| Sea bass, also known as black sea bass,
are a mild tasting fish with a firm, white fillet that support a growing
fishery in New York. All sea bass are females when they are born.
At three to four
years of age and at about 3lbs. they change sex. You can identify
the males by the blue bump that develops on their foreheads. Sea
bass have a range that extends from New England to Florida but they are
most concentrated off Long Island and New Jersey. They can weigh upwards
of five pounds but are most commonly available in the one to three pound range.
Primarily bottom dwellers, sea bass are fond of frequenting wrecks and
other undersea structures. They migrate to deeper offshore waters in the
fall and return to the shallower waters as they warm in the spring. We
fish for sea bass with clam bait while anchored or drifting very slowly.
They are often mixed with porgies and blackfish. Fishing season runs
from May to October. Sea bass are easy to catch and double headers are
very common when fishing is good. Fishing Tips: Conventional
rods are usually preferred by sea bass fishermen. Monofilament line
doesn't tangle as badly, but braided line lets you feel the bites a bit
better. Sea bass are easy to hook. When you get a bite you can lift up 3
feet on the rod tip or just start reeling. |