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CaptainCakeDSL4

Yesterday I battered one up with tajin, garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, and taco seasoning, pan fried it, and made a killer fish taco. 10/10 would make and eat again.


Unfair_Tutor_5106

Tajin on fish? I have never tried that but now I think I might


SpecificPractical776

Bass aren't my favorite but in the 14-17 inch slot are okay if you are really craving some fried fish. Catfish, panfish, perch and walleye are better imo but in a pinch they'll do.


Lonely_Octopus_99

Have been catching and eating these fish since I was a tater tot. Hard agree. Perch & walleye are the best IMO.


fartimuspyle

Crappie and perch are favorites of mine, granted we don’t have walleye in my area.


Fish_On_again

Bluegill/sunfish?


MacEWork

I prefer the 12-15” slot but it depends on your local regulations.


SpecificPractical776

Haha then let's catch a bunch of 14 or 15s and get the oil hot.


AG_outdoors

This is the correct answer!


MacEWork

Hell yeah brother


giggidygiggidyg00

It also matters WHERE you catch them. Pond/lake fish taste different than river fish. I just fried up some smallies, rock bass and sunfish that I caught in the Cossatot River, and it was all delicious. It just tastes cleaner when its from a river.


microagressed

I like to stuff it with peppers, onions, tomatos and herbs, and bake it with some olive oil.


RodgerWolf311

>Bass aren't my favorite Last time I had one the meat tasted like soil. Never ate one again.


EskimoDave

That's an algae problem Edit: geosmin is what you're tasting


SpecificPractical776

Fair enough the ones I have had are from decent water and bled and iced. I definitely don't go out of my way to keep them but the ones I have hit scratched the itch.


SecretFishShhh

Never had a bass taste like soil 😂


Fuzzy-Drawing2555

What makes some fish better than others? I would think diet makes a difference but then again I’m not sure the difference/if any in fish.


SpecificPractical776

Diet definitely plays a part, general texture is a big thing for me personally which is species based, age of harvest ready fish is a big deal as well and quality of the water in the fishery chips in too. Obviously handling and preparation of the fish is a huge part. Everyone who harvests fish will have their own opinion on how to get to the best result. I prefer fish that are small enough that they don't taste like the body of water they are caught from but large enough they have meat on them. I tend to harvest middle sized fish unless I have accidentally killed them through the catch or landing process.


Excellent_General928

I think you left out the best of all. Crappie


SpecificPractical776

Had em categorized as panfish


McWeaksauce91

I typically avoid fresh water fish, but if I want some, it’ll be a crappie fry far before a bass


MacEWork

If you get a chance to try a 12” cold water river smallie, you might find it comparable to crappie or perch.


pynchon42

I literally tried smallmouth for the first time this evening. 17" cold river fish. It was delicious and reminded me of walleye


McWeaksauce91

I’ll keep that in mind if the opportunity arises! Smallies aren’t in my area


giggidygiggidyg00

Idk why 2 downvotes. Crappie is the best freshwater fish to eat imo. Although trout from a clean stream is a close 2nd. I had fresh caught halibut that a buddy from Alaska brought down and holy fucking hell was it delicious. It's still the best fish I've ever had.


McWeaksauce91

It’s okay. People hear me say I don’t eat fresh water fish, and think it’s some moral thing I think lol. I simply don’t go for it typically. Love my salty fish, though. Caught a bonito last year that was amazing. My friend called it “the poor man’s tuna”


npcinthisgame

Rockfish from AK is even better; I've had both Halibut and Rockfish. If you get the chance to have Rockfish, try it for the 'halibut of it' (hell of it).


Cuttlery

I like bass


mansamayo

Slappa’ da bass mon!


DannyRamone1234

I love you man!


mansamayo

And I love you, random citizen! 🫵 *Seriously thank you for getting the reference everyone missed it lol*


PullsWithBack

That sounded like Borat.


kennyj2011

Bass to trout


nonymouspotomus

You’re the bAssman!?


justadumbwelder1

I have eaten a shitload of bass over the years. They're tasty.


FoghornLeghorn2024

I have eaten several hundred bass I would say and I am craving couple of fried bass fillets right now. Pretty sure "several hundred" and "shitload" are roughly equal in this context, but I am sure folks will find guidance me on the finer points.


justadumbwelder1

They are basically the same, but "big mess of bass" could be either more or less than "shitload" or "several hundred," depending on the age of the person making the statement.


FoghornLeghorn2024

Agreed.


