Rock Bass ??

[KWilliams]

We just returned from a visit to the lake and have a question. We caught probably 20 rock bass which was a first for us. Never caught one in the last 20 years of fishing the same areas. Were these accidentally introduced or a sign of changing water quality? Thank you in advance.

[Jonas Pilot]

What kind of spots were you fishing, depth, bottom etc?
There has been confirmed rock bass in Winni for 3 or 4 years.

[KWilliams]

and shallow depths. Classic smallmouth bass spawing flats. Any idea how the rock bass got introduced to the fishery?

[Jonas Pilot]

Not sure how they ended up in Winni. I hope it was by accident. I can't see it helping any part of the fishery. I heard it drastically effected Lake Sunapee's bass fishing.

[MikeF-NH]

I have never caught a rock bass on Winni so my first thought was "he was catching smallmouth and doesn't know how to ID a rock bass" but since you later mentioned smallmouth I think you know your fish ID. Are you also sure it wasn't a white perch? If rock bass are indeed introduced to Winni, it could affect all game species in the lake. I'm hoping it's just a mis-ID.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

I'm afraid they've been in the lake for a while now.

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2986&stc=1&d=1253541369
Grant took some underwater pictures of Rock Bass while diving at Lady of the Lake. In some old threads he keeps promising us a fish fry! :laugh:

[KWilliams]

I can positively identify a Rock Bass. This is what prompted my concern for the fishery. We caught approximately 20 of them last week in the north end of the lake.

[Jonas Pilot]

I'm not looking for any of your "hot spots" but I'm curious where you found them. I have seen them caught them in Back Bay, Wolfeboro in the SW part of the lake. These were caught in shallow water on a crawler under a bobber. I knew about the "Lady of the Lake". I hope you don't mind sharing where and how you caught them and how big they were. Thanks.

[TOAD]

http://www.hooked-in.com/system/fish/image/12/rock-bass.jpg?1194752106

[AC2717]

I had a couple of dead ones float by me the other day near our cottage. I was wondering what they were, I do not wish death on fish, but these I would love to get rid of

[KWilliams]

I'm not looking for any of your "hot spots" but I'm curious where you found them. I have seen them caught them in Back Bay, Wolfeboro in the SW part of the lake. These were caught in shallow water on a crawler under a bobber. I knew about the "Lady of the Lake". I hope you don't mind sharing where and how you caught them and how big they were. Thanks.

heck, the whole lake is a hot spot. I've been bringing the family up from Pennsylvania for 20 straight years now. I'm strictly catch and release and WILL NOT fish bedding bass. The rock bass were caught on topwater baits in the Center Harbor area. Blackey Cove, 1/2 mile Isle, Black Cat, etc.

[Grant]

They've been in Winnipesaukee for a while now. The photo posted above by Rattlesnake Gal was taken by me on the wreck of Lady of the Lake in 2002. There remains a very large population of rock bass on that wreck (as well as some nice smallies co-existing). The wreck lies in 30 feet of water, and the deck is probably 20+ feet deep.

That being said, I can't remember seeing rock bass elsewhere in the lake -- at least not in a concentration like on the wreck of the Lady.

[Jonas Pilot]

What's the largest size you have seen or caught?

[Nitronut]

I've been catching them for the past 5 years at least, mostly in the same area around Lady of the Lake and in Smith's Cove. An occasional one down in Alton Bay. Mostly small, no bigger than a pound or so.
Love to see them gone.

[Jonas Pilot]

I don't think they're going any place. I wonder which species they will compete with the most.

[FLAG!]

I grew up fishing smallmouth on both Winni and Sunappe. Sunappe used to be a great smallie lake. In the 1990's the bass fishing there absolutely shut down. Rock bass took over big time. You could hardly get soft plastics to the bottom of the lake without getting picked up by rock bass. Most fisherment I saw catch them would use a pair of wire cutters and cut the spine and toss them back for the birds. Lake Sunapee now holds a season long Rock Bass tournament where total weight wins. People bring buckets of rock bass to the town docks for weigh-ins. I've heard the bass fishing is coming back, but I have no confirmation of that rumor.

I was on vacation at winni last week and snorkeling in front of my own cottage in south wolfeboro bay I spotted a small rockbass in about 5 feet of water. I've known they were in the north end of the lake, but I'm afraid they are really going to take hold in the next few years. I'm not sure what can erally be done to save the lake from them.

[secondcurve]

Maybe Winni should host a Rock Bass tournament like Sunapee?

[GTO]

http://www.hooked-in.com/system/fish/image/12/rock-bass.jpg?1194752106


a friend caught 2 in a row tonight in Ctr Harbor. Thought at first it was white perch but definately a rock bass

[secondcurve]

Hopefully, he kept them. I always do.

[Flippin NH]

I grew up fishing smallmouth on both Winni and Sunappe. Sunappe used to be a great smallie lake. In the 1990's the bass fishing there absolutely shut down. Rock bass took over big time. You could hardly get soft plastics to the bottom of the lake without getting picked up by rock bass. Most fisherment I saw catch them would use a pair of wire cutters and cut the spine and toss them back for the birds. Lake Sunapee now holds a season long Rock Bass tournament where total weight wins. People bring buckets of rock bass to the town docks for weigh-ins. I've heard the bass fishing is coming back, but I have no confirmation of that rumor.

I was on vacation at winni last week and snorkeling in front of my own cottage in south wolfeboro bay I spotted a small rockbass in about 5 feet of water. I've known they were in the north end of the lake, but I'm afraid they are really going to take hold in the next few years. I'm not sure what can erally be done to save the lake from them.

Sunapee 's Bass fishing for smallies and largmouth has been great the last 2 or 3 years. A Tourney this year had a winning 5 fish bag over 25 pounds.

[Grant]

Sunapee 's Bass fishing for smallies and largmouth has been great the last 2 or 3 years. A Tourney this year had a winning 5 fish bag over 25 pounds.

That's a healthy bag! I've only caught two smallies in the five pound range in my many years on the Lake. But I've sure met a few more under the surface.

[JRossetti]

I rented a camp on Smith point road last week, the kids blasted through 3 packs of worms and caught close to 25 rock bass off the dock. The dock had a big rock breaker wall and the rock bass were loaded in there. Biggest was 9 inches. I told the boys that I would give them 25 cents per fish, all were removed and used in the garden:D They were fishing in about 3-5 fow I was thinking there could be a real probblem soon with that many in such a tiny area.

[AC2717]

I jumped off my boat on the mooring the other day, turned around with my goggles on and what did i see. I saw the red eyes, so I am almost 99% sure it was a rock bass, well over a foot long, just staring at me and would not move. This was in Paugus bay

are red eyes a give away?

also was in about 5 feet of water, sandy bottom