Bass Fillets

[Triton21]

never had bass , or any freshwater fish , but i do love fish.

what size are they best to cook?

are peacock bass edible/tasty? - ive always wondered this.

I prefer 13 inches and under. You are not destroying the larger fish and are just better tasting.  I grew up in Eastern Kentucky in a very economically depressed area.  My father had a good job(they were few and far between) and it was not a necessity but we ate what we grew, hunted, and almost any fish we caught.  I have found  that old habits are hard to lose.

Kelley

[SMfisher]

wife and I had filleted redeyes today that is my favorite fish, have eaten trout, catfish, muskie which is good but no bass.

[lineslinger]

Them Darn Spots sure do taste good in that Zatarains!  There are usually so many of them down here you couldn't harm the herd if you wanted to, less you took out the toads, and they ain't that good to eat!

[paul.]

i've always liked bass to eat.  but only the small ones that need thinning out.  i do think crappie and bluegill are both better tasting fish.  the absolute best freshwater fish i've ever eaten was walleye.  i've never cared for catfish that much.  

[MONSTERhudd]

Huh, eat a bass? Thats against my religion.

Please catch and release. If you must take a fish to eat, take the little 2lbers, not the big fish.

[tyrius.]

The best fish I've ever eaten was shore lunch walleye during our trips to Canada.  Holy crap is that some good stuff.  Cast iron skillet, open fire, shore lunch, fresh walleye is heaven.

Bass tastes pretty good too.  I need to start eating some this year.  One of the ponds I fish is very overpopulated and needs a lot of thinning.  I hate cleaning them though so I may not actually follow through with this plan.

[Hooked_On_Bass]

The best fish I've ever eaten was shore lunch walleye during our trips to Canada. Holy crap is that some good stuff. Cast iron skillet, open fire, shore lunch, fresh walleye is heaven.

Absolutely!

[VABasser]

One of my fondest recollections is a shorelunch on a lake in Minnesota. We forgot lighter fluid to start the fire to fry up our 3-5lb bass we caught so we were forced to take the American flag off the light standard on the boat and use it for kindling.

Later, our non-fishing friends met up with us after a morning Bald Eagle hunt. They had one small male to show us. Tasted like chicken, just a little stringier.

Now thats funny

[bocabasser]

not only is this site an amazing place to get great info on fishing techniques, baits and locations but is also the place where people can make snide remarks and idiotic comments about people who actually eat bass. i personally don't give a rats butt if people eat bass, i myself do not. but know this, those same people that are making those weak comments are the same guys who flick their cigarette butts out the window and they themselves are not perfect. so don't sweat their lame comments. eat as much as you like my fellow fisherman. lmfao!

[Triton21]

No Problem bocabasser, I pay no attention to the 'D.A.s'. I am old enough to decide what I want to eat and when I want to eat it. If the 'D.A.s' don't like it they can kiss my 'A'.

Kelley

[Fish Chris]

When people get all bent out of shape about other people keeping a few small bass for dinner, they are showing two things.... 1) their enthusiasm for the sport of bass fishing (which is a good thing, right ?) and 2) their general lack of knowledge, concerning fisheries management. This doesn't mean those guys are stupid. It just means they still have stuff to learn.

Heck, when people get all whacked over somebody killing a BIG fish, it shows me something too..... > That they haven't been around this block as many times as I have. You just kind of get to a point where you learn to expect it, here and there, and move on.

Even when I hear of a big one being killed from 'my own waters', anymore, about all it might illicit from me is a short grumble. Figures. Whatev.  

Oh and like I always say, those goof-balls have to "catch a big one, before they can kill it"..... and I bet I'll catch more big ones that they do   ;D ;D  LOL

Peace,

Fish

[bass wrangler569]

Huh, eat a bass? Thats against my religion.

Please catch and release. If you must take a fish to eat, take the little 2lbers, not the big fish.

Everybody is entitled to their opinion but attitudes like that are the reason a lot of lakes have mass quantities of small bass and not a lot of larger ones. In the last few years a lot of studies have come out showing that the high participation of catch and release is actually causing the quality of fish to deteriorate. One of the ponds I used to fish a lot got completely decimated because of a 100% catch and release policy. They called the fish commission in and they determined the reason for the melt down to be the overpopulation resulting from the 100% catch and release and advised taking some smaller bass out of the pond every year in order to keep the population healthy. By keeping some of the smaller bass (15" or less) every once in a while you are actually helping the population out.

[fatbass]

"I caught you a delicious bass"      

Napolean Dynamite

[Raul]

12 inchers deep fried ---> yummi !

2-3 pounders fillets ---> yummi !

Bigger than that ----> YUCK !

[SnowBass23]

For a long time I wouldn't touch bass.  Not because I had anything against eating a few here and there, but because I prefered eating catfish or crappie.  Since I have learned how to prepare them better I really love the taste now.  It irritates me when I go somewhere and see the same guy, every single time, keeping every single fish he catches, bream/catfish/bass, big or small.  But, if he has paid for a license then that is certainly his right.

If you haven't tried it, soak the fillets in milk for a while.  Then roll them in flour.  Take some mustard (I like goulden's spicy brown) and place it in a bowl.  Use a basting brush to brush the mustard on the fish.  Then roll it in your favorite breader mix.  Fry a couple minutes on each side.  Most of the mustard cooks out, but it leaves a great slightly tangy taste.  Even for people that don't like the fishy taste of wild caught fish, this really improves the flavor.

[Bernie Mac]

.....

If you haven't tried it, soak the fillets in milk for a while. Then roll them in flour. Take some mustard (I like goulden's spicy brown) and place it in a bowl. Use a basting brush to brush the mustard on the fish. Then roll it in your favorite breader mix. Fry a couple minutes on each side. Most of the mustard cooks out, but it leaves a great slightly tangy taste. Even for people that don't like the fishy taste of wild caught fish, this really improves the flavor.

New to this site, love reading the posts...when I get back to Fort Drum after leaving Iraq (have a couple of new quantums waiting for me at home right now) and catch a couple in that "selective harvist" range. I have to give that receipe a try.

[basspimple]

creek bass are the only bass i ever eat. thats why i like to  kill two birds with one stone: run a trotline for whiskers, with a bass fishing fiesta inbetween! ol'e! ;D

[DINK WHISPERER]

Bass is yucky! I prefer cat fish and specs.   8-)

[mrlitetackle]

Agreed....bass are great pan fried ( and within size limits).... The larger ones should always be thrown back though...I love them dipped in an egg wash then put though plain corn meal, fried in olive oil then sprinkled with the old salt and pepper,,, when eating add a nice piece of raw yellow onion and your in the money,,,!!!!!

[.dsaavedra.]

i like to season bass filets with old bay, lemon juice, a little butter, seasoning salt, rosemary, basil, and maybe a few other things i find while i'm rummaging the cabinets, wrap the seasoned filets in foil, and grill them so they're cooking in their own juices. this about the only way i'll eat any fish. i really hate fried fish. but grilled fish is awesome! i've only eaten bass once and they were really good, tasted just like striper from the chesapeake.

[Tom H.]

If you haven't tried it, soak the fillets in milk for a while. Then roll them in flour. Take some mustard (I like goulden's spicy brown) and place it in a bowl. Use a basting brush to brush the mustard on the fish. Then roll it in your favorite breader mix. Fry a couple minutes on each side. Most of the mustard cooks out, but it leaves a great slightly tangy taste. Even for people that don't like the fishy taste of wild caught fish, this really improves the flavor.

Instead of milk try soaking them in 7-up , Gives them a great flavor especially when battered in Andy's Red Seasoning