Do all Bass fish taste the same? Do the fresh water Bass taste the same as Sea Bass?

[Cindy]

I am a new fisher person, trying to teach myself how to fish and I am wondering if all bass fish taste the same, same with cat fish, trout, etc.

I am very new and I am trying to teach my 25 year old son as well.

[Buckshott00]

A fast word for fisherman / fisher-woman is "angler".

Not all fish taste the same. Two fish of the same species might taste very different given their age, size, diet, and habitat. e.g. you might enjoy young channel catfish or blue catfish, as they are predatory and live mid to high in the water. Older mudcats are bottom feeders, and if you ate would it would taste nasty, like the worst parts of the bottom of the river.

e.g (2) trout caught in a lake or stream with lots of small crabs will taste differently than the same species of trout caught in a lake or stream with no crustaceans and lots of flying insects.

You want to catch and eat fish from clean healthy habitats. The higher up the fish is on the food chain, the more pollution it has from accumulating the pollutants from everything its prey ate and its prey ate and so on.

[MattM37]

As Buckshot mentions, flavor can depend on a lot of factors, even within one species. There is one stream in my county with trout that have never tasted particularly good to me, even though I love trout. They're very bland, almost muddy-tasting sometimes; their flesh is always white or just barely pink, both the brookies and browns. But the stream in the next valley over has trout that are purely delicious, with nice pink flesh on the brookies, and dark salmon-red flesh on some of the bigger browns. In appearance, the cricks are nearly identical; same rocks, same types of overhanging brush, same hatches of insects, etc. The only difference is that the one with the worse-tasting trout does have a few muddy-bottomed stretches, and a bit more clay in the soil of the banks. I don't know if that's actually a reason for the flavor difference, but it might be.

[Solitario Lupo]

For the most part all freshwater bass will taste the same some might taste a little fishy do to how big they are and older they may get. Also could be difference in taste just by how you cook it. I know when you catch a small stocked trout taste different then a wild trout. So it is what they eat as well. As for saltwater fish and freshwater the taste are totally different. More people do like saltwater fish better than freshwater from what I hear. Also a factor make sure you look at your pollution levels in the waters if can most are on the internet, this can also change the fish.

[jhjimbo]

Check with your Game Warden for places that have learn to fish seminars. A good seminar will have something on preparation of the fish. Also, the regulation book should have info on how often fish may be eaten. If not, check the web site for water you plan to fish. The pollution in a fish is in the very top edge and bottom edge of the filet - cut it off.
Yes, the same fish can taste different. Caught bass one year, water was clear. Went back 5 years latter and water was muddy. The fish tasted like the mud.
If you mention where you will be fishing maybe a F&S user can give you more specific info. Good luck.

[country road]

Sea bass and freshwater bass are vastly different critters, and the sea bass will taste better. It is my firm and experienced opinion that salt water fish taste much better than fresh water fish, with the exception of walleye and possibly bluegill. They fight better, too.

[Pmacc60]

Sea bass and freshwater bass are vastly different critters, and the sea bass will taste better. It is my firm and experienced opinion that salt water fish taste much better than fresh water fish, with the exception of walleye and possibly bluegill. They fight better, too.

Country Road I could not agree with you more. Might throw in landlocked salmon to but the was as an on spot answer as it gets.

[Treestand]

Ya just can't beat Salt Water Fish for taste and texture, fresh water bass is Survival Food that'a all!!

[Guest]

I am certainly no expert on the taste differences of bass to bass, but on the whole I would not qualify them to be as good as other game fish. BWT being said, when smoked, bass are a fine eating fish and I have found them to be very palatable when so served. But when served any other way, no thank you, you can have my share !

[huntfish1]

To tell you the truth I can't say as I've been able to tell much difference in crappie or bluegill. As far as trout go absolutely a steelhead trout and a brown trout will not taste the same, my preference being the brown trout.

[steve--]

I am a new fisher person, trying to teach myself how to fish and I am wondering if all bass fish taste the same, same with cat fish, trout, etc.

I am very new and I am trying to teach my 25 year old son as well.

I've been eating freshwater bass all my life. There was a period of time where I didn't go fishing for awhile and I missed the taste of bass so I tried sea bass a few times. It's decent, but in my opinion freshwater bass is FAAAAR superior, both in flavor and in texture. To me there's no question.

[jhjimbo]

When fishing Rice Lake, Ontario I cooked up a bass and the oil turned muddy, just like the Lake was and so was the fish. I remember in the '60's Rice was so clear you could see the bottom 10' down/.