Tribute to the Hybrid Striped Bass!

I stocked my first hybrid striped bass on May 5th 2007. I was very skeptical mainly because I had never heard of anyone in my area stocking them and really knew absolutely nothing about them except that some pond boss guys were growing them really big in small ponds.

I could not believe how fast these fish grew that first summer and was even more shocked at how fast they grew the next summer and still am blown away with how fast them things have grown this summer!!! The original HSB that I have left in the lake are 6-9 lbs and just BEASTS! We typically use 6 lb test on medium/light fishing gear for open water fishing, but the big boys have spooled 5 rigs completely this summer and easily broken off another dozen. People I take fishing typically arent very experienced anglers, but they typically have no problems landing catfish, smb, and lmb but the big stripers are just in a whole nother league!

Here are some pics documenting the HSB growth!

2007 class pics:

2008 class pics:

2009 class pic:

Anyhow, I have since stocked about 20,000 hsb in lakes and ponds around the area and they are definitely growing faster in the lakes that artificially feed, but they are still growing really good even in the lakes without the additional supplements!

George, this would be the place to insert some HSB pics and also track down cheyenne and find out what the world is going on at his HSB factory! Anyone else out there with HSB pics and stories, go ahead and plop 'em in.

Great looking fish Nate... They are by far my favorite pond fish! I just wish they weren't illegal to stock in VA.

Nate - you are something else - I love HSB on a fly rod - they will take some screaming drag and stand the hair up on the back of your neck.
Great photos - thanks!!!!

My fishing season has been closed all summer due to near surface high water temps but lowered to 80 degrees last week. Fall temps today so expect to hit the ponds next week.
They have been feeding like crazy so hope to have some good growth but not like you have in northern ponds.
I would kill for 8-9 pounders.
Thanks for starting this post.

All I can say is to catch'em on the fly!!!
Get another casting lesson from Brandon or Todd at the conference - you'll be hooked.

Photos below have been post previously but for the record, here goes:

I can only admire these fish from afar, I don't think they are legal in Northern California. A bit of trivia for you however, and that is that the worlds largest producer of Hybrid Striped Bass (for food production) is in Southern California.

Here's a link to an article about them...

Kent SeaTech

In northern ponds the HSB can live at least 20 years. There is a pond near me with two remaining of 18 originally HSB stocked back in 1989. These 2 fish (with SMB) are not regularly fed pellets (once a week if lucky) thus growth was not real fast over the last 20 years. The fish appear to be healthy and are still active when attacking pellets. However, the fish are fairly big. I estimate them to be 28"-30". They survive by being very hook smart and whenever they fall for a rare hook they break the lines of the unsuspecting and surprised anglers.

Those are tremendous growth rates, at least for the first stocking class of HSBs....at 3-4lbs per year. What size fish are you stocking initially and what stocking rates have you been using??

Good stuff, may I use a pic for my pond boss presentation?

I recently read that Kent Sea Tech has recently ceased their HSB operation to pursue the production of algae for bio-fuel.

Does anyone with HSB have them attack baitfish on the surface of their lake/pond and have the opportunity to cast to breaking schools of fish? Sort of like white bass thrashing at t-shad schools or striped bass breaking on schools on menhaden in the ocean? That is my favorite type of fishing... I love the summertime on the bay and a calm evening when schoolie stripers in the 14"-22" range are attacking schools of bay anchovies and casting a spoon into the mayhem. The fast and furious action on ultra-light tackle is some great fun.

Todd,
you can surely use any pics posted on the forum! The lake is 25-33 acres depending upon the season and the first batch stocked in 2007 was mainly 6-8's from Jones Fish. The big ones were raised in a cage and virtually force fed all summer long and then released in October. They grow MUCH faster than the HSB that were released immediately into the lake. I'm thinking 500 total for the first year, probable 1500 last year and 2000 this year. I will be stocking 2000 every year. Now, I get the fry shipped in from KEO in MAY/JUNE and then raise them in cages until about this time of year. I also get a couple truckloads of the 4-6 and 6-8' from keo for clients as well.

Bill, I cant imagine these things living for 15-20 years!!!!

George,
Thanks for the pics for the records, your fish look dark and they seem to have good sized mouths!

I will try to get some more flyfishing instructions and someday plan on flyfishing for sure!!

I would not expect the fish with fast growth rates to live very long. Especially if they are eating primarily high fat pellets. High fat diets and fast growth rates are known to shorten life spans.

Bill, I kind of figured the rapid growth would impact their lifespan, but more so frying pans in my case.

We will be stocking and harvesting about 2000 HSB every year, so the average lifespan of a HSB in the lake really isnt too long to begin with. Probably 3-4 years tops for most.

Originally Posted By: overtonfisheries

I recently read that Kent Sea Tech has recently ceased their HSB operation to pursue the production of algae for bio-fuel.

Interesting, I knew that Kent Sea Tech was into the bio-fuel algae production but wasn't aware that they had shut down the HSB operation. You would be much more in tune with that information than me though.

Originally Posted By: Bill Cody

I would not expect the fish with fast growth rates to live very long.

Interesting factoid. Is this also true of LMB and BG that are being fed?

This is one of the smaller HSB (1 lb and 10-12 inches) from Todd that went in around Dec 1 08. One was caught about Aug 1( 8 mths later) at a reported appx weight of 3 1/2 lbs. Supp feeding plus tshad. CJ I see what you describe often as they bust tshad schools.

JHAP absent supp feeding, as a general rule pond type fish that grow fast (BG and LMB in the south with a long growing season vs north with short growing season for example) don't live as long. There are of course plenty of exceptions like lack of stressors. One study on trophy LMB noted the high % of them with both faster growth and normal life span thus they had both when most LMB did not). One of the advantages of Fla LMB and why they get bigger (a least the females) was longer life span than Northern LMB in the same water.

I have not seen any data on the effect of supp feeding on life span.

Raised in my pond.

Good grief! That thing looks like it's been eating the neighborhood pets.

How big was that fish Bruce and how much do you think it weighed?

15 lbs approx.

Something like 31 inches. For some reason I can't remember right off.

That dang thing sure loved pellets. All the other 5-8 lb fish would clear out with this sow came by.

I think I saw that fish in Wikipedia.

Where did all the pictures go?

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=153945

Bruce, That is just an awesome pic!!!

Caught it on a six-weight fly rod, too. $\:\)$

How long did it take to bring that in with your fly rod??

How do they taste?

25 minutes or so.

Little ones taste OK, but I'd never eat a bigger one. They have too much value.

How old was that fish Bruce? Any other forage besides pellets?

It was age-8 or age-9, I think. Just guessing.

It had scads of little bluegill, and fathead minnows to eat.

They taste really good. I cut the red strip of meat out and the rest is good firm meat that can be cooked a variety of ways.

I would imagine large HSB and large stripers taste similar. Like n8ly said, removing the red strip really helps with the taste. Cooking the fillet in mayo also helps take the fishy taste out. How I don't know, but it does... Coat the fillet in mayo, add some lemon slices, salt and pepper to taste perhaps some fill, wrap in aluminum foil and presto. Any fishy tasting fish can be made to taste a lot better this way. We use it mostly on bigger bluefish as they are VERY fishy tasting!