Use worms and leeches in the southern United States. In the Northern States and Canada, use fathead minnows and gizzard shad.

Deep or Shallow: depends on temperature

By late fall, the rock bass have moved to deeper water. Like all bass, rock bass prefer the temperature to be in upper 60°F range. In summer they will follow this isotherm as the shallow water reaches into the seventies and eighties (21°C – 26°C). As the shallows cool off in the fall, they move back to shallow water.

In the winter, the water temperature is consistent through the lake or river but they still move to deeper water. This occurs for several reasons. For one, the water is generally more stable in deep water, many bait fish are found in deeper water and there is often good cover there. The key is to know where the rock outcrops are in the winter as this is a prime domain of theirs.

Favourite Foods

Use worms and leeches in the southern United States. In the Northern States and Canada, use fathead minnows and gizzard shad.

Family Fishing

Rock Bass are very popular with children because they are easy to catch, are big enough and can easily be fished off docks, river banks and lake shores in the southern end of their distribution. However, these habitats disappear during the winter in northern distribution as the ice covers the lakes and rivers. Ice Fishing is still an option, but it is a lot harder to catch rock bass via this method.

Ice Fishing

Northern latitudes offer a different kind of fishing than can be found in the southern United States. Ice Fishing involves the drilling of holes in the ice and dropping a line through it to attract fish.

Unlike regular fishing, it is not possible to troll, cast or fly fish in these conditions. Once must drill a hole in the ice where fish are expected and if none are present, drill another hole until successful. Usually, the best way to locate a good place to fish is ask local bait shops or other anglers on the ice.

The best baits to use for ice fishing are minnows including fathead minnows, gizzard shad and golden shiners.