Rock Bass ??

[Flippin NH]

Originally Posted by FLAG!

I grew up fishing smallmouth on both Winni and Sunappe. Sunappe used to be a great smallie lake. In the 1990's the bass fishing there absolutely shut down. Rock bass took over big time. You could hardly get soft plastics to the bottom of the lake without getting picked up by rock bass. Most fisherment I saw catch them would use a pair of wire cutters and cut the spine and toss them back for the birds. Lake Sunapee now holds a season long Rock Bass tournament where total weight wins. People bring buckets of rock bass to the town docks for weigh-ins. I've heard the bass fishing is coming back, but I have no confirmation of that rumor.

I was on vacation at winni last week and snorkeling in front of my own cottage in south wolfeboro bay I spotted a small rockbass in about 5 feet of water. I've known they were in the north end of the lake, but I'm afraid they are really going to take hold in the next few years. I'm not sure what can erally be done to save the lake from them.

Sunapee 's Bass fishing for smallies and largmouth has been great the last 2 or 3 years. A Tourney this year had a winning 5 fish bag over 25 pounds.

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Flippin NH

Sunapee 's Bass fishing for smallies and largmouth has been great the last 2 or 3 years. A Tourney this year had a winning 5 fish bag over 25 pounds.

That's a healthy bag! I've only caught two smallies in the five pound range in my many years on the Lake. But I've sure met a few more under the surface.

[JRossetti]

I rented a camp on Smith point road last week, the kids blasted through 3 packs of worms and caught close to 25 rock bass off the dock. The dock had a big rock breaker wall and the rock bass were loaded in there. Biggest was 9 inches. I told the boys that I would give them 25 cents per fish, all were removed and used in the garden They were fishing in about 3-5 fow I was thinking there could be a real probblem soon with that many in such a tiny area.

[AC2717]

I jumped off my boat on the mooring the other day, turned around with my goggles on and what did i see. I saw the red eyes, so I am almost 99% sure it was a rock bass, well over a foot long, just staring at me and would not move. This was in Paugus bay

are red eyes a give away?

also was in about 5 feet of water, sandy bottom

[Pricestavern]

Fishing off my dock with a small lure yesterday evening and caught two in a a matter of minutes when I casted over by my neighbor's breakwater. Boyh about 6". Caught in about 6' of water.

[Warren T]

Here I go, Rock Bass are a real problem. If there is any way to get the word out, people ought to be sure not to throw them back in when they catch them. I keep a 5 gallon bucket on my boat and don't throw them back. Those red eyed devils need to be eliminated. If you want to see most of the other "good fish" gone, let them live and see what happens. If there's not a concerted effort to fish them out, within a few more years you will catch 30 - 50 Rock Bass to one smallie or large mouth. My friend cooked some rock bass the other day, said they were good eating.

[Warren T]

Just checked the regulations, there is no closed season and no limits on rock bass. Go Get em...

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

Just caught this guy off my dock. This is the rock bass. They are not the only bass with red eyes, some smallmouth bass have them too. The giveaway, besides the red eye, is the silver and black color and hybrid mouth. They look like a sun fish and a smallmouth bass crossed.
The only bass restrictions are small and largemouth, catch and release through tomorrow.

[webmaster]

It's entertaining to read through the debates from 10 years ago (on our old forum system) when some were insisting that there were no Rock Bass here. "Swenson" explains why they could not possibly thrive in the lake:

http://www.winnipesaukeeforum.com/ar...mes;read=58742

[PENIVISA]

Have been fishing lake winni my whole life and this year was the first time I caught one, then 6 more. Hope this doesn't destroy fishing for bigger game fish in the future......

[FLAG!]

Originally Posted by webmaster

It's entertaining to read through the debates from 10 years ago (on our old forum system) when some were insisting that there were no Rock Bass here. "Swenson" explains why they could not possibly thrive in the lake:

http://www.winnipesaukeeforum.com/ar...mes;read=58742

Did any of those guys asserting there are no rock bass in winni ever man up and admit their error? It was very funny reading that back and forth.

[Pineedles]

There's more rock bass here in Center Harbor than ever before. at least 2 dozen under our dock. TOPWATER, I pulled at least 8 out. You know where I live, get the rest.

[topwater]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

There's more rock bass here in Center Harbor than ever before. at least 2 dozen under our dock. TOPWATER, I pulled at least 8 out. You know where I live, get the rest.

