Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Eating Bass


Recommended Posts

O.K. I know I am going to take some flak for this but I like to eat bass. Deep fried I think it is good. Deep fried I don’t find it all that much different than walleye. Now pan fried I think it can be a little fishy. I also love small mouth. I even like them pan fried. My question is who eats bass regularly, who will eat it if it is put in front of them, and who will absolutely not touch it.

I am going to say that I have given it to many people and not told them and they liked it. I have even contributed it many times to fish fry’s that were predominantly walleye and no one knew the difference.

Just wondering what everyone’s opinions are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 64
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • CANOPY SAM

    4

  • Stick in Mud

    4

  • pushbutton

    4

  • Wabamskee

    3

Do not eat much fish, but will try anything put in front of me and have tried bass. If you shore lunch and deep fry a smaller bass in spring or fall and throw it in a mix with the waldos without telling people, highly doubt anyone would ever know. Yes, largies are mushier/less flakey and a little fishier, but smallies, again taken out of a clean cooler conditions, are easily of equal quality to the walleye, no matter how it is prepared.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I eat a handful of bass a year (smallies) when I'm up in the BWCA. We'll mix them up with walleyes, and no one ever knows the difference.

Nothing at all wrong with them. The only largies I've ever eaten have been ones I've guthooked/gill-hooked, and they were just fine, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All bass, largemouth and smallmouth, harbor a breed of parasite that takes anywhere from 10-35 years to mature when digested. Fish that eat bass, like muskie and northerns, do not spread the parasite because their digestive juices kill it.

However humans and most animals aren't so lucky. Most people don't realize they have them in there system because the symptoms are often confused with alshymers. These include confusion, slurred speech and forgetfulness. Symptoms can also include diarea, headaches, blurred vision, bad breath, impotance and incontanance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL! Read that in the first chapter of "Brainwashed by the Cult of Walleye Gods" didn't ya?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All bass, largemouth and smallmouth, harbor a breed of parasite that takes anywhere from 10-35 years to mature when digested. Fish that eat bass, like muskie and northerns, do not spread the parasite because their digestive juices kill it.

However humans and most animals aren't so lucky. Most people don't realize they have them in there system because the symptoms are often confused with alshymers. These include confusion, slurred speech and forgetfulness. Symptoms can also include diarea, headaches, blurred vision, bad breath, impotance and incontanance.

Too funny grin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't eaten bass many times in my life, but it's always been good.

I love eating smallies in Ontario. Love 'em! Easily competes with the lake trout at our shore lunches.

I've eaten LMB only a few times, it was great but nothing special. I'm sure like panfish that coming from cold water helps.

Keep in mind that black bass species are similar to the sunfishes, no reason that they wouldn't taste every bit as good as a bluegill with more meat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

have eaten the LM bass that we catch. pan fried, very lightly fishy & mealy, obviously not walleye but we all eat it just the same, but much better in fall/winter than summer when meat is much warmer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote:
Easily competes with the lake trout at our shore lunches.

I've eaten a ton of small bass and liked them but with this statement I have to draw the line...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't catch it, my 8 yr old daughter did and she wanted to try it. Sliced up the green carp, cut out the mud line, and I soaked the fillets in salt water overnight. Then did the shore lunch batter on it and deep fried it.

I personally rarely eat fish, so I am no judge, but my wife and kids whom eat walleye and panfish regularly said it tasted ok.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All bass, largemouth and smallmouth, harbor a breed of parasite that takes anywhere from 10-35 years to mature when digested. Fish that eat bass, like muskie and northerns, do not spread the parasite because their digestive juices kill it.

However humans and most animals aren't so lucky. Most people don't realize they have them in there system because the symptoms are often confused with alshymers. These include confusion, slurred speech and forgetfulness. Symptoms can also include diarea, headaches, blurred vision, bad breath, impotance and incontanance.

I was going to write a response, but I'm too busy with trips to the bathroom...and I can't remember what I was going to write, anyways. smile

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I personally think large mouth bass is some of the worst tasting fish in Minnesota, but all fish is good! I don't keep bass, but I will eat it if I am given it. My favorite fish to eat is northern pike, walleye is equally good tasting. One pike of any size is a meal for one person. Most fish including bass, only about 1/4 of their weight is edible meat. Almost 1/2 of a northern is meat. Even a small 2 pounder puts out nearly 1 pound of meat. I am not a big fish eater, I just keep them if they die, but man nothing can beat a big filet of small northern pike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd chew off my own arm before eating a bass. Ewww....

the things some people will put in thier mouths.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have eaten bass fried,pickled,and baked.They all tasted good I baked them after some guy told me that bass meat has some oil that becomes wierd taste when fried but I never compared them to any other baked fish. I think that parasite brings you good luck. grin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All bass, largemouth and smallmouth, harbor a breed of parasite that takes anywhere from 10-35 years to mature when digested. Fish that eat bass, like muskie and northerns, do not spread the parasite because their digestive juices kill it.

