Do you eat small/large mouth bass?

[RossT]

Keep a walleye, our money goes to stocking those things, get the most out of your tax dollar and keep a walleye.
The DNR gives no credit or effort to bass, no stocking and hardly any fisheries managment.

To those who said you'd rather eat a bass rather than walleye, you make me laugh, and choke.

[fishKiLLa]

you guys ever try white bass. Now thats a tasty bass. Before i moved to MN i lived in sunny southern california. All kinds of bass to catch there. We had some of the best lakes to catch a trophy largemouth. And when i say trophy im talking about 15 # and up!!! Those lakes get fished hard and many people do take some bass home. I think thats what makes those lakes prime trophy bass lakes. I mean sure they have plenty of trout to feast on courtesy of the DFG and they have beautiful weather year round to grow, but i also think takin some of the babies out also contributed.
Then you got the striped bass. I'd pick one of them to be on the end of my line over a largemouth anyday. Well it doesnt stop there though cause there was the ocean and there were all kinds of different bass to catch. From calico and sand bass to the great white seabass. Oh and we cant forget about the once endangered Black seabass that can grow to over 1000 pounds.
Ummmmm sorry i think i got a little carried away here. Well I say largemouth's arent that great on the table but they arent straight up nasty on the table either. One serving a year is good for me!!!

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Two pound test is the test of skills!!!

[icehousebob]

I haven't eaten a largemouth in 15+ years. The bad taste rep that a lot of fish get is often from the quality of the water they come from or how they're handled after catching. In the summer, I like to put fresh caught fish into a cooler of ice and water. They swim until they freeze, it stops bacteria growth and draws blood from the meat into the guts and leaves good white fillets. A few years ago, I had to come up with some fish for grilling on Mille Lacs and didn't have enough Perch and Walleyes, so I kept several Rock Bass. Most people snear at them, but grilled with lemon butter, I didn't have any complaints.

[BigPointBlake]

I only keep bass in the winter. Baked or fried they taste great.

-BPB

[Lost]

If I'm fishing by myself it's 100% catch and release unless somebody else happens to see my catch and want it. However, if you'd like some recipe's for Bass, here's a link:

http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=95833;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

[pathogen]

The only time I've eaten bass is when they were hooked in such a way that I was pretty sure their survival was in doubt. I thought the largemouth were ok but did have a weedy-tasting one or two. The smallmouth were much better tasting but I had one that was loaded with the white parasitic worms in the meat--man was that a turn-off! Sorry to say, I couldn't bear to cook it---even though I am aware anyone who eats any fish at all has eaten parasites and usually didn't know it.

[Mark Christianson]

Eat bass?

Ewwwwwwww

[pikemania]

You people are crazy. Largemouth bass are the worst tasting fish I have ever eaten. We call them green carp because they taste like the weeds they were living in. I have never kept a smallie, just release them because I am afraid they taste like a largemouth. I suppose you guys like eating bullheads also which are another one of those fish that when you eat you might as well take a scoop of mud and stick it your mouth. I know different people like different flavors but anybody who says a bass taste just as good as a walleye should be striken down with lightning. I will give you bass are fun to catch I like cathing them also but anything that taste that bad goes back into the water.

[sunnyday]

Wow, this took off pretty fast. Everyone, thanks for your two cent.

Good luck!

Sonny

[Roosterslayer05]

I was fishing walleyes on Mille Lacs last year and it was slow, I caught 1 slot fish and decided to go for northern, I was casting a spinnerbait and caught a 13 inch largemouth, it was like hooked through the brain and paralized so I had to keep it. I grilled the walleye and bass up that night and the bass tasted better! I think it counts on the lake your fishing, I would take a Mille Lacs largmouth over a walleye anyday, but since there arnt many largmouth on mille lacs I dont keep them unless they are going to die. But really Largmouth on certain lakes taste great, I think all the balony about bass tasting bad is made up by die-hard bass fisherman so people dont keep there beloved fish. I personally dont think they fight that hard, I dont keep many bass but if I do they are usually in the 12-14 inch range, you can get allot of meat off those 12 inch bass.

[Cyberfish]

Yup smaller bass outta clear water, it doesn't get any better! pass the tarter sauce

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simul iustus et peccator

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[Crawlerman]

Well no... a Bass won't fight very hard if they are hooked through the Brain.

