Keeping bass

Question.

I have never kept a LMB ever. Do any of you keep them and if so how do they taste?  I will normally keep some striper but not sure why I never take LMB. My wife asked why I didn't keep one yesterday and I didn't have a good answer why.

Let me know your thoughts. 

Theyre terrible put em back

You can eat them and they are Quite good! The trick is to filet them and remove the skin... Otherwise they are really fishy... Cooked in butter or breaded and fried, meat is sweet and flakes like cod.... (if you remove the skin) I too, always put them back though.

They are freshwater Rockfish.

I put them back because the mercury content is really high. 

Delicious

I always release my smallies and largemouth, but any spotted bass between 14-17" is in my taco-slot limit. 

The large mouth i ate tasted like celery i didnt like it  lol only kept it because i had gut hooked him an lost alot of blood and didnt want the fish to suffer and die without a purpose because of me. Wood shampoo an filleted removed skin still didnt care for it

They are freshwater Rockfish.

+1

I put them back because the mercury content is really high. 

Depends on their size and where you catch them from!

I agree with the fresh water rockfish comment. I eat a lot of largemouth and they are delicious. My favorite recipe I had at Elk with rockfish. Season, fry and serve whole, eaten with your fingers and dipped in sweet chili sauce. I have served this to a lot of friends and they always love it. Now I'm hungry. I also fillet and deep fry ala Chuck with Panko and served with chili sauce. Tasty, tasty..............

Thanks for the responses. I guess I will have to try one for myself. I think I need to go fishing now

When I am freshwater meat hunting I generally target panfish, which I prefer to bass taste wise.  Of course bait fishing for redear and other panfish you will occasionally gut hook a large mouth (I pinch my barbs down) However if I hook a bleeder I will keep it so it doesn't go to waste.  Not my favorite.  They don't taste anything like a striper unfortunately.  They are plenty edible, and not "bad" at all, just not my favorite. 

 

  When I first started bass fishing many moons ago, I allowed myself one fish for a dinner.  After that all LMB I catch are released to grow and be landed again.  Small mouth? Different story, any one I land is dinner fare.
   Haven't landed a huge number of crappie yet, but if there hand size or bigger I'll keep them.

I always release my smallies and largemouth, but any spotted bass between 14-17" is in my taco-slot limit. 

+1
I think that the less plants in the water, the better the bass taste. a clean, rocky reservoir has the best tasting bass imo.

i take LMB sometimes when i'm out fishing. Anything between 12-16" is good eating. I don't like to take anything bigger because it might hold mercury. They taste great steamed chinese style

not my pic