Tips for catching spawning rockies.

[Jacob Hill]

So this is probably the last thing you would expect me to ask after the picture many of you guys saw yesterday, but how do you catch spawning rockies? Smallie fishing has pretty much come to an end this spring and the rock bass are THICK on points and flats near large drop-offs. The giant one ate a big jig and plastic but when I put a smaller jig and plastic on, they want nothing to do with it. Should I use tubes? Are they simply not going to eat? By the way, the lake that I fish is CRYSTAL CLEAR so when I'm fishing in 12ft of water I can still see them. Thanks in advance

[dick tabbert]

Jacob I love crystal clear lakes to fish you can see some of the bites you sometimes miss in off colored water. Sometimes you can't even feel the bite and If think that's not true statement fish crystal clear lakes for yourself and see how many bites are undetected. I really can't speak much on the Rock Bass I have always found them to be very aggressive and not shy about taking any morsel you put in front of them and usually being the first fish to the bait. I do use lots of twister tails not to say tubes will not work cause like I said they are not shy. The only other thing I might add is color. Color might be a factor. I use lots of pearl color tails. Colors of choice in order of best starts with white, light chartreuse, light blue and red. All being pearl. Thank you Jacob Lindy Hill for the post it will be interesting and I will monitor myself, I love all the fishing info I can get.

[Jacob Hill]

Thanks so much for the response Dick. I attribute ALL of my smallie success to the clear water. If you get a smallmouth to charge your bait once, even if it turns off, you will always catch it. Color change and extreme finesse may be necessary, but if the fish is interested, it will eat. Anyway, it was so out of character for these rock bass to be so sluggish. I'll put a chartreuse twister tail on next week and give it a try. I'm hopefully going to get a chance to measure a big fish next week and send it in for the catch and release record.

[Bill "Musky" Modica]

Rock bass crush just about anything.....Bass anglers on lake Geneva can't keep them off their crankbaits......I would suggest a crankbait with a small profile like GSR-4 Rapala....it suspends, and gets down to 12'....and would work great on lakes like Vulcan.

[Jacob Hill]

thanks bill. it was weird for them to be so inactive...

[dick tabbert]

Thank you for the info on the smallies I didn't know that. Take care and hope you have a good day of fishing on your next outing.

[Vince Fusco]

Jacob, I would fish a 1/16 or a 1/32 oz. tube jig and bounce it off the bottom in the rocks. I would try and match the color of the crawfish in your lake, as rockbass love them. 

[jim cosgrove]

in the kankakee river basin where i catch most of my rock bass they spawn right after or with the smallies right around mothers day.lake michigan not till june - july.i always find them where you find the smallmouth most of the year.the planetarium in downtown chicago is full of rock bass any where off the wall.just say above the boulders.