There are two types of wiper bass, the palmetto and the sunshine bass. Windshield wipers do not occur naturally in nature. Biologists take the striped bass egg and fertilize it with the white sea bass sperm; this is the palmetto version. The sunshine bass is produced by taking the egg of a white bass and fertilizing it with striped bass sperm. You can tell the difference between a windshield wiper and a striped bass by their stripes. The horizontal stripes on a windshield wiper are broken, rather than the liner being solid and unbroken. The striped hem is longer than the windshield wiper, which is thicker and more robust. Windshield wipers are more durable than any of the parent species; they are not as sensitive to extreme water temperatures and quite better in low dissolved oxygen. This hybrid fish is sterile and must be manufactured in the laboratory.
Windshield wiper fish are becoming very popular for many reasons. They grow very quickly – the world record is 27 pounds, 5 ounces. Not only are they oversized, but pound for pound, this might just be the toughest freshwater fish to fight around. They grow fast, hit hard and fight hard – everything you are looking for in sport fishing. And they taste great, they are specifically bred for this purpose in some cases. They feed on gizzard shad, silversides, sunfish, insects and crustaceans.
Windshield wipers have eyes that are made to see in low light. Therefore, the best time to catch them is early in the morning or at sunset. When it’s covered in clouds, this is also a good time to catch the windshield wiper because clouds block sunlight. Rapala is a renowned company in the manufacture of lures. And it seems that windshield wipers love their lipless crankbaits that resemble shads. When looking for windshield wipers, try fishing in a boat for “rapala lipless crankbaits.” This seems to be the best way to catch the windshield wiper.