Wiper
Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis. Hybrid cross between a female striped bass and a male white bass, blending traits of both parents.
Photos
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Identification
- Hybrid cross between a female striped bass and a male white bass, blending traits of both parents.
- Six to eight dark, broken horizontal stripes over a silver-white body with a dark charcoal to black back.
- Two dorsal fins, the front one with eight to ten sharp spines; slightly heavier-bodied than a pure striped bass.
- Grows fast: about seven pounds by age three, and past 20 pounds by age ten where forage is good.
Active times
- dawn
- dusk
Top lures
- Large inline spinner (spinner , silver/chartreuse): Sized larger than a trout spinner; effective for wipers and largemouth bass alike.
- Swimbait (soft plastic , silver/pearl/chartreuse): Cast or trolled to imitate shad, the main forage for this open-water hybrid.
- Casting spoon (spoon , silver/chrome): Cast into visible surface-feeding schools chasing baitfish.
Top baits
- Cut shad or shad-imitating cut bait: Still-fished on the bottom or slow-trolled in open water near baitfish schools.
- Cut baitfish under a bobber: Cut shad suspended under a float, up off the bottom where wipers surface to chase baitfish.
Line & tackle
- Line: 6–12 lb
- Rod power: Medium to medium-heavy action spinning or baitcasting rod for a hard-fighting, open-water hybrid
Stocked behavior
The wiper is an artificial hybrid with no native range, and USGS records every population as maintained by stocking programs. Utah stocks it as a working predator, to hold down prey fish that would otherwise overpopulate Minersville, Newcastle and Scofield reservoirs, with a trophy fishery as the upside. Growth is fast, about seven pounds by age three.
Common mistakes
- Fishing structure like a bass angler; wipers roam open water chasing baitfish schools rather than holding tight to cover.
- Using undersized tackle; wipers show greater strength than either parent species and fight harder than a similarly sized trout or bass.
- Ignoring surface activity; casting into visible baitfish-chasing schools is often the most effective presentation.
State records
| State | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 20 lbs. 12.16 oz. | Mark Brazzeal | Otter Creek Reservoir | 2026 |
Source: Utah's official record page , accessed 2026-09-19.
Best time to fish Wiper
Computed from every real stocking date on record, not a general seasonal guess.
Utah
Most commonly stocked in July in Utah, based on 242 stocking events on record.
Where it's stocked
20 locations shown. Click a pin for details.
Utah
- Willard Bay Reservoir (46)
- Scofield Reservoir (31)
- Otter Creek Reservoir (17)
- Jordanelle Reservoir (16)
- Settlement Canyon Reservoir (16)
- Red Fleet Reservoir (11)
- Yuba Reservoir (Sevier Bridge Reservoir) (11)
- Adams Reservoir (10)
- East Canyon Reservoir (10)
- Salem Pond (10)
- Newcastle Reservoir (9)
- Huntington North Reservoir (8)
- Minersville Reservoir (8)
- Willow Park Pond (8)
- Palisade Reservoir (6)
- Panguitch Lake (6)
- Piute Reservoir (3)
- Hyrum Reservoir (3)
- Gunnison Bend Reservoir (1)
- Lost Creek Reservoir (1)
Sources
- identification (accessed 2026-09-19)
- identification (accessed 2026-09-19)
- identification (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_lures (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_lures (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_lures (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_baits (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_baits (accessed 2026-09-19)
- common_mistakes (accessed 2026-09-19)
- stocked_behaviour (accessed 2026-09-19)
- stocked_behaviour (accessed 2026-09-19)
- stocked_behaviour (accessed 2026-09-19)
- line_and_tackle (accessed 2026-09-19)
- active_times (accessed 2026-09-19)
- active_times (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_lures (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_baits (accessed 2026-09-19)