The design of the Rock Bass is that of a predator. Like all members of the sunfish family, rock bass are short and stout with a thick tail.

Rock bass prefer small streams and rivers with low flow rates with submerged trees, metallic garbage, sunken cars or boats, docks and around rocks, or gravel bars with light vegetation.

Like all bass, Rock Bass do not enjoy being in the open for prolonged periods of time. Rock Bass are a hardy fish found near breakwaters and gravel shorelines in groups near other sunfish. They can also be found schooling with perch as well.

During the winter, rock bass remain in deeper water and enter a condition of semi-hibernation like every other fresh water bass species. The best way to attract them is to appeal to their sense of territory or the instinct to survive. However, all the reasons why they are good fish to catch in the summer disappear in the winter months.

In Ontario, bass are found to school during the day in rocky areas with other species like perch while at night they are mostly inactive and settled on rocks or logs unless there is a lot of human activity during the day in which case they will feed. Most bass are active during the sunset and sunrise as well as several hours after the sun sets but the rock bass will happily lay in wait and strike out at prey as it swims by.

… Rock Bass follow their food…

Like largemouth bass, Rock Bass will follow their food, swimming as far as 150 miles away from their birth place in search for habitat and food. However, they are not fast swimmers and it is not as though they set out on a long trip. They just wander from habitat to habitat with food and survival being the foremost in finding new locations.

Body Design

The design of the Rock Bass is that of a predator. Like all members of the sunfish family, rock bass are short and stout with a thick tail. This allows them to strike out at their prey from hiding in ambush and the short size allows them to turn rapidly in the water.

Ice Fishing

Rock Bass can be caught in winter through the ice in northern latitudes. The are found in deep water and are usually caught in the same areas that perch can be found. More on ice fishing in our Winter Techniques section, but for now, understand that the use of a standard rod and reel are not effective for ice fishing. Most anglers that ice fish use nothing more than a modified length of wood with line wound around it.