Beer battter bass

[Dan L]

I am planning on frying some largemouth bass next week. I am going to a lake with an overabundance of 13" bass. Does anyone do anything different with bass before they beer batter fry them. Do you soak them in anything before you fry them such as milk? How do they taste as compared to walleye or pike?

[toughguy]

At that size, this time of the year fry them like pannies or eyes. Taste just like big sunnies Maybe a little mushier - gets worse the longer into summer you go.

[ThunderLund78]

Please let me know how it turns out. I could never bring myself to try it as I've always thought of them strictly as a game fish. My dad said they'd eat them all the time growing up and that if you put it on a plate next to Walleye and Pike you wouldn't know the difference. I hear it's pretty common down south but then again, they don't have near as many alternatives as we're fortunate enough to have.

[Dan L]

I have never kept a bass either. From what I have read and with talking with the DNR it sounds like it would help this lake to take some small bass out.

[eyeguy 54]

rinse with a we bit of milk, then into the flour, then into the fry pan. easy and mmmmmmmm

[Double D]

I have never tried this but:

A retired former co-worker claims if you are going to keep a bass to eat to cut it's throat over the side of the boat as soon as you catch it and bleed the fish out like you would a red blooded-type animal. He claims this will make meat firmer and flakier. Swears he eats them all the time like that.

To me it sounds like a bloody mess in the boat.

Just something to pass along.

DD

[candiru]

I scale them and fillet them, treat them like sunfish/crappies.

[Ice Shack Baby]

I have eaten quite a few white bass growing up. The thing that I remembered is to make sure that when you are filleting your fish is to not get too close to the skin so the red line does not come with the fillet. Other than that, I cook them the same as walleye or pan fish

[pushbutton]

They are a little "fishier" tasting and softer in texture. This review is coming from someone who really does not like to eat fish. To anyone who does like to eat fish and has gone home hungry and empty handed fishing for walleye you are missing out, especially for smaller bass early and late in the year, especially if deep fried. Also think smallies are a little better than largemouth. Have heard of soaking them in 7up, milk, and salt water. Made fish tacos out of them last year and served them to people and they loved them!!!!! Have never tried the bleeding them out as Double D suggested, but have on bullies and catfish, and certainly is the way to go.

[shortfatguy]

Large mouth and small mouth do not have the red meat against the skin like a white bass so no need to worry about that. Just like any other fish, They are better out of cold water. But even in warmer water they are excellent. Nice white flaky meat. I have never had a problem with them being mushy or fishy. I fillet them just like a walleye and deep fry with shorelunch. Sounds like you are doing a good thing for the lake by taking the stunted ones out. Once you try it you wont ever look at a bass the same way. I have also smoked them and they are good that way too! I bet they would pickle as well as northern do.

[solbes]

Early in my fish eating experiences I tried a few. They were okay, but seemed a little fishy for my taste. I soaked them in salt water for a couple of minutes first, that seemed to reduce the flavor somewhat.

Haven't kept a LMB in years, so I'm sure there are better ways of preparing them now. In our lake we need those bass to get bigger to help control the stunted panfish population, so I encourage all of our guests to throw them back. On the lake of the OP, sounds like taking a few will not hurt anything.