Bass is a name shared by many different species of fish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belonging to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes.  Smallmouth and largemouth bass are black bass, which are members of the sunfish family.  They have a dull-green base coloring with...

Bass is a name shared by many different species of fish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belonging to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes.  Smallmouth and largemouth bass are black bass, which are members of the sunfish family.  They have a dull-green base coloring with dark patterns on the sides. Most reach a maximum overall length of 16–24 inches, but there have been some largemouth bass reported to grow 3 feet in length.

The striped bass, also called Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, pimpfish, rock, or rockfish are considered temperate bass along with white perch.  They can easily move between fresh and saltwater.  The striped bass spawn in fresh water, and although they have been successfully adapted to freshwater habitat, they naturally spend their adult lives in saltwater.  They are generally silvery white in color and most have dark horizontal lines or stripes along their sides.  The largest striped bass ever taken by angling weighed 81.88-lbs. and was 54 in length and had a girth of 36 in.   Striped bass are believed to live for up to 30 years.