Dum Bass Question: Why are large mouth bass always catch and release. Anybody ever eat one? Are they any good?
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Dum Bass Question: Why are large mouth bass always catch and release. Anybody ever eat one? Are they any good?
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I cooked up three this weekend for a large camping group in the 12-15" range that were filleted along with some very large sunfish. The young kids were begging to eat their catches.
There was a lot of guessing going on around the table as to which was which. I was pretty sure the bass flesh was slightly darker and just very slightly stronger tasting, but it was all in doubt and I couldn't have told you for certain.
I've had bad experience eating larger bass before and rarely do I keep a bass (in fact, I didn't personally keep one on this trip either), but these were light tasting, firm fleshed, and fine eating.
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Unless it is local law that they are catch and release I am not aware that large mouth bass are always catch and release. I think that started with the pro bass fishing tournaments as a way to ensure there were bass for the next fishing trip. I grew up eating what we caught. Bass is a very good eating fish and fixed properly is a meal for a king. Unless it is against the law where you are, you owe to yourself to clean and eat one just so you will know how they taste and what you have been missing.
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I release most bass, but will occasionally keep a largemouth in the 15- to 17-inch range. If they are caught from clean water, especially early in the season, they are pretty good. Bigger bass tend to have softer flesh, so I tend to keep some that are just above the legal minimum, which is 15 inches most places I fish.
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Originally posted by Drover1 View PostI release most bass, but will occasionally keep a largemouth in the 15- to 17-inch range. If they are caught from clean water, especially early in the season, they are pretty good. Bigger bass tend to have softer flesh, so I tend to keep some that are just above the legal minimum, which is 15 inches most places I fish.
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"Catch and Release Bass" originally was a term coined by people in the bass fishing industry to make sure that enough fish would always be around so that fishermen/ fisherwomen would continue to buy boats, motors, and all the new tackle that went with them. It was just good business. But as to eating, bass are very palatable.
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Bass are most vulnerable when they are guarding the nest or the hatchlings. They'll usually attack anything that gets near their young. If they're caught and not released, their fry usually won't survive. The parent (male I believe) stays with the young well into the summer, long after fishing season opens. Of course, not all bass are on the nest or guarding their babies but because the game wardens would never know which fish on your stringer was or wasn't parenting, the rules often require that all fish must all be turned back, or at least ones in the size range to be spawners.
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I also like the smaller ones. My largemouth season closes in April and opens June 16th. I generally only keep 12 to 15 inch bass, as they taste the best. Sometimes depending on the water the larger ones have a dirty taste as others have mentioned, especially so in late summer. I usually cut up the filets of the larger bass and fry them if I have kept a large one. For someone reason the tail meat always tastes the cleanest to me. Where do you live that largemouths are catch and release only?
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