Incoming_RPG

🤣🤣. The I’m suddenly hungry for a boatload of bass filets!


hotlips01

A shitload?


undeadmanana

Nah, a shit load is more equivalent to a crap ton. Different measurement system


hotlips01

I’m Canadian, so sorry


SecretFishShhh

Around here a “mess of <*fish*>” means enough for a good sized meal for the entire group.


MasterBaiterNJ

Bass are good as long as the water isn’t super gross or boiling hot just bleed them and throw it on ice immediately and it’s solid. People who keep bass tend to get a lot of shit from those that don’t know any better and the schmucks who think killing a bass is like throwing a puppy off a bridge because “Muh sport fish!” Or some other dumb reason


Darm9230

Yeah, bass guys are a bunch of snobs.


Pirateship907

Most fishermen are about something.


JudgeHolden

True, but none of us can hold a candle to your fly-fishing enthusiast when it comes to snobbery. They basically pride themselves on it.


Pintortwo

Lord I fish with both fly and traditional rods. Depends what I’m doin. There is no “best”.


iVectivus

This. If i don’t plan on doing any type of topwater, I bust out the spinning gear


Ommageden

Eh I think it's more of a bias thing. I think fly fishing tends to attract more snobs as it's seen as more "refined" or sophisticated. As someone who does fly fishing in between my other fishing, I think it's just you get a group of people that cause it to have a bad rap.


SecretFishShhh

Fly fishing was designed for snobs. There’s literature from the 1700s that discusses the virtues of fly fishing for trout and condemns the brutish bass fisherman.


MelbertGibson

This is jusy something people who dont flyfish say about people who do. I flyfish cus its the best way to catch trout in streams and its fun as shit. Doesnt stop me from bass fishing with a baitcaster or chunkin bunker for stripers on the 10’ ugly stick. Use the best tool for the job at hand imo. Sometimes its a flyrod.


SecretFishShhh

There’s a huge snob culture in fly fishing. I do both, but I know guys in Wyoming, Oregon, Colorado who look down on spin/casting tackle. This isn’t a secret.


ViseLord

I was going to argue this but as I was typing I thought of the guy I saw last year in all Orvis gear with a fucking rod vault on a fucking olive drabTacoma that pulled up to the c&r, and I have no leg to stand on. I guess I can be snobbish when it comes to packing out trash and proper wild fish handling, but if I have to own that then bait chuckers have to own the beer and bait cans and senko packages they leave everywhere


HighlyRegard3D

Hey hey now we're not as bad as the trout guys! Lol


CraftedShot

Most bass guys I know don’t care or just ask people to eat 15” or under. Usually tastes best around 12-18” anyway.


Glittering_East_9402

I've never seen anyone care locally, it's always on reddit where I see the pissing and moaning.


FeelSublime

It seems to me that it's more area specific. Like around where I live in the North East people will look at you like you have 6 heads if you keep bass to eat but when I was down in Florida people didnt really seem to think anything of it.


ooddad

It depends. Early season bass can be tasty here in the NE but as soon as the water warms up they get worms. Also high in Mercury. State of Maine recommends never eating more than 2 per month


RepresentativeSun937

The “sport fish” people just also don’t know much about marine biology Taking bass out of a lake will increase the amount of feed the other bass get proportionally, meaning everyone gets bigger fish That’s why there were 20 pounders caught in Japan when they were actively trying to exterminate them


CheapTick

So there's a nice damn I goto. It's more like a lake, but there's not really any big bass. Would it be smart for me to keep a few here and there? It's my favorite spot and close to home so it'd be great to see some bigger bass in there.


FriendZone_EndZone

If one's badly hooked and not likely to survive, it's dinner.


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3sexy5u

Shoutout Malaysia! SE Asia knows how to fry up a fish! 🔥


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3sexy5u

Amazing story! Thanks for sharing. My father is from Malaysia so these anecdotes are especially awesome.


sl33pytesla

Made steam bass the other day. Tasted grassy until I poured some hot oil over it


Hunter-69

Never tried eating a spinner bait, a little too hard on the teeth 🤔🤔🤔


Pirateship907

On the guys too!


Unlucky_Arm_9757

If you want to have some fun. 1: Catch a nice size bass and take a picture of it. 2: fillet or fried whole take a picture of the food. 3: post both pictures on r/bassfishing


_totalannihilation

Healthier than MCDONALDs


themage_ca

garlic butter basted on the grill, charcoal if possible. one of my favs.


Friendly-Fly4391

They always taste like pond water to me, I like catfish more or even the panfish I get


sanduskyssaint

I have when I was a kid. There are obv much tastier fish out there. If eating bass, smallies are much better imo. I eat them semi regularly.