If I do, you will never see those little suckers again...They will be floating loon food. It's funny you mentioned that, I was speaking to Fish&Game about this on Sunday. I mentioned how Rock Bass are taking over Winnie and do they plan on trying to stop this. Their response was (there is nothing we CAN do ). The Person I spoke with is a very reliable guy and he felt that the rock bass will not have any effect on Winnie. I disagree, but what do I know ?

[PastorT]

I've posted before, but I think the best thing to do whenever you catch a rock bass is, don;t throw it back... Keep a bucket and use them for gardens etc... They spawn like crazy, I never throw them back.

[kawishiwi]

My first season with my new boat has been spent fishing east of long island and i have found numerous 7 to 9 inch rock bass on virtually every shallow smallmouth friendly boulder group. They hit anything. Oddly enough weve been catching bass too with the larger being largemouth. Last Friday evening we had a spot with numerous rock bass, a pickerel, a few smallies 12-15 inch, a couple of largies that spit the hook with one being at least 3+ lbs. (Easily big enough to feed on 8" rockies). As we are just learning weve been fishing shallow and not deep yet.

[Rob M]

Originally Posted by kawishiwi

My first season with my new boat has been spent fishing east of long island and i have found numerous 7 to 9 inch rock bass on virtually every shallow smallmouth friendly boulder group. They hit anything. Oddly enough weve been catching bass too with the larger being largemouth. Last Friday evening we had a spot with numerous rock bass, a pickerel, a few smallies 12-15 inch, a couple of largies that spit the hook with one being at least 3+ lbs. (Easily big enough to feed on 8" rockies). As we are just learning weve been fishing shallow and not deep yet.

I fish all over New England, but mostly the lakes region, and have never had a Largemouth or Smallmouth cough up a rock bass. I have had them cough up every other type of fish, mice, chipmunks, snakes, turtles, but never a rock bass.

[tis]

Originally Posted by Rob M

I fish all over New England, but mostly the lakes region, and have never had a Largemouth or Smallmouth cough up a rock bass. I have had them cough up every other type of fish, mice, chipmunks, snakes, turtles, but never a rock bass.

That is very interesting. How do you think they get the mice etc? I never would have thought----

[Top-Water]

Originally Posted by tis

That is very interesting. How do you think they get the mice etc? I never would have thought----

Mice can swim, and if they make the mistake of going into the water and there is a good sized large mouth bass around, it's dinner time. I have personally seen them eat "Baby Ducklings" as well.

Not as popular as a fishing lure up north, but very popular down south.



Bass in Winnipesaukkee tend to go after beer cans, to get the crayfish that live inside them.


On a more serious note, I remember when I was a kid on Lake Winnisquam in the late 60's or early 70's there was a similar problem with white perch taking over the lake after the state tried to clean up the lake with chemicals to help control pollution before Laconia upgraded it's sewage treatment facilities. From what I understand it killed off the micro organisms that the bait fish survived on, then in turn killing off the the larger game fish due to no food supply. It was not uncommon back then to see thousands upon thousand of white perch feeding in schools on the surface.

At first glance you might think why didn't the game fish eat the white perch. They do but only when they're young. After they reach a certain size only very large fish can take them down and digest them leading to an over population of mature breeding fish that can out {compete} the slower reproducing species.

I would not be surprised if something similar is happening with the rock bass, where the predator / prey / food supply / breeding population/ habitat relationship has gotten out of balance or changed. I have been fishing this lake for a lot of years now and have seen a slow steady decline with regard to the number big warm water fish. Yes big fish can still be caught from time to time, it just seems like there is a lot less of them in recent years. I wonder if the chemicals the state is using to control invasive weeds these days is driving these fish to new areas of the lake to find food, hence the different reports of them showing up in the lake where they had never been seen before. Somehow Lake Winnisquam rebounded from all this and turned into a great place to fish.

Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass contrary to popular belief are not native to Lake Winnipesaukkee. They were introduced as well , but the rock bass seem to be truly undesirable.

[Resident 2B]

Originally Posted by PastorT

I've posted before, but I think the best thing to do whenever you catch a rock bass is, don;t throw it back... Keep a bucket and use them for gardens etc... They spawn like crazy, I never throw them back.

Great advice! Thanks! I realize this is a late thanks.

R2B

[Resident 2B]

These fish will greatly harm the lake. Please do not throw the back in!

R2B

[AC2717]

Must have caught about 15 maybe more in Paugus bay July 4th morning, had kids on the boat, was trying to eradicate them at the same time, it was a hard to do, some made it back to the lake

[wynndog]

Caught some at docks in alton bay last week
w d