However humans and most animals aren't so lucky. Most people don't realize they have them in there system because the symptoms are often confused with alshymers. These include confusion, slurred speech and forgetfulness. Symptoms can also include diarea, headaches, blurred vision, bad breath, impotance and incontanance.

I hear it also causes inability to spell or use a spell checker.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't eat bass but that doesn't mean that I won't eat it. Just like any game fish there is no problem keeping fish within your legal limit, what really gets under peoples skin is keeping the trophy class fish.

A buddy of mine showed me a picture of a 6 pounder he caught a few years back and then tells me how good it tasted. Inside I just cringed and sick a little bit in my mouth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can one up you on that story Craigums. My in-laws have a place on a small 300 acre lake that I fish regularly. Last weekend their neighbor claims he caught a 6 and 7 lb bass on consecutive days. He showed me pics and said he weighed them both. He also fileted them both as he was "saving up for a fish fry." I said to him "At least now I know there are (or at least were) trophy class bass in this lake."

Eating bass is no big deal, just keep the smaller ones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, the 300-acre lake my family's cabin on is getting overtaken by small LM bass. It used to be you couldn't keep the snake northerns off the line, now it's the bass. I don't eat them, but it certainly would help if someone removed a few smaller ones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is nothing wrong with harvesting bass i wish more people would eat them saving the real fish..............

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Much like Northern Pike, out of warm summer water, they tend to taste "green". But out of cold, clear lakes, bass (largemouth and smallmouth) are good. As stated just above, just keep the smaller fish for eating though.

One to two pound bass, out of cold, deep lakes, or caught from beneath the ice, can be quite tasty. Honestly though, I gotta be pretty desperate for fish to keep bass for a meal. Just my opinion tough. wink

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i have eaten bass up in the boundary waters, Gunflint trail, and down in Arkansas on Tablerock Resevoir. have to say the resevoir bass down there were close to walleye. they were suspended in 80 foot of water 25 feet down. the northern part of the state in the colder waters, we had them for shorelunches and tasted great. but what doesn't up there in the outdoors.

never tried bass down here in the cities. think maby they will have an off taste. could be wrong, but i'll stick to panfish. good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only fish that tastes worse than bass is trout. Except maybe lake trout...and they are right on the edge.

Walleyes, perch and crappies are only edible freshwater fish.

But smoked carp and maybe broiled chubs are good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amen Brother! Fresh trout or salmon, splayed over a stripped pine bow, and cooked/smoked over an open fire...oh my goodness!!! That there is a little slice of Heaven itself! smile

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually like to keep the 15-19 inch tournament size bass when I eat them. Those little males are harder to clean. When you catch them make sure you bleed them out in a cooler full of ice escpecially when it's hot. Plus then you won't have to clean the bass stink out of your livewell at the end of the trip. When cleaning be sure to get all of the bones out along with the blood line. Then I nuggetize them and put them in a good homemade batter before I give them a grease bath. They taste just like the muskies that I often bring home for dinner. Be sure to take the y bones out of the muskies. They are just like chopping up a northern and taste just as good nuggetized after a bath in boiling peanut oil.

smile

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually like to fillet my bass, place it on a wet cedar plank, cook it over an open flame for an hour, throw the bass away, and eat the cedar plank.

grin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last week we kept some 12" - 14" largemouth bass. We soaked them in salt water and deep fried them in a beer batter. They were excellent. I was surprised by how good they were. There is an overabundance of bass were we fish so I don't think it hurts to keep the small ones

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most people once they have tried something and do not like it will not give it a second chance. Also very few people come up with their own original opinions but just repeat what they have heard. Living up north here our waters stay cooler longer and get cooler quicker. Now having said that I eat bass in the spring time and come fall. The pound fish are just right for pan frying or cubed and deep fried. I don't eat much fish at all during the heat of summer as to me when you are eating fish from cold water the summer fish harvested from warm water all seem just a tad off taste wise. Besides the dead of summer is for steaks sizzling on the grill! Best thing to do is if you are going to keep a fish to eat, get it on ice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.