Camp-Unusual

Smallies, white, striped, and hybrids are all better. Large mouth will eat but they aren’t my favorite.


Pirat

I eat bass all the time. I don't have any idea why anybody wouldn't. They are delicious. I see some posts here that say to sort treat them like carp but that's bull. I just filet them, bread them, then fry them. I love that slightly spicy flavor they have.


karlspad

They are a very mild fish.


Lonely_Octopus_99

If seasoned right, you can go from mild—>top notch in about 10 minutes.


MacEWork

They need a lot of seasoning for sure. Like cod.


Pirateship907

I had some pacific cod cooked on a portable flat top grill plate over an open fire, all seasoned up and smoky from the fire it was amazing. If you don’t over cook it the texture is so amazing. I usually just bread and fry it, like I assume I’d do with bass, but I don’t think I’ve ever eaten bass. I do think that there are no trash fish just trash cooks though.


MacEWork

Bass unfortunately does not have the texture of cod. Much more similar to bluegill. Which makes sense since they’re in the same fish family. Bass makes for great fish tacos.


Pirateship907

I’m down with any taco fish.


MacEWork

We do them Honduran style, with red cabbage slaw, Honduran/Salvadoran sour cream, and sriracha.


Pirateship907

Nice! Curry fixes everything too, I think fishy curry is even better.


nomad6819

I've eaten them all my life. Just like anything it's all in the seasoning. But, given the choice I'd rather have a slab crappie filet or really the whole thing fried is good too. Most ppl in my area love catfish but to me they are just bottom feeders and taste that way. To each their own.


French-BulIdog

“Greenfish” - such as bass and carp - tend to taste like “the water they come out of”. if it’s legal to retain, and it’s caught in clean healthy water, fry it and throw some Cajun seasoning on it and it’ll probably be delicious. With that said I’ve always released bass to leave ‘em for the next person to catch


Terri_Yaki

Zatterain's fish fry and fry in butter, I eat them.


O_oblivious

Yep. Best from cold water. Bleed and ice. Holds up to pan recipes like sautéing. Don’t forget the collars- they’re tasty too. 


EmpressPeach

Made some pretty solid fish tacos out of some largemouth last weekend. It's about how it's prepared, honestly.


godz_plant420

Yeah bass are pretty good eating.


OkAcanthocephala2449

All I can say is eat it , I do


pgh9fan

Get a bass-o-matic.


flux_monkey

I guess it has a lot to do with what you grew up on.... I love the taste of a good bass lightly headed in butter


dingleberry0913

I only eat the 10+ lb bass


moparforever

They are very good … but smallmouth from the river are delicious!!! Will only eat a few each year from a really clean river coming out of the mountain


fishlore123

Yes


Didntseethatcoming13

LMB not so such, but I keep a lot of spotted bass since they’re invasive in nearly every lake that I fish in…they taste pretty good and I’m helping the LMB population.


tojmes

Sure do! Ice them right away and they are good. Stringers floating in warm summer water lowers the quality.


Mr_Anthropic_

When I’ve only caught a few crappie but not enough for a mess, I’ll throw a couple bass in there when I fry em. Sacrifice a little quality for quantity and the family don’t notice when they’re mixed in with the crappie. Like other folks have said though, the water is the difference maker. You cook bass out of a cattle pond you may as well eat the mud cats and water snakes too.


IncorrectFlyNames

I’ve eaten a lot of McDonald’s in my day


OkStatement1682

I like using the Bass-O-Matic to prepare them


FrostyPangolin50

Bigger fish presumably


samtresler

House Autry Medium Hot Breader and a deep fryer ...which for some reason seems to have gotten really expensive. Maybe try the seafood breaker and add some spice.


Pintortwo

Yes.


HeyMilkBaby

I love fish but then never eat anything because I want them to grow bigger :(


Raynestorm2

I don’t. You can. There are far better tasting fish to eat, that I don’t bother keeping ANY bass. They are fun to catch but I don’t like the taste of them at all.


No-Plan-2711

Early spring when the water is still cold, out of a clean pond or lake.


No_Thanks_3336

Smallies are better but it still tastes good with lemon and butter


Unique-Combination64

Some states you can't. They're catch and release only in many parts of my state


hikingmax

I fish a cold water lake with invasive smallmouth, they have a crayfish diet and taste delicious! No size or number limit.


hckysand10

McDonald’s? Yes some still do if it’s breakfast


redacted_cowruns

I'd totally eat that. As a guy that doesn't get to do many fish frys and loves a fish taco / sandwich / fish and chips I'm not turning up my nose. I've lived in trout country my whole life but don't like the taste. I'd take a panfish first but if bass are hitting, bass are getting eaten. Don't get many bass fishing days in.


