Do you eat bass? *POLL*

[LarryA]

Catch and release is ok but at the same time, there is nothing wrong with keeping what you are going to eat.
I don't generally keep anything but on occasion I will. It depends partly on where I fish. It seems that we have managed to pollute about all the standing water on the planet.

 

[SlimeTime]

I've gone as far as to filleting fish right on the boat. Place fillets in a ziplock on ice, and the carcasses are saved (for accounting purposes for a CO if need be) in a trashbag.

Though this is usually only when catches were made during the day, and plans were to be on the water overnight.

ST

 

[BLK fisher]

Catch and release only. In New Jersey, very seldom do you even catch a hog. Out state record is 10lb 14oz. I have caught 7's and 8's and wouldn't even think of keeping them.

 

[FishingCop]

All good advise, but you would do this instead of keeping it alive in a live well? Or do you mean immediately after you take it out of the live well, but before cleaning? When I'm somewhere that allows, I fillet the fish straight from the livewell - they are all still jumping around and many times they'll actually swim a little after filleting (if I do a good job). I always slice off the skin also

If the temperature is over 80* I woudl recommend not using the live well but putting the eating fish right on ice. Stressed fish will start to release acids and such into the meat as well as attempt to regurgitate the contents of their stomachs. If you get the body temp of the fish down to the 35* range you will really slow down all the bad stuff and end up with a much cleaner and sweeter tasting fillet.

You might also try bleeding the fish while it is still alive, especially the larger fish.

Thanks for all that info and advise. If you have followed any of my posts, you'll remember that I have just gotten back into fishing after about 30 + years ... so, I'm learning a lot about things I forgot or didn't know back then (especially about owning a boat). Used to catch, and not worry about the fish if the gills still showed a little red, once they tuned white, they were too far gone to eat. Lots of good info and advise to update my old ways from years ago.

Thanks Ahab & Flounder (and all other members) for your wise advise... I'm still learning :?

 

[baptistpreach]

I eat them, but I practice selective harvesting. I don't keep anything over 2lbs as a general rule, and I can't really taste much difference between them and crappie. I love them, as does all those who I've made them for. Again, I've grown to this position, but I let the bigger ones go, and eat the smaller ones, which IS good for the population where I fish.