Striped Bass are present in the Umpqua and Smith rivers the entire year. They are one of the hardest fighting fish in the river, but also one of the most difficult to locate and catch. Late March through May are considered the best months for catching stripers as they tend to school and feed heavily as they prepare to spawn. Casting or trolling with large plugs, plunking with a variety of baits or fishing live bait under a bobber are all techniques we use to catch the stripers. Our striped bass average between ten and 20 pounds with a chance at catching a fish weighing more than 30 pounds.

Also. Fish have a very high natural mortality. They are not like other animals where most die of old age. Fish die at a fairly steady rate throughout their lives. Approximately 30 to 60% die of natural causes annually. You cannot stockpile them. A reasonable amount of harvest (selective harvest) does no harm. Filling the ice chest day after day is totally different for slow growing Fish, and is not recommended. Some fish, like eastern trout in Freestone waters, die of spawning stress after 3 or 4 years max, even if they are protected by high minimum size limits.