white bass

White Bass
white bass
Conservation status
Secure
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Moronidae
Genus:	Morone
Species:	M. chrysops
Binomial name
Morone chrysops (Rafinesque, 1820)

The white bass or sand bass (Morone chrysops) is a freshwater fish of the temperate bass family Moronidae. It is the state fish of Oklahoma. White Bass are unrelated to the black basses, which are members of the sunfish family.

White bass are found in lakes and some large rivers throughout the United States.^[1] The species is somewhat similar in appearance to the white perch, though larger. Its back is dark, with white sides and belly, and with narrow darkish stripes running lengthwise on the sides. The average fish ranges from 10 to 16 inches in length, and usually weighs from 1 to 4 pounds, though larger ones are sometimes taken. The world record is 6 lb (2.7 kg). 13 ounces and was taken in Virginia. Conventional panfish tackle or fly fishing tackle is used in angling the white bass. The fish tend to move in schools and prefer to swim in clear water.^[1] A closely related fish, though much less common, is the Yellow bass which is found predominantly in the Mississippi River. Some anglers enjoy eating fresh white bass, others avoid it, as it can tend on occasion to have oily flesh.

Diet

White bass are carnivores. They eat insect larvae, crustaceans, and other fish.^[1] They are visual feeders. When not frightened, they will bite readily at live bait such as worms and minnows.

Size

Most fish are between one and three pounds, but some weigh as much as six pounds.

Habitat

White bass are native to the rivers that flow to the Mississippi. They have been widely introduced into rivers that flow in to the Atlantic Ocean, such as the Catawba and Yadkin rivers. White bass often travel in schools, chasing baitfish in the open waters of lakes and large rivers. As a result, they are rarely associated with cover. They also inhabit ponds, reservoirs, streams and rivers with deep pools.

Spawning

White bass have a strong homing tendency. They are known to find their home spawning ground even if it's moved to a different part of the same lake.^[1] They like to spawn in moving water in a tributary stream, but they will spawn in windswept lake shores.^[1] They spawn during daylight. Females release 242,000 to 933,000 eggs which stick to the surface of objects.^[1] The parents move to deeper water and do not care for the young fish. The young fish live in shallow water for a while until they move to deeper water.^[1] They can also spawn with yellow bass to create the yellow bass hybrid. Spawning occurs in the late spring, when the fish often congregate in large numbers below dams and other obstructions such as riffles to spawn. White bass are active feeders during the spawn and can be caught in great numbers at this time.

White Bass from the Tallapoosa River with a fly fishing rod

References

• "Morone chrysops". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
• Ellis, Jack (1993). The Sunfishes-A Fly Fishing Journey of Discovery. Bennington, VT: Abenaki Publishers, Inc.. ISBN 0-936644-17-6. 
• Rice, F. Philip (1964). America's Favorite Fishing-A Complete Guide to Angling for Panfish. New York: Harper Row. 
• Rice, F. Philip (1984). Panfishing. New York: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-943822-25-4.