Odds are that few of us have ever caught striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in Florida waters, because the range for this spectacular prima donna is so limited within Florida.

Unlike hybrid sunshine bass (a cross between a male striper and a female white bass), which are stocked in lakes and rivers throughout Florida, striped bass are primarily limited to just a few of the Sunshine State's northernmost river systems.

According to Charlie Mesing, striped bass research coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, stripers appear naturally in three river systems along our Atlantic seaboard and only rarely in certain Panhandle rivers along the Gulf of Mexico.

On the Atlantic, a few naturally occurring striped bass appear in the St. Marys, Nassau and St. Johns River, while, in the Panhandle, occasional reports of natural stripers have been verified from the Suwannee, Ochlockonee, Choctawhatchee, Escambia and Blackwater Rivers, all of which flow into the Gulf of Mexico.

Biologists agree that probably fewer than 500 naturally occurring stripers would be taken annually from any Florida system. As a result, a hatchery-stocking program from the Commission's Richloam and Blackwater facilities supplements these natural populations.

This year, for example, the Richloam Fish Hatchery has placed 488,000 striper fingerlings into the Choctawhatchee, 49,000 into the Nassau, and 780,000 into the St. Johns. Dave Yeager, at the Blackwater Hatchery, said their hatchery stocked an additional 101,000 into the Choctawhatchee, 45,000 in Lake Talquin and 63,200 in Lake Seminole. In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service placed 154,000 into the Yellow River and another 154,000 into the Blackwater River.

Stocked fingerling stripers that survive into adolescence and adulthood form of a thriving supplemental sport fishery, which draws thousands of anglers to the areas for some often outstanding, rod-bending piscatorial combat, especially during the winter months.

Probably the best striper hotspots in the Panhandle are the swift, deeper waters below Woodruff Dam on the Apalachicola River at Chattahoochee, while the runner-up might be below the spillway at the Talquin Dam on State Road 20, west of Tallahassee. Other Panhandle areas where striped bass are caught include Lake Woodruff, Lake Talquin, and the rivers near Pensacola, Choctawhatchee and West Bay.

Spawning requirements for striped bass are rarely satisfied in Florida. A river spawner, striped bass broadcast millions of eggs into water currents and offer no protection to the eggs, which are left to drift down to the estuaries to hatch. Limited natural reproduction has been documented in the St.Marys, Nassau, St. Johns and Apalachicola Rivers between March 25 and April 10 when water temperatures range between 60-68 F.

Although young stripers are warm water tolerant, adults must be able to locate water temps in the upper 70s or cooler during the state's warmer months if they are to survive beyond four years of age.

Medium-weight baitcasting and spinning outfits are recommended for striped bass, which can grow quite large. Those who challenge these fish with flyrods generally use 8-1/2 to 9-foot sticks that can handle 9- or 10-weight lines with shooting heads. The Florida record for the species is 42.25 pounds, while the world mark stands at 78 pounds, 8 ounces.

A majority of guides who specialize in stripers use live baits. Topping the list of favorites are shad, followed by shiners and small 3- to 5-inch bluegills. Anglers are advised that any bluegills used for bait must have been legally caught by hook-and-line methods.

Those who prefer artificials successfully employ jigs of various hues and sizes. Other favorite "hardware" selections include spoons, shad-like plugs and various diving or deep-running lures. When stripers are cruising near the surface, fly rodders cast streamers or poppers, or chuggers trailing a small white jig.

Everywhere, except in the Suwannee River, anglers are allowed to catch 20 striped, white or sunshine bass in aggregate, of which only 6 may measure 24 or more inches. Special regulations apply in the Suwannee where the limit is 3 fish per day measuring a minimum of 18 inches in length.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has listed the striped bass among 33 eligible species in its Big Catch Program. To qualify for a beautiful, full-color, ready-for-framing certificate and a handsome decal for a car or boat, adults must catch a striper measuring at least 30 inches or weighing a minimum of 12 pounds. Youngsters under 16 can qualify with a fish measuring a minimum of 22 inches or weighing at least 9 pounds. To apply, visit our website, or get an application from the Florida Freshwater Fishing Regulations Summary.