Black Sea Bass Fishing

Black Sea Bass

Other names—blackfish, sea bass, black bass, black will, black seabass, rockbass, common sea bass, humpback (large males), pin bass (small specimens); Spanish: serrano estriado.

Black sea bass are members of the Serranidae family and popular sportfish in the western Atlantic along the coast of North America. Their firm, white flesh makes excellent eating, especially if they are iced after capture and properly cared for, as their flesh deteriorates rapidly when warm. Anglers must handle this fish with caution, as the dorsal fin has stiff, sharp spines that can puncture human skin. These stand straight up when the black sea bass is alive, but even when the fish is dead and the spines lie flat on the back, they can be dangerous.

Identification

The black sea bass has a relatively stout body that is three times as long (excluding the tail) as it is deep. It also has a high back, a flat-topped head, a slightly pointed snout, and a sharp spine near the apex of each gill cover. Both dorsal fins are joined into one continuous dorsal fin, and the tail is rounded; the elongated top ray of the tail that sticks out past the rest of the tail, particularly pronounced in larger specimens, is the most distinguishing feature of this fish. Because of the high back, which creates a noticeable rise just behind their heads, some large male black sea bass are called “humpbacks.”

Like many rock-bottom dwellers, the body color of the black sea bass is variable, ranging from black to gray or brownish gray. The dorsal fins are marked by several slanting, white spots arranged into lengthwise lines or a more random pattern; the spots in rows make the dorsal fins appear to be striped a light color. There also appear to be thin stripes on the sides, with wide vertical bands overlapping the stripes on some fish, and a large dark spot on the last dorsal spine. The upper and lower edges of the tail are white, as are the outer edges of the dorsal and anal fins. Smaller fish may lack the white edge on the tail and anal fins.

Males differ from this coloration, having a completely bluish black body, except for some white areas on the head and the edges of fins. Their tail lobes are prolonged, although on smaller fish they may be very short.

Size

Big sea bass range from 3 to 8 pounds, and the average fish weighs between 1 and 3 pounds; the all-tackle world record is a 9-pound, 8-ounce fish. They can grow to 2 feet long, averaging 6 to 18 inches. They are known to live for 10 years, but in rare cases they may live longer. Females rarely live beyond 8 years of age, whereas males may live up to 15 years.

Distribution

Found in the western North Atlantic Ocean along the United States, the black sea bass ranges as far north as Maine and south to northern Florida, as well as into the Gulf of Mexico. It is most common between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It also occurs in southern Florida during cold winters.

Black sea bass consist of two stocks, one north and the other south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The northern group winters along the 55-fathom depth contour off Virginia and Maryland, then migrates north and west into the major coastal bays.

Habitat

The black sea bass is a bottom-dwelling species found around wrecks, reefs, piers, jetties, and breakwaters, and over beds of shells, coral, and rock. Small fish are found in shallow and quiet waters near the shore, such as in bays, whereas most larger fish prefer offshore reefs, in water ranging from roughly 10 feet deep to several hundred feet deep. Black sea bass prefer relatively cool waters, living offshore in winter and moving inshore in spring.

Life history

Black sea bass are hermaphrodites; most begin their lives as females and later become males. Large fish are males, and females reach reproductive ability in their second year. Transformation from female to male generally occurs between ages 2 and 5. Their protracted spawning season extends from February through May in the southern range and from June through October in their northern range. Spawning begins in March off North Carolina and occurs progressively later farther north.

Food and feeding habits

Clams, shrimp, worms, crabs, and small fish constitute the diet of the omnivorous black sea bass, and most anglers offer them some form of bait. Many bass that are caught in deep water and quickly brought to the surface will regurgitate all or part of their stomach contents, which may attract more fish.