Eating Rock Bass

[tadpole]

Just wondering if rock bass are good to eat?

Thanks
Tad

[IFallsRon]

I stayed at a Central Minnesota resort several years ago for a men's weekend away from real life. There was a group a few cabins down from Southern Minnesota. They were cooking up everything they caught, including rock bass. They shared and you couldn't tell much difference from the rest of their catch.

[taxmancommeth]

We used to keep them in the early summer up at the cabin when we fished up there. They tasted just fine, but they are susceptible to having worms... We through those ones back.

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GET-ER-DONE

[Aquaman01]

I eat 'em.
I think the 'worms' might refer to the little black spots in the meat. They do seem to have more than other panfish, but the spots are not exclusive to them. I have seen those spots in crappies & sunnies as well.
Proper cooking makes it a non-issue.

Happy Chowing!
Rob

[stmichael]

Speaking of worms and black spots, Myself, and a couple of buddy's were fishing a lake in orr,mn. (blackduck lake to be more specific) The crappies did not have the little black spots, but, they did have what looked like very small grubs in the filets, we could not bring ourselves to eat them. Any idea as to what causes this? Safe for consuming?

We caught 7 and all of them had it, size range 10 inches to 14 inches.

[Wayne Sieber]

Rockies are awesome smoked - They have Big bones so it's really easy to get to the meat.

FD

[LocalGuide]

Rock bass are just as good as any other fish! I have kept them and ate them before.
It just kinda stinks when im fishing for walleyes and catch close to my limit of rock bass. So then I'll just keep them for something to eat.

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And keep those hooks sharp!

[The Grebe]

When I was a kid, we used to eat everything and I don't believe the adults even knew about parasites, because we never would fillet the fish, just scale em, gut em, chunk them out and fry em up...can't say that I truely liked fish when I was a kid!

We ate Rock Bass as fast as anything else and after I was grown, I still ate them, until I discovered they had those nasty little worms!

I don't care what anyone says, I don't like to eat anything with worms in it! Had I been a bird in a past life, maybe, but not now, not knowingly anyways!

I would'nt eat a steak if I seen parasite worms in it and I don't believe alot of people relish eating wormy apples, so why eat a fish with worms, yuk!

Rock Bass are notorious for having those yellow grubs and sometimes if you put a fillet in a bowl of room temp water, those nasties will wiggle out of the meat! I seen my nephew do it with some Perch he caught..ick!

I know that Panfish have those black dot grubs on their skin, that does'nt bother me, cause the skin comes off. I don't even bother to fish a lake where I have caught fish previously, that have been heavily infested.

I have never seen the speckles on Crappies?Maybe they get them in certain areas, but they have natural specks due to their coloration, that could be mistaken for an infestation. If you look closely, they are not the same.

I have never had a crappie with those yellow grubs in it and I have caught alot of Crappies from alot of different areas of the state. Maybe I've been lucky?

[Paul Rohweller]

Google eyes were my grandmothers favorite. Plentiful and easier to clean than bullheads. I've ate way more than my share of rockies and their not half bad! Keep a few, clean them up, if their not really wormy give the grubs an exit flick with the tip of your fillet knife and dont tell the wife. Fry them up in some of the cajun style shore lunch and enjoy! No shame in keeping a few rock bass..

[Bubbadust]

They taste just like a sunfish or crappie, but tend to be less "wormy" in spring/early summer.

Bubbadust

[Caesarfishinguytoo]

We see the worms in perch we catch on Winnibigosh and our first experience with them, we threw the fillets away, now we have been told they burn off when you cook. Don't know if they do, but I eat em and theys be a real tasty fish. Don't worry about the worms anymore!!

[locolocal]

I fished Crane Lake a few years ago and slipped a rock bass into a limit of walleys we cleaned up for shorelunch. There were some members of our group that thought they could tell the difference between rock bass and walleys - nope, one was as good as the other.

As far as the worm/parasite concerns, I believe that the black dots are parasitesand cook right out, but the white/yellow worms were a matter of "preferrence". They probably do cook out, but the thought gives me the willies.

[M.T. Bucket]

I think rock bass are OK to eat, but they're a little more rough on a fillet knife than other panfish. I did once make a disgusting find inside a rock bass that I'll spare you.

About the parasites...

The black spots aren't harmful. I usually find them in bass and panfish and generally keep the fish unless there are a lot of spots.

The yellow grubs aren't harmful either. I've found them in perch, rock bass, smallies, and to a lesser extent, largemouth--never catfish, trout, or walleyes. I keep the fish if there aren't many grubs visible. I just give the fillets the once-over and flick the grubs out with the tip of the knife. I never leave them in. The grub is part of a food chain that starts with the Belted Kingfisher eating infected fish, defecating the eggs into the water, a snail eats the eggs and finally a fish eats the snail.

The only part of the state where you need to worry about harmful parasites in fish is the BWCA and extreme northeast part of the state. When eating fish here, ALWAYS cook them thoroughly because of the possibility of tapeworms. Ewwww!

[The Grebe]

A person does'nt have to go to the BWCA to find fish loaded with tape worms!

Some of them Wally's out of Mille Lacs look like they have string hanging out of their butts!

Chubbs like you get fishing for trout and the same kind that is sold for bait, have alot of tape worms.

I don't know if it's true, but I seem to remember hearing that Wally's pick them up when they have a heavy diet of crayfish?

[fivebucks]

The little worms may be unpleasant to look at but they will not hurt a person in any way. The only freshwater fish that has a type of worm that can harm a person is whitefish and tulibee. This is what my biology teacher told me many years ago. Even so I don't eat them if they are too wormy. I don't think I've ever ate a rock bass but I've ate pout.

[chunkytrout]

Uhm....this is not a slam on anyone but, yuck! I thought it was a joke when I read the topic header. Guess not and way more people than I ever thought eat them. Oh well.....Bon Apetite

chunk

[fishface5]

I think just about every fish that swimms has some kind of parasite. I think tapeworms are common to just about everthing that swimms. DON'T EAT THE SUSHI! Just cook EVERYTHING you catch WELL. I do know of one person who got worms, but he knowingly ate under cooked fish.

[Leaky]

Chunky - I'm with you. I usually bounce those bait stealers off the motor to give the gulls or eagles an easy meal.

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I'm Leaky, but my boat's not. (anymore)

[psegriz]

Those black spots on the skin of a fish are just parasites no big deal just eat them. I just scale them and eat. the yellow or white worms in the fishes meat I kinda frown on but have ate them and when ya think about it it's just more protien if cooked properly.

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Ice is coming soon!!
GRIZ