How Many of you Keep Bass to Eat??

[big-o]

While I was reading Topraiders Response to RJ's thread about closed seasons for Bass...I wondering, how many of you keep bass to eat...be honest, as every one Knows ...I'm a meat fishermen, I keep what I catch,I don't bring home My limit every time I go out,but I do bring home a few bass when I do catch them!!!

[gorfman007]

I don't eat my catch. I have kept on or two for people who wanted a feed of bass. However, that happens on very rare occasions. I'm just not a fish eater. That is the only reason.

[Muskiemagnet]

I used to keep them, but I don't really care for the taste, a little muddy flavored. I imagine one caught from the cold water ice fishing would be better. I much prefer Pike or panfish if I can get them. Trout and Walleye are my most common table fare, with Pike not far behind in the spring and winter.

[Cancatchbass]

I know this may come as a shock , but I don't keep bass to eat. Haven't for maybe 25 years.

As long as there are plenty of crappie, perch and walleye to be had (all of which taste a lot better in my opinion), I'll have no reason to keep bass.

CCB

[Markus]

I enjoy a good feed of bass. Pink Lady likes it too as well as the girls.

I also have a staff of about 15 ladies that line up for a bag of bass fillets.

I find their ony muddy flavoured if you get them in smaller still water lakes and even then it comesdone to how you prepare them. Lake Erie bass are superb in my opinion.

CCB is right though, when there's perch and crappie to be had, they make a better meal. But with our home, we only eat fresh fillets and rarely freeze anything, so if we catch a few bass then we enjoy a feed of fresh bass fillets.

Of course the "Don't knock it til ya try it" saying comes into play here. I cooked MT up a feed of rock bass last summer and I think he's still suprised at how much he liked it.

[big-o]

Hey Ed....What happened to your response???? it was good one, we have had 24 hits...and very few replys, I realy think that people belive if they do keep and eat the Odd bass that they will be black listed I guess the only respones we will get are the catch and release Guys

[JP]

My enjoyment is in the sport. Now saying that, I will keep a couple of crappie, a perch or two and even on rare occation a walleye, but I will not keep bass from any tournament waters (bad carma ). I think keeping a few fish for the frying pan is a good way for people to enjoy their catch and day, just not into it as much myself.
Cheers
JP

[RJ]

I have never kept a bass.......not saying I wouldn't....I just think there are better table fare from what I'm told.....

Not too sure I'd be eating anything that came from the stagnant slop of the Rideau river....

I have no problem with folks keeping fish to eat.....never will.....unless its a 55 inch musky..... then they can choke on the Y Bones!

RJ

[Caseys Dream]

We do not normally eat bass, again due to the taste, but... a friend of the family cooked some up with beer batter and they were good, like Mark says, it's how you prepare them.
I've learned alot about fileting this winter through OOD mag and I think that removing the dark parts of the filte may make them taste better. I'm going to try that this summer with smaller bass we catch.

CD

[Snag]

If I'm at the cottage, we'll keep a couple fish. And same with when I'm at my buddies hunt camp.

But mainly, when I target bass, I usually don't keep them. The main reason is because I don't feel like cleaning them.

I target bass because they are darn fun to catch! I don't target them to eat. Thats what Walleye's and panfish are for!

[Dartee]

I release most of what I catch but do occasionally keep a few bass to eat (smaller sizes) especially earlier or later in the season. I usually don't keep to many in mid season when the water is warmer (unless it won't live and is a legal catch).

[Markus]

CD, i'll be cooking up a batch at the Long Point Bay adventure weekend in a wet and dry batter. You can try a few bites there too.

[big-o]

I know a lot of People catch and keep the odd walleye and crappie...pan fish are my personal fav....but I realy would like to hear about bass, from both catch and release guys and the catch and keep guys.The reason is that in the fall every one tells me that Bass are easy to catch in the fall...and if the season's were extended in few other areas...that it could wipe it out in a few years, So let hear from you,I personaly have never caught a bass in the late fall....not that I havent tried ...but I have a summer pattern mentality and have yet to master the art of late fall bass fishing

[sparky]

We kept and ate bass when I was a kid, and as I recall they were very tasty. Since I got back into fishing as an adult, I have released every bass I've caught. I keep a walleye from time to time, and once in a while a pike if it's injured badly and would not survive.

[crash]

I am not to fussy on what I eat. Fresh bass crappie perch walleye pike.A few for table anytime. But if a trophy size fish is a CPR fish. Only problem there is the fish dont know it.