SMALLMOUTH BASS ANGLERS DON'T MIND ROCK BASS PRESENCE

LEBANON - Any Missourian who fishes for smallmouth bass is also acquainted with the rock bass. It's the miniature, turbo-charged smallmouth imitation that's likely to come hurtling out from under almost any available cover in Ozark Missouri streams to attack your bait, often before its larger cousin can get there.

Most smallmouth anglers don't mind, though. Rock bass keep things from getting dull when the smallmouth action is less than spectacular. These heavy-bodied, brownish sunfish are almost always willing to smack a floating minnow lure or a little spinner bait. They're good eating, and commonly attain a length of 11 inches and a weight of one pound - more than enough fish to leave you with a broken line and a racing heart.

What's more, rock bass thrive in some places that provide only marginal homes for smallmouths. Fisheries Research Biologist Mike Roell says the Conservation Department sees that as an opportunity.

Roell and his co-workers recently launched the pilot phase of an 8-year study aimed at making the most of Missouri's rock bass resource. He said anglers themselves provided the inspiration for the project.

"Surveys of anglers convinced us that there are a large number of people out there who really like to fish for rock bass," says Roell. "Some prefer to fish for them above all other species. They wanted to know what we were doing about rock bass. Some voiced the concern that rock bass numbers and size might be declining."