Prep for keeping Bass

[Newman12Fan]

I usually practice catch and release, but I also like to eat fish.  I have not done so with bass in a long time.  I have a campsite that I go to every weekend, and plan on keeping 1 or 2 tonight.   I only shore fish, or fish in a boat without a live well.  So the fish I catch will have to go into a cooler with ice.  

My question is would it be OK to leave the fish on ice until the morning before cleaning it, as it will be late (i.e. dark and after a number of beers) before I stop fishing and would rather not clean the fish in those conditions?

Or would the meat taste better if cleaned before I go to bed?

[.dsaavedra.]

im not sure how big of a difference it would make, but i would clean them first.

fresh bass sure is tasty! i might have to keep a few pretty soon for a fish lunch.

[NewScreenNameAdvised]

At least gut them before you call it a night.  You can filet them in the morning if you keep them on ice.

[NewScreenNameAdvised]

and just my opinion, but if you can get some crappie, striper or white bass, they taste better than lmb.

[.dsaavedra.]

never tasted freshwater striper, but saltwater striper (called rockfish locally) are about the best eatin' around. to me, the fresh largemouth taste VERY similar to striper.

[JShrock07]

You should gut it prior to going to bed. The fish will taste terrible if you do not gut it.

[Eddie Munster]

Pretty cool sounding.

I haven't given much thought to eating any bass out of my subdivision lake. I'm concerned a couple of the homes septic drain field may be close to the lake or the chemicals they spray on their lawn may be entering the water. Guess the fish would taste kind of crappy.  :

[crazy4bass1]

and just my opinion, but if you can get some crappie, striper or white bass, they taste better than lmb.

X2

making my mouth water just thinking about it

bluegill also

[Grey Wolf]

PLEASE throw the large bass back into the lake.

[Newman12Fan]

Pretty cool sounding.

I haven't given much thought to eating any bass out of my subdivision lake. I'm concerned a couple of the homes septic drain field may be close to the lake or the chemicals they spray on their lawn may be entering the water. Guess the fish would taste kind of crappy. :

I would not eat out of my subdivision retention pond, too many chemicals.  

[Newman12Fan]

PLEASE throw the large bass back into the lake.

I would not keep the big ones, just the 1.5 to 2 pounders, they taste better then big ones

[TrippyJai]

and just my opinion, but if you can get some crappie, striper or white bass, they taste better than lmb.

X2

making my mouth water just thinking about it

bluegill also

x3 crappie is very good tasting and i its really ez to scale. =)

btw, buy one of these and tie it along the boat or on a rock by the shore and let it sit in the water. the fish won't die.

it's a fish wire cage.

[George Welcome]

Nah, don't clean it. As long as you don't put it on ice it will keep just fine. The indians kept theirs best by buring it 6 inches in the ground overnight.

[fishfordollars]

Pretty cool sounding.

I haven't given much thought to eating any bass out of my subdivision lake. I'm concerned a couple of the homes septic drain field may be close to the lake or the chemicals they spray on their lawn may be entering the water. Guess the fish would taste kind of crappy. :

I would not eat out of my subdivision retention pond, too many chemicals.

No more than any other body of water around the country.

[stinkfist]

I had never eatin bass until friday night.me and 3 of my buds decided to go night fishing friday night and about 2 am we started getting hungry so one of my budies catches a 1 pounder and guts and scales him. Impales him on a stick and cooks him over our camp fire.

Probably some of the best fish I've ever had in my life. I was very suprised.

Gut and head them and throw them on ice and you'll be good to go.

mIke