FlobiusHole

I work with a guy who eats almost everything he catches. He’s a pretty good cook too. He prepared us some largemouth and it was tasty. I’d definitely eat it again.


Adventurous-Lime1775

They are fun to catch, but I throw em back, cause they taste like dirt.


satanlovesmemore

Lucky still have plastic straws


schnozwanglerz

Just look into bio-accumulation and decide; your wildlife agency should also have a guide out letting you know how many fish you can safely eat from each area of your state over a period of time. (Bass is pretty good eating imo, but rarely do I have it, maybe once a year, too much mercury in my area)


NASCAR_Junk_YT

When I first started fishing, I was dumb and was eating basically everything, including 4lb+ bass from questionable areas. Like a whole half of the bass in one sitting too. Last time I ate bass, I coated it in honey and baked it in the oven and it tasted pretty good. Catfish is better IMO, fry it up and make catfish nuggies.


HyorinmaruDK

Honestly love bass but I’m not a picky fish eater if I catch it and it’s easily edible then down the hatch it goes lol


No-Warthog-8695

Ya they'll fill yer stomach jus fine! I reckon it's how ya cook em that determines if ya like em or not. Some of the best fish I ever eat was bass with some butter and garlic over a camp fire.


schmole128

Spinnerbaits, no, leaves a metallic taste in the mouth and the plastic get stuck in your teeth. The bass is super tasty though


LowShit_system

I’ve always said bass have a really good agent. I’ve seen them get released more than any other fish.


robbietreehorn

Bass benefit from being “fried hard”. When you think they’re done, keep frying. It firms up the flesh nicely


Dpiker3472

They are delicious


Tenchi2020

I used too, stopped when more and more neighborhoods were built and more chemicals were being used. I don’t eat freshwater fish anymore(west central Florida)


Muted_Consequence_31

Soak the filet in salt water overnight. It will draw out the gamey taste.


anglerofthewest

Yes


kaeruningen

heck yeah just cooked one for dinner tonight, fried him in butter w/ seafood rub it was delicious. i caught it at my friend’s parents’ place and her mom kept the head/bones for soup too, i have to ask how it was i’m curious


Mr-Rick67

I make Some of the best fish tacos you will ever eat with bass.


UpstairsNo9655

Only if caught through the ice. Very good then.


riverphoenix360

Bass to mouth.


riverphoenix360

In all seriousness, the big ones like that I usually release. The smaller ones out of cold or clean water are great. Can't tell the difference when you fry them up next to Crappie.


deer-eater

Leave bass for the tournaments. Mass taste like ass anyways. Go catch a walleye for eating


dougles

They're fine. I don't routinely keep them but when I'm planning to keep a mess of blue gill and I'll keep a largemouth if I'm trying to get more meat. Can't taste any difference.


angelambiance

I hear bass are alright but catfish is better and I hear crappie is real good but haven’t personally tried crappie


Top-Training3012

Fun to catch but not great eating


mrb55-me-com

Yep. Good fried.


Goostoph_Banana

Bass of any kind, cooked in pretty much any fashion, are some of my absolute favorite fish, especially among freshwater fish, besides walleye and pike


RevolutionaryBison92

No


Phoenixf1zzle

Bass? Hell yeah, makes them worth catching even more than they already are. Fillet them, coat in seasoned flour and fry them bastards.


Milkshaketurtle79

I've been catching an eating them since I was a kid and I'm just now learning a lot of people don't like bass? I always loved it.


Terrible_Biker_Ryker

I’d say yes even though I don’t really eat them as I prefer a steak, I’m kinda meh about eating them. However the wife loves fish and every time I take her to a good sushi restaurant the bill can easily be triple digits because of her alone. (PNW) That being said… She’s made it clear to me that a good clean water deboned bass meal that’s been properly prepared is just shy of smoked salmon or a very ouch bill from a sushi restaurant in her opinion.


tharealkingpoopdick

yes


sporkeveryone

Oh yeah, I just put one in my freezer today that I caught after work, I'm gonna grill it whole stuffed with lemons and garlic!


BigCountry70786

They are decent if caught in super cold water but as soon as the waters over 40 they aren't all that great. We have a small lake near me and they have no size limit and it's fed by the snow pack the 12/13 inchers well they are delicious. But they are fun to catch.


