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Do you eat the bass you catch?


DaveyG

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I was having a discussion with a friend the other night. I was saying how I think bass tastes really good, and it's one of my favorite fish to eat. He was saying that he never eats bass. It seems to me that people around here hardly ever keep bass for eating. I don't here any talk about people eating bass. Just walleyes, crappies, perch, and pike. We thought it would be a good topic of discussion. Anyone have any thoughts?

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Bass can be delicious if taken in the right situation, cold water, smaller bass. But personally I think larger bass, especially smallmouth are way to valuable to stick a knife in. Unless your dealing with starvation, or my wifes cooking.

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I personally think selective harvest is important for our lakes. I very seldome keep a bass to eat. THe ones I do are the ones that are deep hooked fish are are going to die anyway.

If I am fishing for a meal, I much prefer the taste of sunfish and crappie, and even pike!

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CPR exclusively! Bass are poisonous!

Truthfully, in some lakes it is okay to eat the smaller (12") bass. Many old timers will tell you they taste good when grilled with lemon and onion. I have tried them, but I'll stick with sunnys, perch, and walleye. (Yes, I'll pass on the crappies that fall apart, too.) Or... I'll stop at Mickey D's on the way home.

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shocked.gif Any fish is better then Mickey D's cool.gifI have said it many times over a shore lunch of small 12" boundary water smallies are pretty hard to beat. Some of the firmest meat you will ever taste of course walleye from there is another excellent choice..
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Last summer I deeply hooked a 14" bass that didn't have a chance, so I took and home and ate it with some sunfish. It actually wasn't that bad, but you could definitely tell the difference between the bass and the sunfish. My order of favorite fish to eat is:18"-22" pike with the Y-bones removed is my #1 favorite, then sunfish, then perch, then 14"-18" walleye, then 9"-11" crappies. Everything other than that is released to fight another day. Although Red Lake crappies are excellent smoked.

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No, I don't. I watch too many meathogs roll through spawning grounds each spring pulling out stringers of 3-4 pound smallies and 4-5 pound largemouth so that my stomach stays queasy for another 365.

The table quality of bass (which I have eaten both as a kid) is minimal. Falling well behind walleye, crappie, perch, bluegill, cold-water pike, trout and salmon. The fillets are thick, oily, muddy and soft. "People who keep bass can't catch walleye" is the running joke in my boat. Their fight on the other hand, is second to none, and for that reason alone they should be released. I've gill or gut-hooked two bass in my life, and in each instance I gave them to other anglers who wanted them.

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I generally don't keep them unless they're a hopeless case and will die anyways. My parents, on the other hand, regularily eat bass. They do taste pretty good, depending upon the lake. I've had terrible bass, but I have also had very good bass that tastes pretty close to sunfish. Also, smaller ones are much better.

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I feel that if someone wants to keep a meal of 12 to 14 inch bass, thats fine with me. I would rather see some bass of that size harvested than say a limit of bull "gills". We need to look at selective harvest as a good thing. I have a hard time telling the differance between a mess of small bass or gills. My favorite 1. gills 2. northern 3. waldos and finally perch.

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I'm not gonna get everyone here all worked up. It's just a mere small statement.

I do catch and eat my bass, if it's way too small, then of course he goes back in and grow some more. However, I don't see why an individual would be wronged for catching and eating bass, especially if I cooked them. Why would a person be labeled as a wrong-doer because he/she takes the fish and eat them? I work 4 ten hour days, and when I'm off, I'd like to go catch me a nice fish to eat or maybe 2 or 3. I pay taxes like you all do, what's wrong with taking fish to eat. Now, if you're just wasting fish by leaving on the shore or throw them back when you know it's not going to live, then, heck yeah, that's a bad person.

I do respect other users' views/opinions that if we were to harvest everything and anything, there wouldn't be anymore fish in the lake. However, that fact is partly true and partly not. The DNR has established a program/system to monitor and limit the catch of any sort so the balance can be maintained, I think they know what they're doing. I agree that in a smaller lake, the population might possibly be threatened more than a bigger lake such as WBL or Minnetoka. You know the fee you paid for the angling license? Where do think that fee goes? What do you think that fee is applied to?

I've come across some comments written by other users in this forum, I can't help but shake my head. Some users insist that it should be CPR only and some say that fish should be bought at the market only and nothing should be taken from the lake. Now I'm not pointing any fingers, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I'm not targeting any individuals in this board. Like I said, every users' own personal view is well respected. In my opinion, not everyone can afford to buy fish or have fishing as entertainment. Some folks out there merely fish to enjoy as a sport, I do sometimes. Some folks can't afford to buy fish and actually fish to feed his/her family, and there's nothing wrong with that either.

My skin crawled when I came across posts that were strongly suggested about CPR fish. I'm not saying it's ok to go out there with a giant gill net and take 60 lbs. of fish, heck no. Some of us fishermans fish because we like to eat what we catch and catch what we eat without wasting it. I've not fish as long as others may have, but I've released more than I've ever taken home. The DNR established a regulation on how much you can take in one day of any species, then if you stay inside the limit, obey the rules and regulations, I don't see why I have to do CPR when I catch one.

So in my final opinion, I don't think it's wrong to take the fish and eat it as long as you obey the law and stay within the regulation that dictates how many of a certain species I can take. Just because an individual may not see fishing as a source of food, it doesn't mean that others who do catch the fish and take it home deserserve to get some dirty leers and glances in their direction. However, depending on the size of the lake, sometimes it's not wise to take anything, I agree with that 100%. So I will fish and take fish while obeying all the laws, rules, guidelines, limits established by the DNR and other state laws, I don't see why it's not ok to keep the fish.

Cableguy,

J.T.

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Excellent post, cableguy. I really agree with what your saying. I'm one of those people to that likes to fish for food, but not to excess. I'll take home enough for 1 or 2 dinners-- if I catch something big enough and small enough to eat.

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Quote:

CPR exclusively! Bass are poisonous!


Let me cook some bass for you. I take finely diced fresh garlic, salt, pepper (black and cayenne), finely diced lemon grass, chopped cilantro and put it all together. Then I roll the fillets in there and never ever use batter of any sort. Then I fry them on medium heat with butter and virgin olive oil, they come out crispy w/o using any batter or using any eggs. Maybe you'll like to try some and perhaps they're not so poisonous after all. wink.gif

If you still don't like bass then, I'll be glad to buy you whatever you want at Mickey D's. wink.gif

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Some of us just like Bass for the sport, I dont think theres anything wrong with keeping enough for a meal or maybe even a couple meals,(as long as your not feeding the whole town) what I absoluteley can't stand is when I see a stringer full of 3+ pounders that haven't spawned yet, that in my opinion is raping the resource, I dont care if its within your legal bag limits or not, in my opinion they should be off limits.

Im also very happy my "home" waters were deemed C&R by the DNR this way when I do see em in buckets or on stringers all it takes is a call and that person won't do it again!

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What you say is right, no one should be allowed to take fish that has not spawned from any body of water, you are absolutely right no questions about it. I agree with you 100%, I would never do that to any fish that has not spawned yet.

I'm also happy that your "home" waters were deemed to be C&R only by the DNR, they do it for a reason and I'm not objecting or questioning their rules. This practice allows the fish to grow much bigger than normal, while offering a more entertaining activity to participate in.

Let me ask you this, and this is not to put you on the spot or trying to cause an uprising in the forum here. Let's say I go fishing in your "home" waters, wherever that maybe, I hooked onto a fish that swallowed way too deep and removing the hook will either damage or kill the fish, what would my option be? Do I let him back in the water with that kind of injury since your "home" waters were clearly dictated by the DNR as a C&R only body of water? And if I take the fish because its chance of survival is slim or next to nothing, will the DNR come after me with the book and be labeled as a criminal or will you call that in? And if I put the fish back in, knowing that it will not live, isn't that considered to be "wasting" fish and wouldn't that also be considered as breaking the law? If you were in my position, how would YOU handle that situation?

Some folks out there do not have the means to do research or the knowledge on a particular lake to learn whether it is labeled as a C&R only lake or not. I'm not saying it's ok to break the law, no way, no sir. I'm not speaking for those who "knowingly" take much much more than the allotted limit, those people are scum and lowlifes. I don't support those folks ever, and if I ever see something like that, of course I'm going to turn them in. That kind of activity is unacceptable at all times.

What about those folks that are honestly fishing for dinner for their family and unknowingly stumbled upon your "home" waters? Will you turn those folks in to the DNR? Should they have the book thrown at them and put behind bars and made to pay a stiff fine, or all of the above? How would you sleep at night knowing that your phone call may or may not be the one that puts this person in this precarious position where one may not have the funds to obtain legal services? What about legal decisions that may adversely affect a person's career/life down the line?

I'm not trying to put you in the hot seat and force you to defend yourself, no sir. What I'm trying to get at is that wouldn't it be a lot easier if you were to approach this individual in person and using a calm tone of voice to inform him/her that this practice is not legal on this lake and show him/her the proper documentations that is publicly available to justify your statement? If I was in that position and you came and talked to me about harvesting fish on a C&R only lake, and I honestly did not know about C&R on your "home" lake, I would be glad that you had educated me and thanked you telling me something I didn't know before and I'll refrain from doing so in the future. In my opinion, if a person present his/her reason in a calmly manner with the correct documentation that is available to the general public rather than calling the proper authorities, wouldn't that be more of a civilized way of doing it? Wouldn't that make the person you're trying to address listen to you more and perhaps gain an interest in doing research or at least attempt to find the facts before fishing in any lake?

So in final, I agree that no poaching of any kind is acceptable at any time and those who violated this law should be punished accordingly. For those who unintentionally and unknowingly harvest from a C&R only lake, we all make mistakes, I know I made many and I will make many more in my lifetime, it doesn't mean that the book has to be thrown in their face and possibly face legal actions taken against him/her. There's a right way and a nice way to handle this situation. I used to fly off the handle about every little thing when I was younger, now I realized that if I talk to him/her in a calm and polite manner, he/she will listen to me even more. And do you know that by using a precise and clear statement, your credibility increases significantly while most people will do what you want them to do?

