Can you distinguish white bass from stripers?

White bass are biting on the main body of many Texas reservoirs right now.

And to a lesser extent, so are the striped bass.

Can you tell the difference between a white bass and a young striped bass? You better because size limit requirements are different.

According to officials with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, this is how you do it.

White Bass

A  Stripes faint, only one extends to tail
B  Body deep, more than 1/3 length
C  Has one tooth patch near the midline towards the back of the tongue

 

Striped Bass

A  Stripes distinct, several extend to tail
B  Body slender, less than 1/3 length
C  Has two, distinct tooth patches near the midline towards the back of the tongue

To check out the diagrams for hybrids and yellow bass check out the TPWD’s identification page here.

Chester Moore