Rock Bass Fishing Guide

The rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) is a stocky, bronze-colored sunfish with distinctive red irises that give it the regional nickname 'redeye.' Despite rarely exceeding a pound, rock bass are scrappy, reliable biters and often the first fish to strike a worm or small lure in rocky streams and lake margins. They are native to the Great Lakes and upper Mississippi drainage but have been widely introduced. Rock bass can change color rapidly, shifting from dark brown to pale beige within seconds. They are opportunistic and aggressive — the size of the lure they will attack seems disproportionate to their body size.

Rock Bass is a freshwater species.

Habitat

Rocky streams, river pools, and lake shorelines with gravel or cobble bottom throughout the upper Midwest and Northeast. Associates tightly with boulder fields and submerged rocks, rarely straying far into open sand or heavy vegetation.

Diet

Crayfish, aquatic insects, small fish, and worms; more carnivorous than most sunfish. Will aggressively take lures out of proportion to their size, including small crankbaits and jigs intended for larger species.

Fishing Techniques

• Small jigs tipped with worm
• Live crayfish on light tackle
• Small inline spinners
• Fly fishing with wet flies
• Small soft plastics on drop shot

Best Seasons

Spring, Summer, Fall

Size & Records

Average weight: 0.5 lbs. World record: 3 lbs (York River, Ontario, Canada (1974)).