| Sunshine
Bass
Description - The sunshine bass is a hybrid produced
by crossing a female white bass with a male striped bass. Sunshines
closely resemble both striped bass and white bass making identification
difficult, particularly for young fish. When comparing adult fish,
the sunshine has a deep body and an arched back similar to the white
bass. Sunshines can often be distinguished by broken or irregular
stripes on the front half of body and straight lines on the rear
half of body. A mid-body break in line pattern occasionally occurs.
Subspecies - There are no recognized subspecies
since the sunshine bass is an artificial hybrid. Some states including
Florida produce a hybrid called palmetto bass which is a cross between
a female striped bass with a male white bass.
Range - Sunshines are stocked throughout Florida. The largest fish
are from northwest Florida, but sunshine bass have produced fisheries
as far south as Lake Osborne in West Palm Beach.
Habitat - Sunshines appear to prefer areas within lakes and rivers
similar to striped bass and white bass. Older sunshine bass require
cooler water during summer months.
Spawning Habits - Sunshines have not been shown
to reproduce naturally in Florida; however, several recent studies
have shown limited spawning in Arkansas, South Carolina and Texas.
In Florida, they are hatchery-produced by Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission biologists and stocked in selected river
and lakes. Sunshine bass were developed by the Commission with two
goals in mind. The first was to control abundant gizzard shad populations
in nutrient-rich lakes. The second goal was to create and maintain
a new fishery that would supplement existing native species. The
sunshines have served those functions in the Apalachicola River
system, one of only a few northwest Florida rivers containing enough
shad and thermal refuges to ensure optimal growth of sunshines.
In most years since 1975, sunshine bass have been stocked in Lake
Seminole and the Apalachicola River.
Feeding Habits - Like stripers, sunshines are voracious
feeders and consume any kind of small fish including threadfin and
gizzard shad. Young fish also feed on mayflies and crustaceans.
Sunshines also travel and feed in schools with peak activity in
the early morning or evening.
Age and Growth - Sunshines are probably best known
for their rapid growth. They have attained weights of six to seven
pounds by three years of age.
Sporting Quality - As a sport fish, sunshines are
known for their good fighting ability. Live threadfin or other small
shad and shrimp are by far the most effective bait for sunshine
bass. Artificial lures such as crankbaits, bucktail or feathered
jigs, spinners and spoons also do well. Topwater lures also are
effective when fish are schooling near the surface. Trolling with
artificial lures often helps locate fish when surface feeding is
slow. As a sport fish, specific bag and size limit regulations apply,
and you can register a qualifying catch as part of the Florida Game
and Fresh Water Fish Commission's "Big Catch" program.
World Record- 24 pounds, 3 ounces,
caught in Leesville Lake, Virginia, in 1989.
Information obtained from MyFWC
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