Rock Bass?

[Joeytier]

I regularly fish lakes with abundant supply of rock bass (to say the least), and instead of keeping walleye or bass for fish fries, I was considering having a rock bass fry. Has anyone here tried them, and do they taste like bluegills, pumpkinseed etc?

thanks

[BillM]

Good luck with the bones

[EC1]

I think they're as good as bluegills and sunfish for sure! Usually you'll have to take the bigger ones so that it's not too much of a hassle to clean..

[Fishnwire]

If you don't mind cleaning a lot of fish for a little bit of meat...they taste fine. Try keeping and cleaning a few before you commit to a bucket-full. You may find they're more hassle then they're worth. Like I say, if your patient, and good with a fillet knife (and sharpener) then go for it.

[Photoz]

Perch are VERY tasty . . . crappie are better . . . bluegills & pumpkin seeds are good too . . . even carp, cooked properly are somewhat similar to bass . . . IF I caught big enough rock bass, I'd sure like to try it. They live in the same water as the aforementioned fish . . . eat the same food . . .. ??

[Joeytier]

Thanks for the tips. Typically, they aren't as big as crappie or bluegills, so I'd have to selective about which fish to keep. I think I might invest in an electric fillet knife.

[misfish]

Back when,we ate rock bass, sunfish and what ever else we caught during our camping trips.Pop could fillet a minna with no bones.

What I am saying is,it,s all good.

If yer good with a knife,you got no worries about bones.

 

 

Typically, they aren't as big as crappie or bluegills

 

 

WHAT???????????????

 

 

Hi ya Steve, hope alls well bud.

Edited April 5, 2009 by misfish

[Greencoachdog]

It's good white meat and they'll fry up nicely!!!

[Ramble]

No more difficult then any other pan fish to fillet. Depends on your skill level with a knife. I Keep a couple every winter ice fishing if then show up and are a descent size. No complaints about the meat taste. Just a bluegill or a 'seed.

 

-Dave

[ch312]

typically, they aren't as big as crappie or bluegills,

 

yer just fishin in the wrong spots. rockbass get bigger than bluegill and they taste very good. only a novice to filleting would have a problem with rockbass so theres no reason not to eat em.

[kemper]

I caught a bucketload last year and they tasted amazing.

 

I was really surprised, and not all that hard to clean. I didnt have any issue with bones

[danbouck]

Taste great!

[MCTFisher9120]

I asked the same question last spring and my dad went through the pain of filleting about 20 rock bass...now he wasn’t to happy to do it but i was happy to eat them, they were good but a bit boney.

[jediangler]

The WGSF should be C&R only. I find this thread as distasteful as one comparing musky recipes .

[nancur373]

cpguy29 and I caught some real fat ones on the BOG last year. Few of them pushing a pound. Never kept any but might this year.

 

Curt

[Gerritt]

Just scale them, chop off the head, gut and fry em... the bones come out easy after they are cooked.

 

 

G

[JohnF]

My buddy Rob swears they're the best tasting fish he gets, and he'll eat most anything that will bite a hook.

 

JF

[Radnine]

Taste great!

Less filling! (ok, who remembers that?)

[BassAsin]

I asked the same question last spring and my dad went through the pain of filleting about 20 rock bass...now he wasn’t to happy to do it but i was happy to eat them, they were good but a bit boney.

sounds like your dad needs to buy you a good knife,stone and a 2 foot section of countertop. hahahha

 

just gotta give it a go, no better time to learn how to fillet then now!

[Garry2Rs]

Where is mikeo when we really need him?

At Lakeaire #1 in 2002 he brought a good supply of Rock Bass fillets to the fish fry.

It might have been TJ's Fish-Crisp, but no one complained...

[xeon]

The WGSF should be C&R only. I find this thread as distasteful as one comparing musky recipes .

 

Wait... what?

 

And what are WGSF's?

[douG]

World's Greatest Sport Fish, WGSF, rock bass.

 

I Remember Mikeo, Marty's brother, a fine dude, hope he is well.

[fishboy]

World's Greatest Sport Fish, WGSF, rock bass.

 

 

the elusive rock bass...right up there with the mysterious and awe inspiring sheephead

[Beans]

My bro-in-law is a panfish fanatic and if memory serves me WGSF (rock bass) are a bit stronger flavor than bluegill, sunfish, crappie and perch but still good fare to eat...He does a fine job of filleting any of them (CPH does them better-but we won't tell him)

[Beans]

must be time for my bed... Edited April 6, 2009 by Beans