Hybrid Striped Bass
Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis · also called Hybrid, Wiper, Sunshine Bass
The hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis), called a wiper or sunshine bass, is a stocked cross between a white bass and a striped bass. In the lakes Texas Hawgs guides it shows up on Lake Belton and Decker Lake — a hard-fighting, schooling temperate bass that combines a white bass's scrap with a striper's power.
Why: The wiper — a bulldog brawler.
Evidence: Verified knowledge from Bryan Cotter, 26+ years guiding all 16 Central Texas lakes.
Related: Striped Bass · White Bass · All Central Texas bass species
Verified Answered by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs guide · Updated Jul 12, 2026
The hybrid — most anglers call it a wiper — is a man-made cross of a white bass and a striper, stocked by TPWD for exactly the reason you'd guess: it fights like a demon. It stays smaller than a striper but pulls harder than a white bass, schools up, and crushes shad and reaction baits. On our lakes you'll run into them on Belton and Decker. When a school pushes up chasing bait, hold on.
Hybrid Striped Bass at a glance
- Scientific name
- Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis
- Family
- Moronidae
- Type
- Temperate Bass
- Typical size
- 2.5 lbs average
- Trophy size
- 8 lbs+
- Texas record
- 19.66 lbs — Lake Ray Hubbard (1984)
How to identify a Hybrid Striped Bass
Silvery with dark stripes that are distinctly broken and staggered — the quickest ID.
- Horizontal stripes that are broken and offset (not clean and continuous)
- Deeper, stockier body than a striper
- Two tooth patches on the tongue
- Heavier build than a white bass
Quick tell: The offset, broken stripes are the giveaway: a striper's stripes are clean and continuous, a white bass is smaller and deeper-bodied.
Similar species: Striped Bass · White Bass
Where to catch Hybrid Striped Bass in Central Texas
Stocked and caught on Lake Belton and Decker Lake.
How we catch them
An aggressive open-water schooler that corners shad and hammers reaction baits, often with white bass.
Spawn: Does not reproduce — sustained by stocking. Sterile hybrid; populations are entirely maintained by TPWD stocking.
Go-to techniques: Swimbait Fishing, Walking Topwater, Offshore / Ledge Fishing, Crankbait Fishing.
Best lures: Swimbait, Lipless Crankbait, Underspin, Walking Topwater (Spook), Medium-Diving Crankbait.
Best seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall.
The fight: A relentless bulldog — dives and pulls harder than its size suggests.
Eating & regulations
Good eating and a legal keeper within the limits.
Combined with striped bass under statewide "temperate bass" limits on most waters — check current regulations.
Hybrid Striped Bass FAQs
What is a hybrid striped bass?
It's a stocked cross between a white bass and a striped bass — often called a wiper or sunshine bass — bred for its size and hard fight.
Where do you catch hybrids near Austin?
On the lakes we guide, Lake Belton and Decker Lake are your best bets for hybrid striped bass.
Keep exploring
All Central Texas bass species · Guadalupe bass — the Texas state fish · Central Texas bass fishing guide · All 16 lakes we fish
Want to catch a Hybrid Striped Bass? See trip rates and book, or call or text 512-762-0190.