Many of us have experienced "wiper busts" or "shad boils". For those who have not , one day you may. You are at a local lake, fishing for whatever bites. There’s a slight breeze in the air and then as you gaze across the water you see the water furiously boiling, little fish spraying from the water and explosive splashing similar to a scene from the movie "Piranha". What you just witnessed was a feeding frenzy of temperate bass. It could be: a white bass, or a hybrid bass known as a " wiper" (a hybrid between white and striped bass).

Though your first reaction may be fear, (I often joke about my local hospital needing a "Wiper Trauma Unit" consisting of lavender scented candles and chamomile tea to calm a person down), your second reaction is "How do I catch them?"

Hold on a second! Think! Could this desire of wanting to experience euphoria be harmful to the fishery? In some instances, "yes."

Wipers are more of a cool-water fish, and that is especially true of large wipers. Although a little more heat tolerant than their striped bass parent, wipers begin to stress as the water temperature rises. Since most studies of hybrid bass mortalities have been done in aquaculture, there is very little information available on the effects of heat stress on wipers in reservoirs and lakes. But, anglers can use information on heat stress of striped bass to educate themselves on a general guideline for effective handling, catch and release, and when "selective harvest " should be applied.
The warmer months of summer is not the time to fish for large wipers! Yes, they may make themselves more visible at this time, and, yes, they can be easy to catch, but the bad news is that big wipers caught during the summer peak are more likely to die. The good news is that this period is brief, lasting only about 2-3 weeks. In late July the photo period begins to shorten. By early September the longer nights start to cool down in the lower 60’s and water temperatures begin lower slowly back down in the upper 70’s with a cool evening or nightly breeze that stirs the water. A gradual cooling of the water begins the fall transition. A time of the year which is for fishing!

What to know?
First thing to know is, what is a wiper's comfort zone? Hybrid bass can tolerate more adverse water conditions than other temperate bass. They can winter through the ice and become more active at 55 degrees Fahrenheit. False spawning takes place between 64-71 degrees. The preferred upper comfort zone temperature is about 74-77 degrees. The wiper’s comfort zone can vary from one body of water to the next with regards to a variety of water quality situations, such as: alkalinity, hardness, pH and dissolved oxygen levels. Most hybrid bass aquaculture studies show that water temperatures above 91 degrees can be fatal to hybrid bass.

While it maybe tempting to catch "feeding frenzy" wipers in the midst of the late summer doldrums, as anglers and stewards of nature need to consider whether or not we should risk harming a fishery for our own selfish gain.

I am a wiper fisher! I love everything about this remarkable species! I love catching them! The screaming of the drag! ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz! The vicious boils as shad come 2 feet out of the water in avoidance of becoming a meal! HOWEVER!!! I hate to see them die, even though I know we all must meet an end.

Personally, I try to not become the grim reaper of such a unique species. As the water temps start to climb in the upper 80’s I stop fishing for wipers for about 3 weeks (usually the last week of July to the last week in August). As we now know, water temps above 91 degrees can be fatal to hybrid bass. You add the stress of a wiper fighting to get away from an angler and this can lower the tolerant range a lot further. When wipers fight on an angler's line, lactic acid begins to builds and with out proper revival the fish may die. So what does lactic acid have to do with it one may ask? With acidic blood flowing into the main circulation of the fish the acidic blood depresses the performance of the swimming muscles. Remember how your muscles ache after a hard race? Lactic acid is a byproduct of the conversion of glycogen into energy. Buildup of lactic acid is associated with fatigue. Rest is needed after exertion to reduce lactic acid levels. When lactic acid accumulates, some fish that are released and seem to swim away fine, die later.

What About the Catching?
In preparation for this article a member asked me to base my article on scientific facts and not personal opinions. Though abstaining from fishing during the summer peak heat is my personal opinion, I must point out that other common practices such as "catch and release" and "selective harvest" began as opinions. Many muskie and trout anglers also choose to take a break from catching muskies and trout during the peak water temperatures of mid- to late summer.

In this 2-3 week break from wiper fishing, I would suggest learning more about the shad migration and the peak time to be out there when the water temps drop down to a more acceptable range. During this time you could take the neighborhood kid bluegill fishing while scouting out potential future ambush points.

