It is also the most important game fish on barrier beaches and bays. In NJ this fish was taken off the commercial fishing list and preserved as a sport fish in the 1990s. Striped Bass have been known to grow well over 80 lbs. In the Barnegat Bay and the New Jersey Shore area they represent a major interpretation of the biomass production of the estuary. Though striped bass can be caught year-round in both bay and surf, major migrations of striped bass take place in the spring and fall.