Red Eye Devils
 

We just spent a couple weeks at lake Winni... Had a reasonably good time fishing and caught many big small mouth and some large mouth bass. However, the rock bass are getting out of hand. Anglers should not throw them back. Ask anyone at lake Sunnipee or many other lakes where these fish just devastate the better fish populations. Some other lakes actually have rock bass tournaments to try to get rid of them. Anyhow, we did have a great time and love Winnipesaukee.

And in 1-2-3....cue RLW:laugh:

Everyone has a hobby...

:rolleye2:

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: Our lovable meeter and greeter, RLW!!!!

Eat the "devils"!
 

I have only had them once but I thought they were pretty good eating. They taste very similar to bluegills. There isn't much meat on the smaller ones and they were a pain to fillet. If you catch a larger one (10-11 inches) it's worth the trouble. I have a buddy who keeps everyone he catches.

Caught one off our dock earlier this year. I'm sure the resident mink family and/or muskrats along the shore enjoyed the handout. Haven't seen any while diving or snorkeling along the shore, but I know they are there. If anyone wants to have a rock bass feast, the wreck of Lady of the Lake is LOADED with the damn things. Dozens -- and many of really good size.

Grant, your mink buddy ran in front of me twice a couple weekends ago while at the beech. They're still there...

P.C.

I don't need to review my post, I was thinking about firewood (beech not beach).

very funny
 

LMAO. It took me a few seconds and then realized who you were referring too

school
 

There is a school of about 30 of them near our place. Came across them while snorkeling last week. Was trying my new underwater video camera and got a great video of them. They are very curious, swimming right up to the camera

I caught one yesterday fishing for smallmouths. It took a grub that was about 1/3 the rock bass's size. This was in the sou'eastern part of the lake.

I got another off the dock last week. And, yes, they are very curious -- you can get face-to-face with them on the Lady of the Lake wreck.

I catch 2 or 3 of these guys every week off the dock.

I caught 5 of these critters today off my docks today. Never had them before now.

I do a yearly "kids outing" with my boys to target smallmouth, go swimming and hit 19 Mile Bay for ice cream and lunch this weekend. We do this during early June as it is a "numbers day" for smallmouth and we catch smallies until the kids complain their arms hurt. However, this year our numbers of smallies are way down and our rock bass catch is WWWAAYYY up. I'm not a scientist (though I did stay at Holiday Inn) but it seems these rock bass are impacting the smallmouth.

Rock bass
 

Rock Bass most certainly effect small mouth and large mouth populations. At Lake Sunapee, they have taken over the lake. It's hard to find anything else. That's why I usually don't throw any rock bass back, good fertilizer....

Mike:

Could it be the timing of the smallmouth bass spawn is different than prior years due to the weather?