How Good Do Bass, Bluegill, Etc Taste?

[kcdinkerz]

I've had bass a few times this year some where okay other times they weren't as good. I guess it depends on when and where it was caught and how it was cooked. The only lake fish I take home now are crappie, walleye, and channel catfish. Though I do miss wippers but that mercury is scary lol

[kcdinkerz]

Crappie and catfish are the best.

We do them on a wood or charcoal fire a little salt and enjoy.

Same here, sometimes simple is the best.

[the reel ess]

I'll eat bass from 2 ponds I fish. And they taste great. My family likes them too. But they're getting tired of eating them. I'll have to freeze them for a while.

 

I don't from anywhere else unless I find another good pond. Another pond I fish had a parasite called yellow grub in the meat when I tried to clean them. So I won't keep them anymore. But I'll still catch 'em.

 

I simply won't eat from the local lake anymore. It's 4th in a long line of developed hydroelectric lakes. Too many people and boats. Too many sewage spills upstream. Leeches, etc. Big cats are the most polluted fish in there besides maybe carp.

[thomas15]

I grew up on the Jersey Shore and we ate a bit of saltwater fish in my youth. To me, the times we caught a trout or other freshwater panfish or gamefish, the taste just wasn't there. The few times I've eaten catfish in a restaurant, it seemed like a chore to consume it. Of course I'm sure that that meat was farm raised.

 

Anyway, I'm inland now and fish freshwater. I've never in 57 years consumed LMB and to be honest unless driven by necessity cannot imagine ever doing so. And I doubt seriously that I will eat any other species of freshwater fish with the exception of stocked trout. Put just about any species of saltwater fish in front of me and I'll have a dinner but something I've caught in an impoundment or pond doesn't have (in my opinion) enough taste or a meat/bone ratio high enough to appeal to me.

[Danturner]

I'm a fan of walleye, perch, and crappie.

[the reel ess]

I'm convinced that eating fish from clean waters like a spring-fed pond is very healthy. Bass from clean waters taste better than those from the public sesspool.

[dave]

If you are fishing in Maryland it's possible you may fish some water that has Northern Snakehead. I've never tried it, but people say it's absolutely delicious.

You are correct.

[LuckyGia]

Panfish I like to steam and dip in cocktail sauce. Called poor mans shrimp.

[RoLo]

Bass is very good. Anyone that convinces you it taste fifferent than bluegill are losing it. I prefer bass over crappie,catfish etc and the ease of prep per fillet is so much nicer than bluegills crappies or catfish.

 

My wife has given me several double-blind taste tests between grilled bass & grilled crappie, and I can always tell them apart.

The firmer more flavorful flesh is bass, the softer nearly tasteless flesh is crappie.

 

Roger

[charter21p5]

In my opinion Bass are not a good tasting fish. I think when I tried a Bass many years ago it was a bit weedy tasting....

 

Sunfish are ok however you will have to filet a lot of them to get any decent meal. Go for something with a bit more meat if like to eat freshwater fish. Personally I gave up on eating any freshwater fish except Walleyes, Crappies and Saltwater fish such as Tuna.

[ww2farmer]

My favorite fish to eat in this order:

 

#1 Blugills

 

#2 Yellow perch

 

#3............3 way tie between largemouth, rock bass, and pumpkinseeds

 

Fish I do not care for, that most other people love:

 

#1 Salmon and/or Trout of any kind

 

#2 Crappies

 

#3 Catfish/bullheads

[psaund]

I'm surprised no one has talked about how to take care of the fish your planning on eating. My guess is that the people who are planning to eat their catch take better care of their fish. Lots of ice, cleaned as soon as possible and more ice. The Fish that have been talked about here (bass, trout, perch) that smells or taste fishy hasn't been well taken care of.

[FloridaBasser1]

I'm surprised no one has talked about how to take care of the fish your planning on eating. My guess is that the people who are planning to eat their catch take better care of their fish. Lots of ice, cleaned as soon as possible and more ice. The Fish that have been talked about here (bass, trout, perch) that smells or taste fishy hasn't been well taken car

Best way to take care of your fish is when you catch it is to first quickly dispatch it. The quickest and least painful to the fish(least messy) is a quick hard knock on the head- they are imediately dead. Next like you said, place them on ice(if you can), especialy if you intend to save them for several hours. you don't have to, but it keeps the flavor, and ensures that it has not spoiled.

 

Ish