White Bass Morone chrysops – scientific name
Common Names: White Bass, Sand Bass, Silver Bass. White bass often has a strong, fishy taste. Like other bass, for eating there may be better options. Not to say you cannot eat white bass.
White bass are primarily found in the Great Lakes and connecting waters in Michigan and Wisconsin. White bass spawning activity occurs when the water temperatures reach between 55-65 and degrees, which can be anytime in spring from March through May. So in the spring you can fish for schools of white bass on the great lakes and catch many.
Pros know the process of preparing good tasting white bass starts the instant they are caught. It is best to put white bass on crushed ice right away. The faster a white bass is iced, the better the white bass fillets will taste.
Pros know it is best to eat White Bass fresh. Like whitefish, crappie and many species of trout, white bass do not freeze and store well.
White bass, or what a lot of anglers refer to as silver bass are one of the most overlooked and underappreciated species of fish in Michigan and Wisconsin Great Lakes.
White bass are members of the temperate bass family and closely related to white perch and also striped bass. These fish travel in schools and are notorious for their willingness to strike at a wide variety of live baits and artificial lures.
Hybrid Striped Bass | White bass and striped bass are very similar in habits, have similar markings, and live in mostly the same waters. The main three differences are body shape, stripes, and mouth. The white bass is rounder, while the striped bass is more slender. The lines on white bass are fainter, and only one reaches the tail.
Striped bass fishing in Wisconsin may not be as prominent as in coastal states, but the state does offer opportunities to catch Stripper in stocked lakes in southern WI. The striped bass are not native to Wisconsin, they have been stocked in certain lakes to provide additional angling opportunities.
Health : Local waters have PCBs, dioxin, mercury, PFOS, and other chemicals that can be found in fish and stay in our environment for a very long time.
Be aware of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services – The Eat Safe Fish Guide (ESF Guide)
Wisconsin has the a health guide for eating fish in Wisconsin – Choose Wisely Contaminate Advisories for Wisconsin