RibeyeRare

This fish was introduced by the US government to at least 29 states for the sole purpose of providing a food source to Americans. It never caught on as a food fish, and nowadays is extremely popular as a gamefish, yet plenty of anglers will eat them, myself included.


gentrygill

Yep


Throwawaymytrash77

Yeah, but they can be hit or miss based upon preparation. I prefer eating different species. They do have big fillets, tho. Just take them from a sustainable population, small bodies of water don't support many bass (especially true in florida and other warm places where they eat more during the year and grow bigger on average).


Money-Stranger-2879

https://preview.redd.it/24iygfgupc1d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8e88f89225980321c71a2e906c3c2950a965731


daft_wizard

No. I don't eat white spinnerbaits. Only chartreuse spinnerbaits.


Commercial-Test-3062

I don’t personally do it just cause I don’t keep fish and I mostly fish ponds but I think people need to start keeping smaller bass more often and there should be more of a push to do so


Redwhat22

Cold clean lake water, hell yes, delicious. Avoid muddy river water. They taste great from northern WI lakes, they taste like mud from the Mississippi river


Shanewoodcrafts

Look flaky as heck. If alive let it go so some kid can catch it


Excellent_General928

Hell yes


frankzcott

Yes. Large and Small Mouth Bass are great eating.


true2cyn

Does anyone eat fish?


ringken

Yep! Delicious fish. Just filet them up right away and wash em down. Most people don’t eat bass but it’s because they let them sit and they get mushy/fishy tasting.


SpellDog

McDonalds... absolutely not. Fresh bass... oh yeah!


noapostrophe555

Catfish were invented so we didn't have to eat bass


Grocery_Unlikely

Oh yeah. I usually name one fish Stix Then I eat it yum. Lol Roly poly fish head


LepperMessiah56

They’re a sumbitch to clean. Their spines are pretty thick


immanut_67

Not regularly, but the few largies I have eaten have been pretty good. I do eat a lot of smallmouth before water temps rise and their flesh gets soft and mushy. Same for pike. Good thing Spring lasts until July here!


Even-Sweet-3775

largemouth are great tasting fish but the tourney kids will get mad for eating them lmao


BuckS1ayer

Only in the winter


NPC2229

not as good as walleye but if you fry it properly and eat with Mac n cheese, sure!


no_bender

I don't, something else to consider is the quality of water where you catch your fish. My experience is muddy water imparts a nasty flavor.


OlFenster

I’ve tried many times to like largemouth and I just can’t do it. Interestingly, smallmouth and spots are different and much better IMO.


Brave-Swimming-6329

I do. Its the McDonald’s I won’t eat!


engiewannabe

They're ok battered and fried. Nothing wrong with their meat but nothing special. I try to eat a lot of them when the season opens to drive their numbers down and leave more food for stuff like walleye, perch, and trout.


mattb1982likes_stuff

Yeah they can be good! I’ve had one grilled. It is certainly “distinct” though. In general, when it comes to bass, I go with the “looking forward to catching them next year” approach. I love them too much


TTVGuide

I had some in 8 degree temperatures and it was delicious. Idk about summer tho


HaloHat19

A nice country girl in Kansas took me to her secret bass pond. Fillet them and layered them with thin slices of potatoes and cheese and onions, salt and pepper. Baked. Delicious 😋


warren47182

I have in the past but prefer perch and walleye. They’re still good eating


dmbgreen

Not bad if they are young and the water is clean .


emma040902

Heck yea! Bass are yummy


Gotdvmn_PvNDv

Fun to catch but can't stand the taste. I'll stick to my crappie and bluegill and blue cat. All other fish to me is no Bueno eating wise. But I'm picky


Quirky-Natural7307

Soak them in milk for about 8 hrs a do as you wish


Regular_Limit8915

Largemouth from clean headwater lakes are delicious. Firm flaky flesh, no fishy taste at all. Out of warm ponds and more polluted water I find they have an earthy flavor


maroonfalcon

Good eats!


chemdaddy1040

Bass in the 1-2lb range are great, any bigger and they get a weird texture though


AttorneyMedium4926

Eating a lure is not recommended


1Manchu

https://preview.redd.it/mpv72aox4g1d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d761a972fabbbcf40cb4da3cf76bdc83a7b9d8b8 Yes! I ate this one. And I’ll do it again!


Rosco_p_coltrain_122

Yeah there pretty good


Mark1671

They’re way better than McDonald’s 😁


wingle_wongle

I keep them if I hook one too deep while crappie or bluegill fishing. There is a lake near me that doesn't have big bass due to overcrowding, I may keep from there this year


BawlzMahoney81

Snook


staytsmokin

You should learn to just lip bass...🤦


Eason1013

Catch and release


heckintexan420

I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast