.

Let’s get started.

White Bass VS Striped Bass: Identification Differences

White bass and striped bass have several varying features despite being so closely related. We’ll cover the most important ones in this section.

1: Size

The easiest way to tell white bass apart from striped bass is to understand how large each one gets.

White bass average about 1 or 2 pounds, and stripers can easily reach 30 pounds. Unless you’re looking for a grown white bass and a fry striper, it’s kind of hard to mix them up. The size difference between two average adults is tremendous.

In most situations, if you pull in a bass that’s more than two pounds, you don’t have a white bass. However, a detail we’ll discuss later complicates things even more.

2: Striped Pattern on the Lateral Line

If you’re dealing with smaller fish, there might not be a dramatic size difference that tips you off immediately. When that happens, look at the lateral line on the side of the fish.

Striped bass have multiple dark stripes that reach from the neck of the fish to the tail. These stripes are how they got their name, and they’re extremely prominent.

White bass have a few stripes on their lateral line, but they’re not as dark, and you usually won’t see more than one that reaches the tail of the fish. The white on a white bass is far more prominent, and that’s where they get their name.

3: Shape

You usually won’t even have to look at this identifying feature, but the two fish are shaped differently.

Striped bass tend to be very long and slender, but white bass are short and fat. This isn’t a great feature to go off of, though. Due to genetics and other factors, you can get very short striped bass, or you can find slender white bass on occasion. 

However, 90% of the time, this is a good indicator of what you have before you even get it out of the water when you’re dealing with smaller fish in the 1 to 4-pound range.

4: Tooth Patch

Finally, you can check the tooth patch in the bass’s mouth to distinguish between the two.

The tooth patch is a rough area in the mouth that feels a lot like sandpaper. It’s safe to touch it because your skin is tough enough not to get ripped open by it. So, don’t hesitate to check this one if you’re confused.

Stripers have two rough patches to give them extra grip on the larger prey they eat when they mature. White bass only have one patch.

Hybrids and Identification Issues

White bass and stripers aren’t usually difficult to tell apart unless you’re catching smaller stripers in a lake that also has white bass in it. Unfortunately, there is a third type of bass in this family that makes things a lot more difficult.

Since white bass and hybrid bass are so closely related, they can mate, and they can produce hybrids. Hybrids complicate things, because they get much larger, and they have traits of both fish. Depending on what stage of its life a hybrid is in, you can easily mistake it for either a white bass or a striper.

Hybrid bass are unique, and you’ll have to consider them whenever you’re fishing for either white bass or stripers.

Size doesn’t help too much unless you’re comparing a hybrid bass to a very large striper. While inland stripers usually only reach 30 pounds, they are known to reach 50-70 pounds the closer you get to the ocean. A hybrid bass only gets up to 25 pounds.

Even if you are comparing a hybrid to what you know about stripers, hybrids have squashed bodies with big shoulders. So, their shape can help you determine what you’re looking at.

When a hybrid is smaller, you have two ways to distinguish it from a white bass without fail.

First, its stripes are much darker like a striper. That’s a dead giveaway.

However, if you’re still confused, the tooth patch area is a sure way to distinguish the two. If you remember, white bass only have a single tooth patch. Hybrids have double patches like their bigger cousins. 

So, if you’re looking at a shorter bass that can’t be a striper, but it has a double tooth patch and darker stripes, you caught a hybrid.

White Bass VS Stripers: Where to Find Them

The information we gave in the previous sections covers everything you could possibly need to identify each member of the white bass family, but there are a lot of differences that go beyond their identifying traits that can get a little confusing, too.

First, you’ll only find white bass in fresh water. They’re most common in the southeastern lakes and ponds of the US, but you’ll find them in plenty of rivers, as well. So, if you’re fishing a brackish tributary or along the coast, you won’t have to worry about identifying white bass.

Stripers are a little more complicated. They live in both freshwater and saltwater, and you’ll find them in both types of water along the east and southeast coasts of the US. 

They tend to live out in the ocean for long periods, and then they’ll enter the tributaries and freshwater rivers to breed on occasion. This is how naturally produced hybrid bass occurs.

You can also find landlocked striped bass along the East Coast because various efforts have been made to introduce them into landlocked areas for sports fishing.

Hybrid bass are a bit complicated, too.

Technically, they prefer freshwater, and that’s usually where you’ll find them. However, they can live in saltwater, and they might be caught alongside striped bass closer to the shore or in tributaries.

Not only does the location of each species determine how you’ll have to plan your trip to target each of them, but it can also affect other key aspects of each fish, such as their size. We’ll talk more about that, shortly.

Key Points to Remember for White Bass and Striped Bass

Beyond identifying each fish and knowing where to find them, there are some other points to remember. Mostly, the striped bass has some points that differ based on where you target them.

First, if you target striped bass in saltwater or tributaries, you’re more likely to get the largest members of the species. The much larger environment and abundance of food allows stripers that mostly live in saltwater to reach weights of up to 75 pounds, and the state records show this.

However, landlocked stripers tend to be a bit smaller. Their records are usually in the 50-pound range, and you’re far more likely to catch stripers that weigh between 15 and 30 pounds.

The records for stripers are also separated. Most game fish have a state record, a national record, and sometimes a world record. In some instances, the managers of specific waterbodies will have a record for the lake or reservoir, too. 

With striped bass, you not only have those record categories, but you also have individual records for landlocked stripers and stripers that roam naturally. This gives you some options for how to align your goals if you’re looking to break a record.

Hybrids don’t have such specific keynotes to worry about, but there is an interesting fact about them that you should know. They can be some of the most prized fish in a lake because of their substantial size and aggressive fighting abilities, but they’re also intentionally stocked in many lakes to make that experience more common. 

They only breed with white bass or striped bass. They don’t breed with each other. So, they’re easy to stock controllably, and that makes them extremely popular with municipalities around the east and southeast of the country. 

They don’t have to worry about spiraling out of control and damaging the ecosystem, and you can find hybrid bass fairly readily compared to the other two variants. So, they’re great fish to target frequently.

White Bass VS Striped Bass: Which Equipment Should You Use?

Even though the two fish live in the same areas and you can technically catch them both on the same setups, you do want to adjust your gear for the specific species you’re targeting.

If you’re going after stripers specifically, you’ll want to use heavier fishing gear. The average striper can get up to 30 pounds, and even landlocked striped bass can get into the 50-pound range. You don’t want to target them with an old medium spinning rod and a 10-pound line.

A heavy rod with a suitable test of braided line is optimal to ensure you can fit a lot of lines on the reel and still handle a substantial amount of weight.

For lures, some of the most popular options are topwater lures. Poppers and bucktails are among the favorites of seasoned striper anglers, but you can also use your favorite jigs if the bite is slower.

With white bass, you don’t have to use heavy equipment, and if you want any challenge at all, you don’t want to use the heavy stuff. Instead, go with lighter gear.

The average white bass is only two pounds, and that makes it perfect for medium gear or even light gear.

Your lure choice should also be different. Soft plastic worms, swimbaits, and flukes are all popular, but pretty much any of your small or medium-sized bass lures are going to work just fine.

One thing you need to consider when targeting white bass is whether or not hybrids or stripers are present.

While catching white bass is a lot like catching smaller largemouth and doesn’t present much of a challenge even on ultralight equipment, you can easily hook into a much larger hybrid or striper. Imagine being geared up with light equipment for a 2-pound white bass and suddenly getting a 20-pound hybrid on your line. You can technically do it, but you’ll be in for the fight of your life.

If either species is present while you’re targeting white bass, it’s better to take a middle-of-the-road approach with your gear. You can still catch the bigger white bass, younger hybrids and stripers are fun, and if you do hook into a much larger fish, you’re more equipped to handle it.

White Bass VS Striped Bass: The Fight

Finally, the two are different in one way that is sure to be important to every angler. 

They fight differently.

White bass can fight fairly well for their size. Despite being around the same size as a “dink” largemouth bass, they have considerable strength, and they can pull the drag on lighter equipment. 

They don’t jump or dive, though. They tend to fight almost exclusively near the surface of the water, and that gives you a pretty good chance to spot them and keep them away from structures throughout the fight. In general, they’re fairly easy to catch.

In comparison, a striped bass puts up one of the best fights pound-for-pound of nearly any North American fish. A striped bass will immediately start to thrash and run with your line with a considerable amount of strength. Not only does this put stress on you to physically match the fish and keep your line from breaking, but they’re also very hard on lures and reels. 

A large striper can easily wear your drag out, and they are known for snapping even the best hooks. Make sure to bring plenty of extra terminal tackle with you.

Find More White Bass And Striped Bass with BassForecast

If you’re looking to try something different with your bass fishing journey, white bass and striped bass have a lot to offer. 

Each species provides unique challenges and opportunities that can enrich your fishing experience. 

To discover locations near you where you can catch these exciting fish and to gain more insights for effectively planning your trip, check out the BassForecast fishing app. 

The app provides detailed maps, weather forecasts, and expert tips to help you maximize your success on the water.