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not wasting bass

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 I caught a 3--4 lb bass a couple years back. hot part of summer. hooked her deep she was bleeding bad.  thought she would die and did not want to let her go to wast. I normally don't care for bass as a fish to eat.  I cleaned her. my wife got the idea to put her on a piece of aluminum foil with edges rolled up. she put garlic butter in it and sprinkeled lemon pepper on the fish. layed it on the grill about medium heat. and grilled until fish flaked apart I think 10 to 15 min. it was absolutely awesome. just another idea, works with other fish as well. hope you enjoy. 

  • Super User

Thanks for your recipe Lonnie.

My wife & I have always rated freshwater bass

among the most flavorful fish in fresh and saltwater (High in Omega-3 to boot).

 

Roger

  • Super User

Usually I'll keep fish I know are going to die if I'm able to preserve them until I can get home. I think bass tastes fine if you do something to it, plain I don't think it's all that great. I didn't keep any bass last year but I did have a decent sized perch inhale a small jerkbait down into it's throat and there was no way I could remove it without killing the fish, and had I left it in there it wouldn't have been able to eat so I filleted it and had it for lunch. It was pretty good. 

Crappie , perch, pike, walleye and salmon are all much better tasting IMO... My grandmother has a spicy cracker crumb breading that would make any fish taste good. 

  • Super User

Sounds good, but fish just ain't something I like much of...

Ingredients are great, but I'd rather it be in a pasta meal :) 

  • Super User
39 minutes ago, Darren. said:

Sounds good, but fish just ain't something I like much of...

Ingredients are great, but I'd rather it be in a pasta meal :) 

 

 

Darren's honesty is refreshing  :)

When I hear an angler say that bass taste terrible, my first thought is maybe he doesn't like fish.

Frankly, fish is not my favorite item on the menu either (prime rib?  Now you're talking)

All the same, after devouring around 50 different species of fish from fresh and saltwater,

freshwater bass are definitely among my favorite. 

 

Roger

  • Super User
Just now, RoLo said:

 

 

Darren's honesty is refreshing  :)

When I hear an angler say that bass taste terrible, my first reaction is maybe he doesn't like fish.

Frankly, fish is not my favorite item on the menu either (prime rib?  Now you're talking)

All the same, after devouring around 50 different species of fish from fresh and saltwater,

bass are definitely among are favorite. 

 

Roger

 

Prime rib!! Now we're talking, Roger! :) 

Or any steak at Ruth's Cris!!

 

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  • Super User
6 minutes ago, Darren. said:

 

Prime rib!! Now we're talking, Roger! :) 

Or any steak at Ruth's Cris!!

 

o.jpg

 

You're killing me man, what is it you want, money or favors     :santa-107:

 

 

 

  • Super User
Just now, RoLo said:

 

You're killing me man, what is it you want, money or favors     :santa-107:

 

I'll take money so I can take my wife to Ruth Chris's again!!

 

Only been 2x in my life.  Dreamy steaks. Oh my I'm getting

hungry...

  • Super User
1 hour ago, Darren. said:

 

I'll take money so I can take my wife to Ruth Chris's again!!

 

Only been 2x in my life.  Dreamy steaks. Oh my I'm getting

hungry...

They have, or used to have, a bourbon bread pudding that was out of this world 

  • Super User
1 minute ago, slonezp said:

They have, or used to have, a bourbon bread pudding that was out of this world 

 

Never had it, next time I take my wife for an anniversary dinner

we'll have to order some. Thanks for the tip!

  • Super User
7 hours ago, RoLo said:

Thanks for your recipe Lonnie.

My wife & I have always rated freshwater bass

among the most flavorful fish in fresh and saltwater (High in Omega-3 to boot).

 

Roger

There is nothing wrong with the taste and I do keep a few 14-15" LM bass on waters I don't tourney fish on. NOT a fan of smallmouth for the dinner plate. They always get released.

  • Global Moderator

I wish I liked to eat fish. I have a few lakes that are very overpopulated with stunted bass that could use a bunch of fish removed from them. 

#Basslivesmatter.       But if one does happen to die, they are very tasty but I do everything in my power to help release the bass unharmed cuz can you imagine how hard it would be to catch a bass if everyone kept every bass they caught ?... That's a scary thought ?

