Do you keep your bass ?

[Row Boat]

I'd like to expand on the thoughts that was brought out on a previous post.

 

It was in regards to a noticable increase in bass populations in some lakes.

I agree with the observation.

 

Personally,

from time to time, I may keep the odd couple of crappies or a walleye for dinner, but I never will keep a bass.

In my circle of friends, there was a belief that bass was some sacried species of sports fish that you should NEVER keep for consumption.

 

Does anyone else share this view ?

 

Now thinking back I not sure where we got this belief from, but I don't think it makes sense.

 

If it is a common belief, and people are letting bass go but keeping other preditory fish, it may offer up one explanation on the growing population of bass.

 

 

Row Boat.

[xrap]

mmmmmmmmmmm bass

[trapshooter]

Bass are good eating, very tasty. I don't keep them out of warm water though and I've only ever kept smallies for the table. If I do harvest a bass or 2 they are in the 12-14" range so nothing very big.

[ChrisK]

If thats all I got for a fish fry that day,you bet but like trapshooter said nothing too big or out of warm water....

I do prefer walleye or a fresh fillet of pike if I had a choice.

[Mike the Pike]

I have in the past but now days I just throw them back I used to eat pike also.Since I started catching walleye that is what I like to eat the most.

 

I will eat perch ,trout and Walleye the bass now live to see another day.

[hawg_hauler]

In my circle of friends, there was a belief that bass was some sacried species of sports fish that you should NEVER keep for consumption.

 

Row Boat.

 

Long live the almighty Bass!

[Rich Clemens]

I usually keep 2 bass for a fish fry on our annual treck into Ontario. All the rest go back.

[tjsa]

I do not keep many bass a year, mostly because I do not fish lakes that have them. We avoid lakes that have them before June 30th, because after that date we can keep 4 any size, before that we can only keep 2 under 13.75 inches, to protect the males on the nests. So, why bother to fish for walleye in lakes where we may hook into a male accidentally, and drag it 30 yds. or so away only to release it.

But after June 30th, I will keep bass in the 15-18 inch range. They are great tasting, a slightly sweeter taste than walleye.

[lookinforwalleye]

It`s been a long long time since I kept a bass for the the pan I prefer a nice perch or walleye fry.

[Greencoachdog]

If it was the only kind of fish I could catch, I guess I would... but the flesh of a Black Bass is tougher and the table quality is considerably less than that of other species, such as Crappie and Catfish.

 

Temperate Bass (Stripers) are better eating if the lateral line is removed, and I might keep a couple of them a year... but down here in the Land of Cotton, Crappie and Catfish are King!!!

[Tootsie II]

On our 2 week annual trip into the Shining Tree area, my partner and I do catch some smallies. We aren't greedy and three or four meals of fish is all we want during that trip. He does all the filleting. The smallies are used for one specific meal which is our fish and chips supper that my partner insists on and/or for one breakfast.

For more "formal" dining of course, the walleye reigns supreme.

[Beans]

Nothing like a feed of small mouth bass fillets...I only keep those in the 2 to 2 1/2 lb range...smaller go back to grow up and bigger go back to spawn...

 

Pickerel are getting scarce in the Kawarthas and a lot of my friends would stop talking to me if I served them muskie steaks !!!

 

Crappie, bluegills and perch make good eating also but are not as easy to clean as bass...

[misfish]

Myself no I dont,but my pop will keep a few for the table. I dont mind the least.

Thier always the smaller sized ones. I think he like the look I get when he does keep them,I just shake my head.LOL

 

It,s all good.

[The Urban Fisherman]

Sure do! I think I kept 6 out of a hundred last summer....but I do lov'em! Never tried largemouth though.....actually, I think i've only ever caught..maybe a dozen in my life...never really fished largies before....

 

 

UF

[Dutch]

I do not keep bass, only because I do not prefer the taste. I have not tried them in a long time, though. Maybe will give them another shot this year. Thing is, here in the Kawarthas, the water is generally shallow, weedy and warm. Not the best combo for tasty bass.

 

I prefer the taste and texture of crappie and perch, even to that of the almighty walleye. I haven't caught an eater size walleye in the last two seasons on any Kawartha Lakes, probably beacuse I haven't targeted them.

[misfish]

YUMMY PERCH AND CRAPPIES.

[Northhunter]

Sure do! We probably keep more smallies than any other fish during the summer. I have kept largies as well, but they are less common where we fish.

The populations are very healthy, they're easy to catch, and they taste good.

 

I will never base my conservation practices on the "image" or social status of a species.

Edited April 15, 2007 by Northhunter

[just herb]

Big Cliff and I throw bass back in as we both prefer the taste of walleye, perch or crappy. Maybe this year we will try bass again as we do seem to catch some on the same bait we use for walleye.

 

Hey Beans it was good to see you last week and hopefully we will get to wet some lines together this year.

 

Herb

[linweir]

I dont keep bass at all. The taste is OK but I just wanna release them.

[bucktail]

I think keeping smallmopuths INSTEAD of walleyes is maybe the way to go from now on.

With many articles published lately it seems that the populations of smallmouth bass in the midwest are growing at arate that is forcing other species into non compettiveness. The increase in water temps seems to be the culprit.

I for one have witnessed smallmouths over run my favourite largemouth/walleye lake over the last 10 years.

I never keep bass but this year I think I will start

 

Check out this months In-Fisherman for an excellent article about this.

[Heybud_e]

i love the taste of bass, i fish for bass usually when i take my trip to Elliot Lake, and i only keep 3 nice sized ones during my 1 1/2 week trip , i find the bigger they are, the less tasty they become...

what day does the bass opener fall on this year?? ... Bud

[mattyk]

i let all my bass go.

[easton13th]

Bass our finally coming back strong to our area where I do my most fishing. I do not keep any bass but my cousin loves them so if we are there together I will keep the odd one for him, if we happen to get one trolling for walleyes. He usually fishes for bass exclusively and only keep the odd one as well.

[FISHINGNUT]

It was in regards to a noticable increase in bass populations in some lakes.

I agree with the observation.

I have fished a small lake in the LandO Lakes region for close to 25yrs I have seen alot of changes in the fishing over the years.It was nothing to catch 50 walley in a morning then the walley fishing dropped off to one or two a weekend if your lucky and then the pike population boomed and people started to keep them now there numbers are down too,the bass population in this lake is crazy (not that I am complaining) but I think if there was better sellective harvest of all species over the years there would be a stronger population of pike and walley today.There are so many bass in the lake I dont think what pike and walley are left in the lake even get a chance to get to your bait.

[POLLIWOGG]

We have a group of 5 to 50 guys depending on weather that camp for a weekend and fry up some smallies. Unfortunately the remote spot we go to had become a hot spot on the pro bass circuit. A few years ago one of the pro bass guys took some time of his tourney fishing to make a pass by our camp with his tv cameras. We got home Sunday night in time to see us on the 6 o'clock news being blamed for wiping out the fish population. I guess its our fault that there are no longer any smallmouth in Lake Ont.