Rank your order of preference

[Garette Lee]

Generally I'm a C+R guy. If I'm fishign with a buddy that wants some fish, I'll give some to him. I generally have a meal at home so thats enough for me.

In order of fish...

Perch King Salmon around here

Crappies

Walleye

Norther (sweet fish)

[crothmeier]

Depends on what I have at home, I wont have more than one meal in the freezer at a time so if I do, then I C&R, if not I keep some but rarely a limit.

Walleye

Perch

Sunfish

Crappie

Pike / POUT(done poor mans lobster)

Catfish (if done right)

[kc0myy]

some of you guys might like I should go to [PoorWordUsage] for this. but when I go fishing i fish for a meal. but I olny keep what need. I keep hammer handle pike. anything big like 25"+ range goes back. i eat manly bass and pike. i have ate bass in the dead of summer. and I have never found the meat to be soft. if I get pan fish only big enought to eat I will take them and then only a few because i hae cleaning then but love how they taste.

[FishinChad]

C&R but dont mind a meal of panfish through the ice if anything, but that only happens for me maybe once every 5 years.

Order of preference for eating...

Crappies

Sunnies

Perch(if only I cound find the big enough!)

Order of preference for catching...

Pike

Bass

Muskie

Crappie

Sunny

Walleye

Perch

[Wookiee]

Pout

Sunfish

Perch

Walleye

Crappie only out of cold water

Northern pickled only

[tisosy11]

If I'm hungry I'll keep the fish.

If I'm not hungry I'll release the fish.

Perch/Walleye

Sunnies

Bass (out of Pelican)

Northern (occasional baked fish is nice)

[Sandmannd]

I eats 'em, just don't keep a ton.

Walleye, Crappie, Pike, Perch, Sunnies, Cats, bully's.

I don't keep many cats or bully's, only if my Dad is around, he loves those things.

[jerkbait]

Eater for me and my favorties are

Bottle Bass (espacailly long necks) chased by the following

Crappie

Perch

Walleye

Northern

Sunfish

[TravP]

I usually dont keep fish, but for me its

Perch

Sunfish

Crappies

Walleyes

[youngie22]

brook trout, walleye, crappie, sunny, perch, mahi, wahoo, tuna, catfish, northern, salmon/ other trout... NO BASS

[bogeyman1]

sunny,crappie,walleye,northern cooked either the same day or day after. I hate freezing fish.

[KTapper]

Gills, Crappies, Perch, Walleye, Pike, Bullhead, White bass(surprisingly good) Bass(had it once from cold water) Sheephead(clean it right not to bad). I like to try everything atleast once, but I will never eat a carp.

[goose89]

95% of the time C & R (Hopefully CPR). When I do keep a meal, it's usually a meal at a time as I like fresh fish, that hasn't been frozen. I also have a tough time leaving the lake early enough to have time to clean afterwards. Nothing worse than cleaning fish til 2am, when I'm getting up again at 4.

Crappies, sunnies,perch, walleyes.

[Carp-fisher]

smoked carp are actually not too bad...

[fishersofmen]

Everyone has perch listed pretty high up. I have never had it but I need to. Does it taste more like a crappie or walleye?

[Sandmannd]

Everyone has perch listed pretty high up. I have never had it but I need to. Does it taste more like a crappie or walleye?

Perch is a member of the Pike Family and close to the walleye. They are tasty and right up there with eyes for me. I don't get out and fish them much, at least not with much size, but when you get into them with size, they are a great fish.

[KTapper]

smoked carp are actually not too bad...

I think its just knowing what they eat and the fact they are carp. I would be more than happy to try some if I knew someone that smoked them. oh and I would also like to try pickled fish too.

[Matt Breuer]

Perch aren't like either, they're soft, small, and very sweet!

[Bottle Fish]

Its funny to see that not one other person has listed smelt. But then again are they fish or bait? You decide.

[shizzy]

Mostly C & R.

On the days I decide I want to keep a few I either forget my basket or I dont catch one fish worth keeping....

[wally20]

Crappie, Walleye, Pout!!!

[GrumpyOldCrappie]

Smelt is good! We went up to Duluth last spring for a first time smelt fishing and netted in hundreds of them!

They're small but after you cut the heads off and gut 'em, they're good tasting.

Going again in a few weeks- mid April.

Anyone want to join us?

[frazwood]

I do not normally keep fish during the open water. The reason is that I don't like fish entrails sitting in the garbage at home for a week when it is hot. I fish on the weekends and Friday is trash day (yuck!). The most likely reason why I'll keep fish during open water is when we're having a party -- our guests normally like fresh fish.

I do keep fish once or twice a month during the ice fishing season. I'll fish in the morning and keep enough for lunch.

I almost never freeze fish (it's been several years since I have), so I do not keep very much. I strongly prefer fresh fish and I usually don't mind going out fishing to catch a few more when I am in the mood for fish.

As far as preference, I don't really have a preference as far as eating the fish (perhaps I like bass the least?). I like most of the species listed above about the same. I would classify trout and salmon as 'different', but I've caught less than 15 of those in my life... so I don't really count those species.

My preference, therefore, is mostly based on the difficulty of filleting fish (with a little bit of taste preference included):

1. Walleye (easiest to fillet; tasty)

2. Crappies, sunnies, perch (more difficult to fillet because they're smaller; tasty)

3. Bass (rather easy to fillet; not as tasty).

4. Northerns (difficult to fillet; tasty)

I would imagine that I've kept just about every walleye that I've caught in Minnesota during the last three years (less than 5 fish total). I've kept maybe 5-10 bass over the same time period and probably the same amount of northern pike.

[snoozebutton]

I do not normally keep fish during the open water. The reason is that I don't like fish entrails sitting in the garbage at home for a week when it is hot. .

We just put them in the freezer until garbage day.

1. Walleyes

2. Crappies

3. Bluegills

4. Northerns (they'd be higher if they didn't have so much slime and the Y bones were easier to get out.)

[Itsa Pole Bender]

Everyone has perch listed pretty high up. I have never had it but I need to. Does it taste more like a crappie or walleye?

I was always told Perch are a cousin of the eye. I suppose I could be wrong. For me they are by far the best tasters (just me though and in the winter here in MN I focus on those more than any other fish. I like them because they are a firm white meat with a wonderful mild flavor. If I have the proper tools I scale em and cook with the skin on. mmmmmm..... so goood!

Also..... I forgot smelt. Smelt are awesome. I use to get enough for one or two meals back home in MI. There just don't seem to be many left anymore.