The fun begins when the water temps have cooled down a bit and you cannot take it anymore! Prime fishing for wipers occurs in the early morning hours when the water has cooled 4 maybe even 10 degrees overnight (which makes it more likely fish can be safely caught and released). Many biologists strongly suggest "tackling up" during this period because wipers still can seize up and need to be revived . Tackling up would consist of a medium or medium heavy rod coupled with a reel that can hold 12# and heavier line.

A little side note about tackling up: A friend of mine and I were fishing for wipers early last fall and we did a little experiment. He used 14# Berkley Fireline and I used 8# monofilament. The results were interesting. The average fight time was about 6 minutes (these wipers were 24-27") even though I was using lighter line. One reason for that difference was he was using a Zara Spook with treble hooks and I was using a 5" fluke with a single 5/0 wide gap worm hook. His fish needed more revival time because the landing techniques were different. I would cradle mine with one arm with my hand under the belly. This would support the fish between my waist and arm thus immobilizing the fish faster and beginning the resting period quicker. Although he was using a forceps type hook remover, he did not cradle the fish and the fish would still do a series of "death rolls" and head shakes while the hooks were being removed. This resulted in more struggling which exhausted more energy at the end of the fight.

This brings me to the preferred baits. In order to minimize handling I suggest changing the treble hooks to single hooks. On baits such as Kastmaster spoons, hooks can easily be changed from the stock treble to a sturdy "J" style hook. Other examples of popular baits would include in-line spinners with the treble hook barbs pinched down. My personal favorites are 5" flukes in shad colors such are white and ice blue with a 5/0 wide gap worm hook. Buck tail jigs work all year round and allow for easy unhooking as well. Another thing to consider when choosing your bait for wipers, is that wipers are very size specific and "matching the hatch" for example the "young of the year", shad is critical. So chose your size and color of your baits wisely.

After the Fight
Once you get your catch in and you chose to release that trophy for another angler or another day, revival is an important key to assure the survival of the fish. We have all read "Don’t play the fish to exhaustion." With wipers this statement is essential! After landing and unhooking, get that fish in the water as fast as possible. Then hold the fish in the water, but DO NOT MOVE THE FISH VIOLENTLY BACK AND FORTH! This only adds to the fish’s stress. It is better to hold the fish below the water surface and observe its gill plate movements. No gill plate movement means that fish is not ready to be released yet. You may have to cradle the fish by the belly while the other hand supports it just in front of the tail for up to 5 minutes or more. When the gill plates start to move, that fish will tell you with a quick flick of the tail and a splash of water in your face that is going to make it.

Currently I am working on a new release technique that involves; wetting the hands (of course), shielding the fishes eyes with one hand and holding the fish vertical in the water by the front part of the tail with the other. This allows the fish to calm easier, and allows oxygen rich water to flow through the gills. Though my studies are not complete yet, most fish revive a lot quicker. In some cases if the fish seizes it is good practice to gently open this fish’s mouth and move slowly forward getting the water to flow through the gills helping the fish regain lost oxygen by water flowing through the gills. As a wader I have an advantage that I can actually walk with the fish however, a angler in boat can slowly go forward until the fish is revived. To identify a wiper that has “seized”, look at the appearance and natural color of the fish. The first noticeable trait is the fish has an unusual stiffness(like rigor-mortis). Depending a water clarity the fish may have a yellowish tint to the body(normally they are silver) while the fins may have a red or pinkish tint to them.

Now where state regulations allow the harvest of wipers, an angler can put the fish on a stringer penetrating behind the lower teeth on the lower jaw. This may stress the fish a little but the time on the stringer should allow it to relax and lower lactic acid levels. Or putting the fish in a live well also reduces stress and lactic acid build up. Remember upon filleting the fish to remove the red(dark)meat for superb dining. My personal opinion , however, is that most trophy fish should be revived properly and released for future enjoyment by you, me , our children, and their grandchildren. Most fish you choose to release should be treated with respect. Everything precaution we take to assure fish survival helps such as; wetting the hands, using a wet rubber mat in the bottom of the boat instead of laying the fish on a dry carpet, and keeping a mat or long wet, vinyl sack for fishing on land to keep the fish free from sand, dirt, leaves , and grass. All measures to reduce stress, infection from abrasions and the fishery and the sport of fishing shall be enjoyed for many generations to come!

Tight Lines and screaming drags!!!
ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZ!!!!

Other sources provided by famed aqua culturist, Dr. Bruce Condello:3

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Special Thanks to Daryl Bauer, Roger F.(OldBaldGuy) and Don M.(Lundlover)