Casting
When a school of rock bass is located, the favorite all-time bait is a section of dew worm on a hook dropped into the midst of a school and slowly retrieved. More rock bass are derricked onto docks and bounced off the bottom of boats by this technique than by any other. The only addition to the tackle might be a splitshot to sink the worm more quickly and a plastic float to keep it off the bottom.
The scope of bait for rock bass is wider than for other sunfish. To catch bigger fish, use small minnows or crayfish. The minnow should be hooked through its lips and its back fin above the backbone to keep it alive. A small crayfish hooked through the tail and drifted through the current of a stream is an excellent technique. The angler might substitute a hellgrammite or stonefly nymph when crayfish fail to work.
Too few anglers use a bobber in fast water because it is deemed to be a still-water technique. Properly used, the bobber can carry the bait through rocky waters and not hook the bottom. Allow the bait to hang just above the bottom. A sinker may be necessary, depending on the depth and speed of the current. Few fish can hold in very fast water for more than a few moments unless they are behind or below some obstruction. Align the bait along the edge of the fast water as the float drifts through the pools and runs.
When fish are holding behind an obstruction in fast-flowing water, cast a bait or fly to the side of the fast water. The fly or bait must land exactly on that line which divides fast and slow water and not a few inches off. And it must land with an amount of slack line following, the amount depending on the water depth. The extra line will allow the current to carry the bait back under the rock to the holding fish. If the hole is large enough you may take several fish from one holding spot.
If you are working slow pools and back eddies, you may cast to the head of such water and work your fly or lure through it to attract fish holding at the tail of a pool. If fish are holding at the lip of the pool or eddy, you may need to use a nymph fly pattern with fly tackle. Put the weighted nymph deep through the holding water and raise your rod to make the fly rise like an emerging insect seeking to take off before letting the fly go over the lip of the pool.
The spin fisherman using a lure should cast slightly upstream to allow the lure to go deep through the holding water and then cast across current to move the lure across the water just below the lip. Bait should be allowed to drift right over the lip. In other situations, the spin fisherman should know how to do a flip cast as well as an overhand cast. The ability to cast with the hand opposite to the one usually used may also be handy in bushy or close quarters.
When night fishing, know the water. Simple actions become dangerous when you cannot see. Fishing at night, particularly toward morning, is a productive time as the cool water causes baitfish and some nymphs to become active and the larger fish to follow them. Use flies which are bulky and move water, like small muddler minnows or size 2/0-8 wet flies. Active lures like crank baits, jitter bugs, or jigs with safety pin spinners are good in small sizes.
Docks, wharfs, and other manmade structures are quickly inhabited by rock bass. The angler must cast his lure to bounce off the structure or, at the least, land beside it. Make your casts in a fan pattern, gradually widening the range until you reach the limit of your casting capability, and then move to a new position. The fan pattern should work from shade to sun. If you see a fish make a pass at the fly or lure, go right back at it. If no fish take after a few casts, rest the area for a few minutes.
