Panfish Limit For Meal?

[SpinnerbaitSlinger]

Apologies if the title is kind of vague or anything, not sure how to pose this question. I have a couple ultralight zebco rods that some friends in college gave me because they didn't want to store them anymore, so I was thinking about using them from time to time for panfish. Specifically I have always heard that panfish and crappie are particularly good eating fish. So my thoughts were going to many different places that ive fished and pulling a limit of panfish to prepare as a meal sometime. So my questions are, is any species better eating than others, what should I look for, what are red flags, etc? I managed to catch a very nice crappie on a rattle trap fishing one day in a pond I fish for bass occasionally, but this pond has now taken on a sort of greenish-blue tint that seems to be artificial. I believe its an additive to keep algae and such down. How would this affect the safety of these fish to eat? Ive never gone freshwater fishing with the intentions of bringing home food so this is all new territory to me. Any inputs, tips, suggestions, warnings, etc, are welcomed and encouraged. Thanks for reading.

[slonezp]

I would not eat anything that came from water that was getting runoff from lawn chemicals. I eat fish from water that gets weed kills all the time and I'm not dead yet. Fish from colder water taste better. If the water is over 65* I don't keep fish. Crappie are delicious. Bluegills, sunfish, and rockbass are very good. White and yellow bass are good but you can only eat the back meat on them. The red meat and stomach meat will ruin the taste. I like panfish deep fried but you can prepare however you want

[MarkH024]

I would not eat anything that came from water that was getting runoff from lawn chemicals. I eat fish from water that gets weed kills all the time and I'm not dead yet. Fish from colder water taste better. If the water is over 65* I don't keep fish. Crappie are delicious. Bluegills, sunfish, and rockbass are very good. White and yellow bass are good but you can only eat the back meat on them. The red meat and stomach meat will ruin the taste. I like panfish deep fried but you can prepare however you want

The red text is key. Cooler water will give you a much better taste.

 

If you have walleye/sauger or yellow perch in your area, I'd start there.    For me that's about all I care about eating with occasional catfish.  I'm not a huge panfish eater myself.  If I do, it prefer them in the ice season and well.........I never ice fish.

[ccummins]

Bluegill are abosolutely great eating.  I've never tried red ear or pumpkinseed but I imagine that the taste would be similar; especially since they hybridize naturally...

[ww2farmer]

My favorites in order:

 

#1 Bluegills/Pumpkinseeds (I can't tell the diff.)

 

#2 Yellow Perch

 

#3 Rockbass

 

Fish I have had and don't much care for, crappie, trout, and salmon.

 

Fish I have had and are fine, but I don't seek out for food, bass, and catfish

 

Fish I want to try because people say they are good: Pike, and walleye.

 

Fish I will NOT eat, but others do: Carp, bullhead, and smelt

 

I only keep fish for eating through the ice, or very early/late in the seasons. IE...cold water.

[Stlbob]

 Same here love bluegill and crappie..

 Catfish only Channel cat..never tried Drum or Carp....again cold water fish are the best,in fact if it stays warm enough im going to go get a line wet at the lake down the street.They stock it with crappie and trout this time of the year.