Bass are pretty stong fighthers. Much more so than Walleyes, espically Smallies. However they are not as strong as Northerns/Muskies or yes, carp on a straight run . They do tend to put on some neat Aeronatical displays however, this tends to make up for it.

[climbmda]

I've eaten bass my whole life. Personally I think they taste great. Of course it depends on the water they come from, but that's true of any species. I've eaten some pretty nasty walleye over the years, too.

I love walleye to eat, but also eat a lot of bass, panfish, and northern. I like a variety. I agree with what others have said: there is almost no difference between bass and sunfish for flavor.

Plus, they just fight so much better than those walleyes. Much more fun to catch.

[Ole the Guide]

From this thread I now know who not to take fishing with me! (CPR) on the Bass!!
Ole

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"Please release me let me go"

[pikemania]

All I am going to say is that bass have a distinct flavor and some people like that flavor. It is like eating liver and onions. Some people love liver and onions, personally I can not stand that taste. If you like the taste of a bass go ahead and eat some bass. I think you have a good point in saying that it depends on the clarity of the water also. Still bass have a taste that is one that you will not soon forget when it is in your mouth. I like to eat pike some people can not stand eating that species of fish. It depends on what flavors you like but there is a difference in taste between bass, walleye, pike and even panfish. If you like eating bass go ahead but do not try and convince me and others that bass taste the same as walleye.

[pikemania]

All I am going to say is that bass have a distinct flavor and some people like that flavor. It is like eating liver and onions. Some people love liver and onions, personally I can not stand that taste. If you like the taste of a bass go ahead and eat some bass. I think you have a good point in saying that it depends on the clarity of the water also. Still bass have a taste that is one that you will not soon forget when it is in your mouth. I like to eat pike some people can not stand eating that species of fish. It depends on what flavors you like but there is a difference in taste between bass, walleye, pike and even panfish. If you like eating bass go ahead but do not try and convince me and others that bass taste the same as walleye.

[Crawlerman]

No but they taste very simmilar to bluegills. Bass and Bluegills are very closely related after all..

I'm still waging to bet that bass taken from clear water chopped up and mixed with bluegill fillets will be almost indistigusihable minus maybe the texture (as Bass meat flakes better and isn't as soft.)

[GreyGoose]

I pass on bass, they taste like the weeds and muck that they live in. But that is my humble opinion. I bet them smallies up north probibaly ain't bad at all, but I have never came back empty handed from my search for Mr. Walters.

[Thomas]

i've had small and largemouth bass from north and south of the MN. bass tastes like weeds - not all that pleasant. fun to catch - not to eat. however, i hope that people catch and eat the smaller ones.

[iceboy16]

i think all fish tastes pretty much the same depending on the time of year, and how u cook it. some fish does taste more like weeds than others but i still think if u took bass, northern, walleye, and panfish and fried them all up u would be able to tell what is what. Fish caught in the winter is always better than fish in the summer!

[squeedunk]

I have never eaten largemouth, I'm all about catch and release for them. However, I did eat smallmouth from the boundary waters and it was the tastiest fish i have ever had (we were low on food). Who knows, it might have just been because of the surroundings. My fiance's family gives me grief about releasing everything I catch so they may make me keep some bass for them this summer. I guess I will find out soon enough what they taste like. I would still prefer a plate of crappies over anything else!

[John Mickish]

I have never eaten a bass, so I asked my mother on this. She grew up in the Alexandria area and she says she ate them all the time growing up (More out of necessity I think). When I asked her her eyes light up and said they are the best. I personally will let them go, and eat a sunny instead.

My 2 cents.

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It still beats workin'

[Fishing_Fool]

The trick to bass tasting good is removing the blood line. I don't keep them normally but, have on occassion. If you remove the blood line that splits the filet, it will taste a lot better!

See you on the lakes!

Fishing_Fool

[Bill-E-Bazz]

Was going to eat a smallie up in canada, but felt guilty so we let her go. I'm glad we did, cause i'm sure i'd have nightmares that the bass gods would disown me and i'd never catch another one.

Good Fishin'...

[Guest]

Eat 'em, why not? If they are caught early or late in the year out of cold water they are fine. I only eat the smaller ones (1 1/2 to 2 lbs).

[Chris-Neises]

blah!