Rock Bass....edible or not?

[dtg]

After reading many mixed reviews on the tastyness of the Rock Bass, I've opted to get it's own thread going.

Have you or do you eat them. Do you or did you like it or do you wish you had buried it in your garden.

I've read that they are pretty desireable for eating, but never actually ate one myself. I've seen here that people are just as mixed. I only like mild fish like Walleye, Pike, Sunfish/bluegill/crappie. Does the Rock Bass fall into this edible category? I know just about everything IS edible, more like is it palatable. Is it really fishy, what is it that makes this fish such a no sitting on the fence with people?

[gomer]

I doubt you would be able to taste the difference between a rockbass and a crappie or bluegill...

[JasonG]

If we catch them in the mix with blue gills and perch we fillet them and eat them. I think the key to most fish is multiple water baths of the meat before cooking

[WILDCATWICK]

Eat them alot as a kid and never remembered anything negative.

[live2fishdjs]

I doubt you would be able to taste the difference between a rockbass and a crappie or bluegill...

:yeahthat: I know I can't tell a difference.

[gregm]

I've eaten them my entire life and properly prepared taste like any other panfish.

[enfield]

Very edible - interchangeable with bluegills.:D

[Ladygill]

I doubt you would be able to taste the difference between a rockbass and a crappie or bluegill...

Rock bass have a stronger taste than other panfish and the texture of the meat is also different. I do not care for either qualities.

[Burksee]

.............I only like mild fish like Walleye, Pike, Sunfish/bluegill/crappie. Does the Rock Bass fall into this edible category?............ Simply put...... Yes! :)

[Bowslayer]

I eat rockies quite often when I catch them. I usually only keep them over 10 inches. If I catch a decent amount of gills then I will start keeping smaller ones. If you mix gill fillets and rockies together you'd never know the difference.

[Splitshot]

I can tell the difference between a bluegill and a crappie. Rockbass is different too, but pretty good to eat.

[kroppe]

Yep, ate some rockies tonight. Along with bluegill, sunfish and perch. All equally delicious! :)

[MSUICEMAN]

a little more oily in my experience with em than a bluegill, but i ate quite a few of em as a kid and thought they were tasty.

[Globalgills]

Good info. Seems like they're hitting everything you throw in the Huron right now.:fish:

[ALLEYES]

Rock bass= yummy

[The Whale]

IMO - as with all fish I keep, ice 'em down immediately, no livewell, no basket, no stringer ! Clean as soon as possible, not the next day if you can avoid it. Rinse off the fillets well, if not eaten at that time, freeze 'em in water, clean water, no salt or anything else. Wonderful eating ! ;) :D :fish2:

[waterfoul]

So DTG, you wants I should start keeping all those pesky rockies I catch at tournaments???? LOL!! Never fails... I always manage to catch one or two, especially at Wabasis.

[dtg]

Mike, I took my daughter to the spot where we caught a few of those guys on Wabasis, so my daughter could feel something tugging back, unlike all the 3"ers I put her on last year. This year, my goal is to get her used to a fish actually fighting back and guess what? She LOVED it!!!! Everyone was Daddy, I've got BIG one this time. She is hooked on fishin. No surprise here, seeing how most of the living relatives fish. Some only once a year and some as much as possible.

We tried to pull some big gills off the beds and all I got was a couple of perch, on was 8"s and got off at the boat. GRRR

[FishDaddy09]

I think it depends on the water you catch the Rock Bass out of. I've eaten them out of some lakes and they were fine ,out of other lakes they were quite strong.

[RichP]

yeah, sure you can eat 'em.

I haven't kept any in ages. Maybe it's my imagination but it seems like their skin is slightly tougher to cut through than other panfish...

[Ladygill]

I have also seen a pattern in the replies here concerning the taste of rock bass. Many are stating that if you MIX them in with bluegill and crappie you will never know the difference. That is basically saying that if they are cooked and flavored with other tasty fish they are acceptable. Now I do not know about you, but if I have to mix something in to make something taste good........does that make the individual species tasty? Catch a mess of rock bass and eat just those and I am sure your taste for them will change. This is just my opinion. :coolgleam

[wally-eye]

Ladygill: I'm going out fishing in a couple of hours in your hubbys favorite spot on his favorite lake.

You want me to bring you some rockeyes back for you to cook up?????? :eek: I'm sure I'll catch something of that species out on your hubby's lake........

[Ladygill]

Ladygill: I'm going out fishing in a couple of hours in your hubbys favorite spot on his favorite lake.

You want me to bring you some rockeyes back for you to cook up?????? :eek: I'm sure I'll catch something of that species out on your hubby's lake........
Thanks for the thought but how about NOT!!!!:lol:

[lodge lounger]

I don't see a lot of difference in the taste between rockies and gills. But there's no doubt (at least in my mouth) that there's a difference in texture. Gills are much firmer, rockies on the mushier side, particularly noticeable as the water gets warmer. Rockies to me are more like crappie, which I also rate below gills. But I eat and enjoy 'em, and catch some whoppers trolling for pike. Amazing that a rocky will hit a lure that's half its length or better. You gotta respect that.

[swampbuck]

great from higgims lk.

[Will Schultz]

great from higgims lk.

:yeahthat:

The colder the water the better. I would also agree they're more like crappie than bluegill. The meat being a little more oily makes them great when beer battered/fried since they don't dry out like other species. We originally tried them, years ago, when the perch fishing was tough on Higgins and we needed to feed 12 people. No one could tell the difference in taste with the beer batter, the texture is a little more flakey.

[waterfoul]

Hey DTG, we caught our fair share of the stinking things Wed. night at the tourney. My partner got one about 12"!!! Thought we had a hog when it hit. Then it just gave up and floundered to the boat. Stinkin thing!!!