Cableguy,

J.T.

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QUOTE FROM CABLE GUY "Let me ask you this, and this is not to put you on the spot or trying to cause an uprising in the forum here. Let's say I go fishing in your "home" waters, wherever that maybe, I hooked onto a fish that swallowed way too deep and removing the hook will either damage or kill the fish, what would my option be? Do I let him back in the water with that kind of injury since your "home" waters were clearly dictated by the DNR as a C&R only body of water? And if I take the fish because its chance of survival is slim or next to nothing, will the DNR come after me with the book and be labeled as a criminal or will you call that in? And if I put the fish back in, knowing that it will not live, isn't that considered to be "wasting" fish and wouldn't that also be considered as breaking the law? If you were in my position, how would YOU handle that situation?

Some folks out there do not have the means to do research or the knowledge on a particular lake to learn whether it is labeled as a C&R only lake or not. I'm not saying it's ok to break the law, no way, no sir. I'm not speaking for those who "knowingly" take much much more than the allotted limit, those people are scum and lowlifes. I don't support those folks ever, and if I ever see something like that, of course I'm going to turn them in. That kind of activity is unacceptable at all times"

First off "not knowing" a reg is absolutely no excuse, there posted at every landing (for special regs limited to those waters) and for those that can't read I say to bad.

There is also a through the gill trick that someone should be able to find a link to and post, for gut hooking fish that will work wonders, I gut hooked exactly 2 Bass last year one I used the through the gill trick on and he swam away strong, and the other I dont know what happened but I couldnt even see the hook all that was sticking out of his throat was the last half of a Jacks Worm, I cut my line on that one. And she swam away strong but probably died within a couple of months.

If your fishing livebait I can see guthooking being a legitimate problem, try using circle hooks they are also wonderful, or try plastics and other lures.

Ohhh and also when a reg states that all fish from a certain size slot are supposede to be returned immediatley to the water do just that, no matter what, or eventually your gonna get pinched.

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I believe the point I was trying to make was that the inability to control how a fish of any species take your bait while it's still in the water. For example, if you're reeling your spinner bait, crank bait, etc. through the water and the fish comes on to hit it, and you set the hook. There had been many situations where a fish will come out of the water and the fist thing I see is its blood dripping or the hook would be in such a position that would require you to dig deep in its throat to get it out or at least make an attempt to.

Like I said before, the chance of survival for that fish is slim or possibly none. So if you were in that situation, you'd rather throw the fish back and let it die? Isn't that considered to be wasting fish? Sometimes it doesn't matter what kind of hooks or lures you use or try, the fish will take it way too deep in its throat and there's nothing you can do about that.

As far as knowing the rules and regulations about a certain lake or any body of water, he/she may or may not be aware of such things. English may be your first language but it wasn't my first. I'm pretty sure there are folks out there who don't know a word of English that comes from various ethnic backgrounds. I was not born here in the U.S. but I was lucky enough for my parents pushed me to learn how to speak, read, and write English with the correct pronunciation, spelling, and grammar. So you would rather show these folks who do not speak, read, write English very well or none at all the way the American laws prevail? How would that be an efficient way to communitcate to others about your beautiful "home" waters or how great America is? How would a person who don't speak English feel about America and its citizens? What kind of image America would be if this is the way its citizens treat others from different countries? Do you just shrug your shoulders and say: "Too bad, so sad?" I thought one of the primary objectives of the DNR was to educate the public on preserving and conserving nature and its beauty for many more generations to come so that our children's children may benefit from it?

Do you know what really irks me and this is not just from postings on this board but written all over? More and more individuals are using the incorrect spelling and grammar of common words. The most common words I often see is: "YOUR and YOU'RE," or "THEN and THAN". They may sound the same, but they have totally different meanings and often used out of context, yet if you ask anybody, they may or may not be able to tell you the difference between the two words or when or how to use either one. Do you know what the really sad part is? He/she was born in America and English is the mother language. I found out that by using the correct pronunciation, spelling, and grammar a person is capable delivering his/her opionion or statement to the listener much deeper and command respect and attention more than ever.

So in final, I can't say or tell you what to do about making your phone calls. You have your own personal traits and that is perfectly okay with me, nothing wrong with that. The only thing I ask is instead of making your calls to turn someone in, wouldn't it be a bit gentler to approach and converse in a professional manner in order to address the issue at hand rather calling in the authorities immediately? I believe that by presenting your reasons in a mature and orderly fashion rather than using them to hide your jealousy and frustration, your point may come across farther and strike deeper than you would expect it to. May I also suggest that you try the above mentioned method just once and look at the terrific feedback you might get in return? I promise you it won't kill you or take away your pride or tarnish your family name at all.

Cableguy

J.T.

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