Rock Bass....Good to Eat???

Been into the rock bass and never saw anyone keep them till today...couple guys from the burgh were up and told me that they taste like crappie...coulda filled a bucket in short order but never thought they'd be good eating....what does everyone think....is it worth keeping them...my perch and crappie supply is down to a couple meals

Do they taste fishy at all? or are they more like the panfish taste?

I guess there is one best way to find out for yourself. Just keep a few and cook them up like perch and crappies. And you will know.

I have never kept any myself. Fun to catch though. Its funny to me too when you grab them by the bottom lip they will always(100% of the time ) give you a shake.

thanks folks...gonna give it a try...will post what i find out

I don't care for it...mostly strong tasting red meat. If you bury the taste with breading/batter then hot sauce or tarter sauce, pretty much any fish is tolerable...however, perch or crappie it is not.

rock bass=bluegill=pumkinseeds=readears...........etc.

not if you marinate them for few weeks. if that is the case, then brick laying must be.........uh, never mind.

ORIGINAL: spoonchucker



I'd imagine ROCK Bass would be hard on the teeth though.

And the ears!

ORIGINAL: bulldog1

Just make sure they're not "taxrockbass"

Looks like E&G finally complained enough.

Put the fillets in the fridge overnight--they should tighten up.

I agree with bogey. Even in the summer I throw my fish right into ice, take em home, fillet em, put the fillets in ice til I'm done, than freeze them. Seems to keep the meat more firm.

ORIGINAL: Porktown


Like all fish, cut the red meat out to remove most of the fishy taste.

That's usually my problem with rock bass, white bass and white perch...it's mostly red meat.

I haven't eaten any for a few years. The last ones that I did were from a creek and don't recall there being a lot of red meat. I wonder if lake fish are different?

I know white bass, white perch and wipers are all related. Wipers will take about 1/2 hour to clean one and get all of the red meat removed. Since they are bigger, you still end up with a good bit of meat. Not sure if white bass or white perch would even be worth the trouble. I did keep some white perch from the Chesapeake before, and were really good. Pretty chunky fish, all around 12".