ok what is this fish ?

[bowtech721]

This is probably a dumb question but my buddy hooked this little guy while floating with me for some trout this afternoon and im a total idiot when it comes to identifying any thing other than a salmon/trout/steelhead. Assuming its a bass of somesort so I told him to hold it like bill dance 

[Thanny78]

Looks like a mini smallmouth to me...

[ribka]

Rock bass?

[Thanny78]

Does it have a red eye???

[6x6in6]

Rock bass?

[bowtech721]

Does it have a red eye???

that's the thing it didn't really seem to have red eyes and the descriptions I've read on smallmouth say they should have red eyes  are rock bass common on the westside?

[Thanny78]

I always thought they were more of an east of the Mississippi thing...

[6x6in6]

Don't know how common but Haller Lk in N. Seattle used to be loaded with them back in the late 70's and early 80's. Used to float tube it for them.  They were suckers for a small white spinner bait.

[bobcat]

Lots of rock bass in the lakes in Thurston County. Not sure where you were?

[wsucowboy]

Rock bass?

[trapperguy22]

rock bass

[C-Money]

Rock bass/ warmouth.

[KopperBuck]

Definitely a rock. Kind of looks like a WM, but different.

[Curly]

Yeah, definitely a rock bass.  Here is a link to a description of rock bass and warmouth: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/warmouthsunfish/tabid/6782/Default.aspx

The rock bass is similar in appearance but has 6 anal fin spines compared to the 3 that a warmouth sunfish has. Rock bass have a teardrop under the eye, no radiating lines on the cheek, and a black margin to the fins. Breeding male warmouth sunfish have gold or light blue speckles on their sides and a faint red spot at the rear base of the dorsal fin.

[jackelope]

Back east we caught a ton of Rock Bass in rivers. Definitely a Rock Bass.