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11" Rock Bass Master Angler Entry

AMAZING FISH STORY!!!
i decided today to target Rock Bass for a Master Angler Patch this would require a length of 11" . Earlier this morning i released a rock bass of just over 9" with a bobber and worm. I came back home and looked at the DNR Master Angler database and saw that Wixom Lake was one of the top producers of trophy sized rock bass. Now i caught one earlier this year that measured approx 11.5" but did not have a scale with me and i thought at the time the master angler minimum was 12". i measured that fish up against my fishing rod with a picture and scaled it at at between 11" and 12" approx. This fished was released immediately and i missed out on that Master Angler oppurtunity. i caught this fish on a 5" green pumpkin/red flake jacks worm and have caught alot of jumbo rock bass on this while smallmouth bass fishing.
Now today i decided to continue that effert where i caught the previous rock bass. Mind you that i am now targeting these fish for a trophy and not accidentally catching these while fishing for another species. WHAM !!! first cast under the bridge a 11" er. Had a nice scale handy for the picture and measured just a notch over! What are the odds!!

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Albums: 2014 FISHING WIXOM LAKE

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Comment by Slip Sinker on September 14, 2013 at 6:28pm: thanks guys and I really need to return the thanks to all you guys and this site for revitalizing my interest in bluegill and panfish in general.

Dick I think you are absolutely correct... these fish hold tight to or into cover... in this lake here concrete is king then the rocky rip rap then the wood and weeds. this fish in particular was caught with a weighted 5in worm cast into 9ft of water between two bridge pillars and I let it rest near the foundation... he grabbed it before I was able to twitch it.

my first choice of lures would be a 1/16 oz or 1/8oz 4in jig worm red in color

Comment by dick tabbert on September 14, 2013 at 2:47pm: We have the red eyes also in Michigan and Ohio and I even caught a few in Indiana.

Comment by Ben Seay on September 14, 2013 at 1:47pm: Here is a Roanoke Bass - a close relative of the the Rock Bass. It is found in only four river drainages in Virginia and NC. This one I caught is from the Nottoway River in VA:

Here is how I tell them all apart:

Warmouth: Brown splotches with creamy colored areas on body, only 3 anal spines. Usually has orange-like eyes.

Rock Bass: Usually a light yellowish or light yellow-olive color, dark square-spots on sides , 6 anal spines, usually has red eyes, dark outline on anal fin

Roanoke Bass: same as Rock Bass, but with no dark outline on anal fin

The Rock Bass and Roanoke bass color shades can vary a little depending on their habitat.

Warmouth colorization usually doesn't vary unless you catch one out of a blackwater system, in which case it will be nearly black, like this one (Suwannee River, GA):

Comment by dick tabbert on September 14, 2013 at 12:36pm: Dave here is a rock bass and a warmouth I caught over vacation this year.. All Rockbass don't have red eye's some have brown or even a yellowish eye.

ROCK BASS

WAR MOUTH

Comment by Adam Rink on September 14, 2013 at 10:44am: Great fish Ken

Comment by Ray Ditzenberger on September 14, 2013 at 10:31am: Rock Bass have red eyes. Don't know about warmouth.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on September 14, 2013 at 10:20am: I've caught warpath and what may have been rockies, but the small size and similar
appearance confused me.
(not hard to do....)

Comment by Ray Ditzenberger on September 14, 2013 at 9:21am: Lordy, Lordy,....I have caught a lot of the ole goggle eyes but never one that big.

Comment by dick tabbert on September 14, 2013 at 9:18am: Also I might want to add they love rocky rivers here in Ohio and Mich it's use to be nothing to catch 100 or more a day.

Comment by dick tabbert on September 14, 2013 at 9:13am: I find in our area of Michigan if you find weeds you'll find rockbass and waremouths and they aren't shy about deep weeds and wood in the weeds is a bid plus.