Seventh in a 14-part series describing the Freshwater Fishes of New York . Highly aggressive gamefish, New York's true bass are extremely popular with many anglers. From bank fishing along lake tributaries to surf casting on Long Island's beaches, true bass provide anglers with a diversity of fishing opportunity. Also called temperate bass, true bass live in a variety of habitats. True bass are found in waters with a salt content ranging from fresh to full seawater, and two species, the white perch and striped bass, can easily move between fresh and saltwater.
True bass are distinct in appearance.
They are generally silvery white in color and most have dark horizontal lines along their sides. They have two separate, or only slightly connected, dorsal fins and numerous small teeth. While many people think true bass are relatives of the smallmouth and largemouth bass, they are not. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are black bass, which are actually members of the sunfish family. True bass and black bass not only differ in appearance, but also in habitat requirements and spawning behavior.