UTER
Photo: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Centropristis striata
How to catch Black sea bass
Black sea bass feed in 52–78°F water and bite best at 58–72°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 12 waters; in October they are at their peak in The Southern Outer Banks & Cape Fear, Delmarva & Delaware Bay, The Jersey Shore and 1 more.
12 pts · trophy at 14"Feeds 52–78°FBest 58–72°FOut of season nowArtificial reefLedge / hard bottomWreck
About
A black, bass-shaped fish on the nearshore reefs of North Florida in winter, in numbers, with a sweet white fillet. The best cold-weather bottom fishing there is.
How to fish it
A two-hook rig with squid on the nearshore reefs in 30 to 90 feet. Small hooks; they're small fish with big appetites.
What it eats
squidcut baitsmall jigs
Live bait for it
SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.What to fish it with
the sizes that fish itLeader30–60 lb fluorocarbon
Hook2/0–7/0
Braid30–65 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereMinimum size and bag limit apply — confirm at MyFWC.
The current rule →Where it is, month by month
PPeakSSpawningAArriving·AroundLLeaving
Florida
Mid & North Atlantic