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Striper Bait
Striped bass can be caught using a number of baits including: clams, eels, anchovies, bloodworms, nightcrawlers, chicken livers, menhaden, herring, shad, and sandworms. At times, striped bass can be very choosy about the baits they take. Because of the wide variety of baits that are known to work and their finicky nature, they are considered among fishermen as being an opportunistic or "lazy" feeder. However, it is estimated that 90% of their diet is fish.
Menhaden - 
The Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) is a small, oily fleshed fish that plays a major role in the marine ecosystem on the east coast of the United States. They go by many different names, some of the most popular being bunker, pogies, mossbacks, bugmouths, alewifes, and fat-backs. The maximum size for the Atlantic menhaden is usually about 15 inches in length. The average size of menhaden is smaller in the southern portion of their range, and largest at the northern portion. They are bright silver in color, and have a number of black spots extending horizontally from the gill plate to the tail, with the largest spot found directly behind the gill plate. They are quite flat and soft fleshed, with a deeply forked tail. At sea, schools of Atlantic menhaden may contain millions of members.
Shad - The American shad or Atlantic shad (Alosa sapidissima) is the largest member of the herring family. 
Shad have silver bodies and a green back, with large scales and a deeply forked tail. The males (or "bucks") are smaller than the female, weighing about 1 to 3 pounds when spawning; females are generally 3 to 8 pounds. Both genders tend to run a little larger on the East Coast of the United States.
Most people butterfly the shad to disperse scent into the water.
This is done by partially filleting one side of the shad. You leave the fillet attached with enough skin to keep it from separating. Clean your knife each time you cut shad to remove scales that will tear up your next piece of bait. The current will cause a butterflied shad to spin in the water, which will attract striped bass. The best size shad for striped bass fishing is about 3" to 4" in length.
American eel - (Anguilla rostrata), is a catadromous fish found on the eastern coast of North America. It 
has a snake-like body with a small sharp pointed head. It is brown on top and a tan-yellow color on the bottom. It has sharp pointed teeth but no pelvic fins. American eels are found throughout the Bay watershed, from creeks and ponds to the deep, swift channels of the Bay. Adults usually live in fresh to brackish rivers and streams, but some remain in the Bay's shallow, nearshore waters.
Bay Anchovy - The bay anchovy is one of 10 species of anchovies on the Atlantic coast of North America 
and is the most abundant fish in estuarine and coastal habitats along the eastern United States. Bay anchovies (and other anchovy species) are similar in appearance to fishes of the herring family (Clupeidae). However, they can be distinguished by a prominent silver stripe on either side of the body and lack of scutes (bony scales) along their bellies. Bay anchovies are of a greenish color above and silvery below and have a single dorsal fin, which is located midway along the body.
Atlantic Herring -(Clupea harengus) can 
be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean congregating together in large schools. They can grow up to 18 inches in length. Streamlined for swimming, the herring body is relatively deep and flattened laterally, with a distinctly forked tail. Turn an Atlantic herring sideways and you could probably slide it under your closet door. The compressed body and silvery scales serve as camouflage in the open waters of the ocean, scattering light and helping to conceal herring from predators.