A hybrid striped bass was recently captured by Ray Gilmore, pictured at Lake Pleasant on Oct. 29. The fish weighed 2 pounds, 13.76 ounces, and measured 18.5 inches --the first recorded state record for this species.

It's pretty easy to tell the difference between stripers versus white bass and hybrids. Stripers are slender with body depth of less than one-third the length of the football-shaped white bass and hybrids that have body depth greater than one-third the length.

But it's a little trickier to tell a white bass from a hybrid. Here's how to tell them apart: A white bass has stripes that are generally faint with only one stripe that extends to the tail. Hybrids have distinct striping and several extend to the tail. The most distinguishing characteristic is that white bass only have one tooth patch on the tongue as opposed to two distinct patches in hybrids Photo #1.

Yellow bass have distinct stripes that are broken above anal fin, are yellowish in color, and don't have a tooth patch. Despite what temperate bass species you catch, it will be a fun, rewarding experience. Go catch a new state record!