What is the biggest Rock Bass you will keep to eat?

I've definitely kept, filleted, and eaten rock bass out of our lake. They seem fine by me.

i dont know much about those parasites, they say they are in gills' too. I figure if it can survive 350 degree canola oil then it deserves to knock me off the food chain. lolz i hope it's safe to eat cuz i had a mess of gills for super tonight.

I used to keep them until I started filleting them and found those brown parasites in the meat. I dug one out and it started crawling away. I fillet everything now.

I kept a 17" LM that I caught last winter, and it was very good, so I'd say that's my limit.

I have eaten rock bass and maybe it was just the lake I pulled them from, but compared to bluegill, they just tasted "off" to me. I didn't care for them.

Maybe it's superstitious, but if I'm catching gills and start catching rock bass, I move to a different spot. It's kind of like "this spot has been cursed, move on".

They taste great. The bigger the better because you get more meat from the bigger fish. Maybe it should have been stated the smallest rock bass you will keep? Then that depends on it girth to length ratio. You can get some good chips from small rockies. And from the regs: Rock bass, white and yellow bass, bullheads, and rough fish, Bag limit - None. Take all you want unlike the pan fish forum.

Those bottom feeders are one of the most contaminated (mercury, etc.) fish in the lake.

None of that is even remotely true. Rock Bass are not in the bass family, but rather are part of the sunfish family. They feed on fish, insects and crayfish. They prefer hard bottom areas and are usually in the same areas frequented by walleyes. They are fast growing and among the least contaminated fish in the lake.

I've eaten them many times and taste and texture are virtually identical to crappie. Best out of cold water. A little soft from warm water.

I don't think I understand the question. Who keeps those nasty fish?

Rock Bass right? Red Eye'd Crappie? The ones the guys from Iowa come to MN to catch? The ones that every fisherman I've ever known has paid zero attention to. That rock bass?

Many folks practice CPR(Catch,Photo & Release) With Rockie I practice CPF(Catch, Photo & Fillet). From cold water they are delicious and taste every bit as good a gills or crappies.

they all go back in. Not a fan of Rockies.

As big as i can find them. Rock bass are delicious i have eaten up to 15, the biggest i have caught. it tasted great. smaller fish such as rock bass have very low mercury content. rock bass are a panfish in the same family as the sunfish. i shall suggest in a pie iron over the fire, or a skillet at home, fillets butter and onions. yum.

I usually keep them to eat them, why else would I keep one? I have a 14 inch slab that i'm getting a repro done on. The reason for the repro is because I ate it...

Come August when they are soft just cook them under the broiler season them with paprika, dill and dehydrated garlic. Just make sure you pay attention otherwise you will be eating cajun fish, not that there is anything wrong with that.

They are fine... but maybe like anything else, come August heat some may differ on opinion. I think it has a lot to do with what water they come out of... and that effects the size thing. I don't know that I would worry about a max size out of say Geneva.

I've taken some rockies home the last few times. The biggest was 11 inches, and it found the cooler. It's meat looked the same as the others and tasted fine too.

Don't know why the get such a bad rap, fixed up, my family loves them.