Bass for eating?

[Tikka270wsm]

Has anyone tried eating bass? I myself have tried it once when I was a kid and don't really remember what it was like. I have caught many nice smallies out of Shawnigan Lake in the last few years but haven't taken any home for the table. Like many others from the Island, I have Salmon, Halibut and cod in the freezer so I rarely even keep trout let alone bass. If anyone has a good recipe for bass that they're willing to share I'd take one home the next time I hit the lake.

Thanks, Trav

[rocksteady]

Bass are awesome eating...Very bland (mild) flavour, like most white meat fishes....Absolutely delicious if you just fry them in a bit of oil with salt and peppa....

I have found that if the bass is not close to 2 pounds in weight, you won't get a decent sized filet off them....They are similar to ling cod...All head and guts....


Easiest way to see if you like it...Bring a couple home, filet them and taste them....Everyone has different tastes.....

I would prefer to eat bass and ling (burbot) over most other freshwater fish, you need to spice them up rather than try to tone them down, like trout or salmon...

I am sure a PM to Newhunterette will get you some great recipes......Or just search in the recipes section on the site here...

[Ddog]

i only like the bass battered and deep fried with home made tartar sauce, but then again you could probably batter and deep fry anything and it would be good..LOL
If i were you Tikka i would continue to catch and release them, after all like you said, you have lots of yummy fish that would be better eating.
JMO.....ddog

[deer nut]

Just got back from a trip to Ontario/ Quebec & tried smallmouth cooked up Japanese style (baked whole in the oven with coarse salt & soy) by a friend out there. Delicious!!!

[weatherby_man]

Bass are excellent eating! I prefer them in spring/fall when the water is colder. They aren't trout or salmon but they are very good in their own right. Not as good as but similar to walleye/pickerel. I just coat them in light flour with some pepper and her of choice and then fry them in butter, MMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

[Johnnybear]

Bass are excellent eating! I prefer them in spring/fall when the water is colder. They aren't trout or salmon but they are very good in their own right. Not as good as but similar to walleye/pickerel. I just coat them in light flour with some pepper and her of choice and then fry them in butter, MMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

X2. We took some home from Westwood Lake hear in Nanaimo last year and the kid's had a blast catching them. We cooked them just like you mentioned. Good stuff:grin:.

[nomad]

x3... Bass are great from colder water. they can get wormy. light batter, fried in butter, salt and pepper. Majority of the time (being from ontario) we just release them, as has been said there's better fish to eat. Bass are a sport fish. That being said they shouldn't be in this province anyways so just eat as many as you can!!!!

[Brett]

Great to eat

[brotherjack]

Great eating -- would take one over a trout any day. Great fun to catch too -- you get good at fishing for them, and you can reel them in as fast as you can cast most times of the year. :)

[358win]

Light batter 'n deep fry.
My families fav. fish.

[Tikka270wsm]

Thanks guy's. Gonna take one home the next time out. With the abundance that are in some of our lakes, should make for some nice meals.

[PGK]

Save a salmon, eat a bass. Sounds right to me?

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Are Bass Native here in BC ???? or were they introduced
I have never fished for or eaten one ... would like to try one day

[ferndogger]

no bass are not native to B.C but there are lots of lakes with them.