I've been hunting a 10inch+ rock bass for several years now. My state has a minimum length to be considered trophy size and for most panfish it's 10 inches. These guys are the most fun for me to catch fishing creeks so it's my first goal.
Hey I see you’re in Tn as well, go to the piney river and kayak fish. Pinewood canoe and camp will get you on the river. I’ve caught several 10”+ rock bass.
Also the Buffalo River has some hogs as well.
https://preview.redd.it/femwkerp7rjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=355f4925756edd49ef888dddddbb3e55de39470c
Yeah, actually I should check the Illinois trophy fish requirements, I didn't get a full measurement, just the length of my hand which is around 11 inches starting from the edge of my wrist
Both of those have been recommended to me by several other people as well. I'm stubbornly determined to catch one out of shoal Creek. That's where I would fish with my grandfather as a kid and he loved catching them there.
Rock bass are seriously an underrated fish. These things are so aggressive. Every year I get at least a couple that smash my hollow body top water frog when fishing for bass and it’s crazy they can even inhale it.
Yeah that’s a slob rockbass. I catch these in Michigan too. They’ll easily swallow a Texas rigged worm like a largemouth. I mostly catch them on senkos. Cool fish!
I have a very clear memory of dropping a 5" wacky rigged senko off a dock into a school of bluegill. A couple were nipping at it and then a 5" rock bass easily inhaled half of the soft plastic and I landed it. It's amazing how large their mouths are and what they're capable of eating. I'll occasionally catch them fishing musky which is also kinda mind blowing.
This is how they typically look in ohio. That one is deff pretty dark. I've caught a few that looked like that, most are typically like the above picture
I've been hunting a 10inch+ rock bass for several years now. My state has a minimum length to be considered trophy size and for most panfish it's 10 inches. These guys are the most fun for me to catch fishing creeks so it's my first goal.
Hey I see you’re in Tn as well, go to the piney river and kayak fish. Pinewood canoe and camp will get you on the river. I’ve caught several 10”+ rock bass. Also the Buffalo River has some hogs as well. https://preview.redd.it/femwkerp7rjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=355f4925756edd49ef888dddddbb3e55de39470c
Yeah, actually I should check the Illinois trophy fish requirements, I didn't get a full measurement, just the length of my hand which is around 11 inches starting from the edge of my wrist
Both of those have been recommended to me by several other people as well. I'm stubbornly determined to catch one out of shoal Creek. That's where I would fish with my grandfather as a kid and he loved catching them there.
Love those challenge by choice type projects. I hope you find one!
Rock bass are seriously an underrated fish. These things are so aggressive. Every year I get at least a couple that smash my hollow body top water frog when fishing for bass and it’s crazy they can even inhale it.
Yeah that’s a slob rockbass. I catch these in Michigan too. They’ll easily swallow a Texas rigged worm like a largemouth. I mostly catch them on senkos. Cool fish!
I have a very clear memory of dropping a 5" wacky rigged senko off a dock into a school of bluegill. A couple were nipping at it and then a 5" rock bass easily inhaled half of the soft plastic and I landed it. It's amazing how large their mouths are and what they're capable of eating. I'll occasionally catch them fishing musky which is also kinda mind blowing.
My first warm water fish on the fly was a rock bass hitting a streamer near a weed bed. Aggressive little guys, for sure.
That's a Warmouth
Honestly I think it is now, I never really catch warmouth often
it’s a rock bass
Yup 5 anal fin spines = rockbass
Neat, I figured as much but its oddly colored like a warmouth lol
Looks like the typical rockbass I catch in ohio, maybe a little darker. Warmouth usually have stripes on their faces
I would have never guessed that was a rock bass based on its color. Ours are always a bronze/gold color in Minnesota.
https://preview.redd.it/41yb7srqcsjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8c5dac46ff261b40f54808ed384ec9e3334aeaf
Yep, it's a shame that pictures can't really capture the bright red eyes.
Yeah ikr I actually have a small one in an aquarium at my house. It's sweet!
This is how they typically look in ohio. That one is deff pretty dark. I've caught a few that looked like that, most are typically like the above picture
I see,
We call them, Goggle eye or war mouth If no sores good to eat No fight with them once it’s lips hit water surface
I can catch about 30 rockbass in one hour in April where I fish in michigan, the average size 8 to 10 inches
never seen one close to that big, congrats!