Lakes Sinclair and Oconee both have good populations of striped, hybrid and white bass and each of these fish species looks and acts different. I have received many questions over the years from anglers asking help in identifying their catch especially when distinguishing between these three species of fish. Since the daily limit for the three species is a total of fifteen in any combination of all three species, some anglers do not worry about trying to figure out which specie they have caught.

This article is a primer on these three similar but different fish species. We will start with the striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Some anglers in the northeast refer to the striped bass as a rockfish. I started fishing for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay over forty years ago and the striped bass up there were called rockfish.

The striped bass is native to the Atlantic coastline of North America and can be found from Maine to Louisiana. They can be just as much at home in a freshwater reservoir as they are in the ocean and do migrate between fresh and saltwater. The ability of striped bass to survive in freshwater has lead to their being stocked in freshwater reservoirs across the America.

The striped bass migrate up freshwater reservoirs from the ocean each year to spawn. They have been stocked in Lakes Sinclair and Oconee for several years and are presently being heavily stocked in both reservoirs. They are unable to spawn in landlocked reservoirs but still go through an attempt to spawn each spring.

The striped bass can live over thirty years and the world record is 125 pounds. The Lake Oconee record striped bass weighed 29 pounds and 14.9 ounces and was caught in 1996. The Lake Sinclair record striped bass weighed 42 pounds and was caught prior to the construction of the Wallace Dam. Striped bass will never attain that size again in Lake Sinclair due to the poor water quality.

Lake Sinclair received 73,479 striped bass in 2015 and 97,589 striped bass were stocked in Lake Oconee last year. The Georgia Wildlife Resources Division (GWRD) plans to up the number of hybrid bass and cut back on the number of striped bass stocked in Lake Oconee because of input received from anglers who fish at Lake Oconee. Anglers at Lake Oconee prefer hybrid bass over striped bass.

The white bass (Morone chrysops) was originally native to the rivers that flowed into the Mississippi River but now they have been introduced into many rivers and lakes across the country. Lake Oconee has a decent population of white bass but the white bass fishery in Lake Sinclair suffered somewhat from the construction of the Wallace Dam.

White bass are still caught in Lake Sinclair each spring when they make their way up Cedar Creek, Murder Creek and Little River to spawn. The white bass can successfully spawn in both lakes and gauging from the numbers and good sizes of white bass I have caught in Lake Sinclair recently, they seem to be making a significant comeback in Sinclair.

The world record white bass weighed 6 pounds and 13 ounces. The Lake Sinclair record white bass weighed 2 pounds and 7 ounces and the Lake Oconee record white bass record stands at 3 pounds and 6 ounces.

The third specie that I want to mention is the hybrid bass which is produced by fertilizing eggs from the white bass with sperm from the striped bass. They have been produced since the early 80s and have been stocked heavily across the United States. The Lake Oconee record hybrid bass weighed 14 pounds and 4 ounces and the Lake Sinclair record is 10 pounds and 7 ounces.

The heavy stocking of hybrid bass by GWRD in Lakes Oconee including the 292,426 hybrid fingerlings stocked in 2015 has created a good population in the lake and has created excellent fishing for anglers. Since 2012 over 1 million hybrid bass have been stocked in Lake Oconee.

From late spring until fall, anglers can make good catches of surface feeding hybrid bass between the Highway 44 Bridge and the Wallace Dam. In early spring, the fish congregate in front of the Wallace Dam and offer anglers a good opportunity to catch a mixed bag of striped bass and hybrid bass.

The hybrid bass fishery has never been as successful in Lake Sinclair but the GWRD continues to stock large numbers of hybrid bass in the Lake Sinclair including 149,416 in 2015. GWRD withheld the stocking of hybrid bass in Lake Sinclair for several years but since 2012 over 600 thousand hybrid bass have been stocked in Lake Sinclair.

These three species of fish are not pursued by a large number of anglers in either lake. Anglers will occasionally catch one while fishing for largemouth bass or trolling for crappie but only a few dedicated anglers specifically target these fish especially in Lake Sinclair. At Lake Oconee the hybrid bass are targeted by a good number of dedicated hybrid anglers and fishing guides.

For specific identification of these three Moron species, obtain a current copy of the Georgia Sport Fishing Regulations which have color photos and identifying characteristics of the fish. Next week I will look at lures and bait that can be used to catch these fish. Good fishing and see you next week.

Outdoor columnist Bobby Peoples can be reached via e-mail at brpeoples@windstream.net.