As the story goes, back in the early 1900's some body dumped stripers into San Fransisco Bay. Eventually this species found suitable conditions all the way up to the Columbia River. Years back, Oregon even had a commercial fishery for these critters. The most suitable conditions in our neck of the woods for this fish is the Coos Bay estuary and the Smith River ( I think ) even though fairly recently anglers where picking these guys up in the Williamette system. Like Shad, this is an east coast species that found a home out west. They use to be quite a to-do in Oregon ( 60 pounders ) but I think commercial fishing kept their numbers down.