Eating Bass

[lutzy]

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.

[Mike89]

good eats!!

[pushbutton]

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.

[CAMAN]

FYI....bass are poisonous.

[Stick in Mud]

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.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

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.

[pushbutton]

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

[Rick G]

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 .

[mainbutter]

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.

[amateurfishing]

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

[Ebiz]

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...

[Matt C]

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.

[Stick in Mud]

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.

[20lbSloughShark]

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.

[traveler]

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

the things some people will put in thier mouths.

[pike79]

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.

[delcecchi]

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.

[Craigums]

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 a little bit in my mouth

[Juan Grande]

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.

[Getanet]

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.

[raymondk]

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

[CANOPY SAM]

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.

[reinhard1]

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.

[Ufatz]

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.

[itchmesir]

Whaaaaaaaa? Trout is absolutely delicious