  • Super User

I've tried eating largemouth twice....why I did the second time it is beyond me.  The first time was bad enough.  I do enjoy saltwater fish though much better.

Eventhough I have had largemouth before, it wasnt "my" catch. It was ok with proper seasoning, but, I beleive it depends on where they are caught.,..bass from a muddy swampy area? kinda dirt tasting and needs alot of seasoning. Bass from a prestine clear lake, a better tasting morsel.

  Then yet, I do live in a area where in ten minutes and I'm standing on lobstermans docks, cod boat docks, etc. Ever try fresh cusk?  If you like fish, "fresh caught" salty cusk is simply incredable.

 Best recipe I've found is: place equal parts crushed ritz and progresso itailian bread crumbs in a glass baking dish, (no eggs/milk) dredge fillets in that mix, with some of the remaining mixture cover the fillets a bit,  then cover fillets with thin sliced butter,...cook at 350 about 20 minutes depending on fillets thickness (until the middle flakes with a fork)

 Ive yet to find a fish I didnt like cooked this way

  • Super User
20 hours ago, lonnie g said:

 I caught a 3--4 lb bass a couple years back. hot part of summer. hooked her deep she was bleeding bad.  thought she would die and did not want to let her go to wast. I normally don't care for bass as a fish to eat.  I cleaned her. my wife got the idea to put her on a piece of aluminum foil with edges rolled up. she put garlic butter in it and sprinkeled lemon pepper on the fish. layed it on the grill about medium heat. and grilled until fish flaked apart I think 10 to 15 min. it was absolutely awesome. just another idea, works with other fish as well. hope you enjoy. 

 

Not LMB so much, but that's how I do it when I want a quick and yummy fish meal. You can do it in the oven, cooktop or a grill, and you can vary the seasonings depending on the fish and your mood, the sky is the limit, and clean up is a breeze.

15 hours ago, Yeajray231 said:

My grandmother has a spicy cracker crumb breading that would make any fish taste good. 

Any chance you may want to share that recipe? lol No problem if you wouldn't want to but it sure sounds tasty!

  • Super User

I can usually find someone at the boat ramp with a 5 gallon bucket willing to take a fish that was hooked deep off my hands

I've had good largemouth from a clear lake in Wisconsin and it was pretty good, but the best fish I've ever had was a big Mahi I caught in Hawaii!  That was just an amazing experience.  Teriyaki sauce with fish is a must try!

  • Super User

I have absolutely nothing against keeping bass and eating them. There's a reason there's a limit and not a ban on keeping them most places. My fishing buddy does it all the time and I usually give him all mine, except we throw back everything over 3 lbs and the tiny dinks too small to fillet. That said, you'd be surprised what injuries bass can survive in cooler, good quality water with good dissolved oxygen content. And even if you threw it back and it died, something in the food chain will put it to good use.

 

I find the bass from the local drinking water reservoir better tasting than the crappie from the local hydro lake. It's just dirty and it downstream from 2 cities.

  • Super User

Largemouth are a pretty good tasting fish in my opinion. There are many smaller lakes around me that need some of them taken out to prevent overpopulation/stunting so I've eaten my fair share. I can't say I've ever eaten one that tasted bad. 

  • Super User

Largemouth bass are one of the worst tasting fish I've ever had.  There's so many better options in terms of quality in Central Minnesota that I hope I never have to eat a bass again.  Walleye, perch, and trout are coldwater fish that all taste far superior than a largemouth bass.  I don't care for pike because of the slime and bones but even that is better too.  Never had a smallmouth so I can't comment on how good that might taste.  I'm glad no one keeps bass around here otherwise the resource would get depleted very quickly.

  • Global Moderator
10 hours ago, TheGreatOne said:

#Basslivesmatter.       But if one does happen to die, they are very tasty but I do everything in my power to help release the bass unharmed cuz can you imagine how hard it would be to catch a bass if everyone kept every bass they caught ?... That's a scary thought ?

Not too scary, sounds like crappie fishing to me 

  • Super User

I would not know how LMB taste like. I ate one a year ago abouy 2lbs which I caught and need to keep it. Every bite I felt guity and sad for the bass???. That was not a very enjoyable meal I ever had from the fish I caught. I do eat fish I caught but not all, mostly saltwater fish. I gave up after a few bites and mywife just kept laughing. She finished the bass herself after and told me that it taste pretty good.

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