Big Goggleyes

[Sam]

Thanks to the bass fisherman who posted here about being in a bass tournament and catching big goggleyes (rock bass) if the grub got too deep. Being more of a panfisherman than a bass fisherman, I had fun yesterday.

That posting let me know it was time, and I launched out of Mill Creek and fished a big pea gravel point and bank where I've caught goggleyes off the nests in past years. I slow-trolled with the wind and the trolling motor in one direction, using a 3" white swimming minnow on a 1/4 oz. jig head at about 0.9 mph - keeping it near the bottom in 16-20 feet of water. Then going upwind I'd use the main motor and troll a little deep-diving plug that runs 15 ft. deep at about 2 mph in the same depth. Both methods worked fine, but the swimming minnow was more fun because I had it on an ultra light rod.

I caught a limit of 15 big rock bass, all over 10" and up to 12" - fat little guys. I think they fight at least as well as crappie of the same size, and I like their attitude when they bite - no fooling around, THUMP! I also picked up an 18" walleye on the plug. I think that rock bass situation will last for about another week.

[dtrs5kprs]

Caught a bunch of rockies from 4/20 to 5/7 on grubs, rigs, shakey heads on the same kinds of places around Schooner. Impressive little fish, some real solid ones in the same sizes described. We caught them in all depths though. My kids love the little guys. Buddy described them as a mouth with a tail.

[Bill Babler]

Great to hear Sam. Send me an email on how your crappie trip went. Been wondering about it. Thanks Bill

[troutgnat]

Gentlemen,

What fun those goggle-eye are. I had 4 today and 3 of them were over 12", all on a 4" grub smallie fishing. The big 3 were all full of eggs and my heart got the better of me so I put them back. I caught them on pole timber in cuts just off of main lake points( main lake points directly across the lake from Cow Creek Point #6) oops, shouldn't have done that. And a few others here and there. And yes, letting that grub get down there a ways. If a smallie wasn't there the goggle-eye would smash it.

[NuB2TR]

I have personally not found a way to prepare any kind of bass that makes them worth eating, but I do like cat, walleye, and crappie. (I’ve yet to clean a fish taken out of TR). This discussion on google-eye makes me curious on other’s opinions as to the eat-ability (flavor wise) of this fish. Do you think it’s closer to crappie or white bass? ….or something entirely different? I know it’s a personal issue, but if they’re like bass, I’ll continue my C&R habits with this fun guy.

BTW.. my avatar is my favorite go-to plastic bait. Will this work on rock-fish?

[hoglaw]

I've always pan fried them on float trips. Lots of the folks I take want to keep and eat fish and they're a good way to convince them not to harvest smallmouth. I think they eat great fried.

[Sam]

This discussion on google-eye makes me curious on other’s opinions as to the eat-ability (flavor wise) of this fish.

They're great eating, in my opinion. I don't consider goggleyes to be bass at all, though their proper name is rock bass. I group them with what we commonly call "perch" around here - bluegills, black perch (green sunfish), and the many varieties of small sunfish that are good eating if you can find 'em big enough. All those are as good to eat as crappie I think, and they have a little sweeter or maybe just a little nut-like flavor compared to crappie. I think they're all real good.

Of course black bass - largemouths, spotted bass, and smallmouths, are sunfish themselves. When I was a kid there weren't any length limits in the streams and I think bass are the best eating at about 11 or 12 inches. By the time they reach 15" or more (legal size in these lakes) they're not especially good. That's another good reason to throw black bass back and let all the bass fishermen enjoy them.

The only true bass we have here are the white bass, including stripers and hybrids. I keep and eat those up to about 14", and I've found that soaking the filets in club soda for two hours before breading and frying really makes them good - it's hard to tell them from crappie filets. If a white bass is much above 14", I'll throw it back. Those big ones are too fishy-tasting for me.

Catfish here make some good eating too, and walleyes - well, you can't beat walleye filets for a good fish dinner.

[snakem]

My Lady will fight you over them rock bass,and I love them too.very very good.

Snakem Out.

[Predator1]

Ain't nothing a little Louisiana Fish Fry want cure.

[Phil Lilley]

I think they taste like blue gill. I don't think they're targeted by many fishermen so IMO they aren't in trouble from over harvest. Kinda like blue gill. And I've been catch a bunch of them on Table Rock this spring too.

They eat crawfish mainly. That might be why they taste different than crappie and whites.