How Does Bass Taste? 2024
fishdudem reply :
Anybody skinned and cooked up some Bass before?
I know its modis operandi to catch n release but you NOM on one before?
tomustang reply :
Depends where you catch it from, clean river bass taste good.
GoTakeANap reply :
yum yum yum. thats all there is to it. i dont eat fish out of ponds. only moving waters, such as rivers and lakes.
Gatorbassman reply :
Like fish. 
A-Jay reply :
It's good and it does not taste like chicken.
A-Jay
rockchalk06 reply :
I keep alot of fish I catch. My girlfriend and I eat alot of fish. Probably 2 times a week.
Bass is great. I don't fry anything anymore, I cook it on the bbq grill in foil with a small amount of butter and lemon pepper.
Walleye and Crappie taste better, but bass is at the top of the fish scale
NoBassPro reply :
They are good. However, like pretty much any fish, the bigger they are the more they taste like the bottom of the lake they came out of ime.
Phish reply :
Very low on the list for me. Very little taste in general, but the smaller bass can taste decent especially from cool clear waters with really flow - if you're not able to catch the following first:
- Any edible salt water sport fish, shellfish
- Any common SW fish from a quality fish market / grocer
- Farm raised catfish, tilapia, salmon - organically raised, from grocer
- walleye / perch
- crappie
- blue gill and all related pan fish (would be higher if fillets were bigger)
- catfish
- rock bass
- 12-13" smallies (I can't kill them though), 12-14" LM. General size limit for me. Over 15-16" usually = mushy watery taste and texture
- Trout (only had a few so maybe there are better types)
- Pike (what a waste, chewy and awkward, couldn't believe my buddy killed it)
- Muskie? Who would ever kill such a rare fish
Never had carp, sheephead, white bass, striper, hybrids, or a number of other freshwater fish. Not sure what type of catfish I had either.
GoTakeANap reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 8:34 AM, rockchalk06 said:I keep alot of fish I catch. My girlfriend and I eat alot of fish. Probably 2 times a week.
Bass is great. I don't fry anything anymore, I cook it on the bbq grill in foil with a small amount of butter and lemon pepper.
Walleye and Crappie taste better, but bass is at the top of the fish scale
have never cooked bass this way. will def have to try this way.
On 7/18/2012 at 8:38 AM, NoBassPro said:They are good. However, like pretty much any fish, the bigger they are the more they taste like the bottom of the lake they came out of ime.
i agree with you 100%.
rockchalk06 reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 8:54 AM, GoTakeANap said:have never cooked bass this way. will def have to try this way.
i agree with you 100%.
Just take some heavy duty aluminium foil and lay it flat. Spray some pam or olive oil on the foil. Add some lemon pepper and alittle salt. Add the fish in bit size pieces and take a bit of butter or oil and shower in lemon pepper. Roll it all up and seal it as best as you can. Throw it on the bbq grill on low for about 15 minutes or oven on at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. You dont have to turn it as its in foil. All the juices and smell stay in the foil and dont escape.
You sometimes have to eat it with a spoon as its so tender. Cook some rice potatoes and shower it with some soy sauce and you got yourself a hellova meal!
Gatorbassman reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 9:02 AM, rockchalk06 said:Just take some heavy duty aluminium foil and lay it flat. Spray some pam or olive oil on the foil. Add some lemon pepper and alittle salt. Add the fish in bit size pieces and take a bit of butter or oil and shower in lemon pepper. Roll it all up and seal it as best as you can. Throw it on the bbq grill on low for about 15 minutes or oven on at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. You dont have to turn it as its in foil. All the juices and smell stay in the foil and dont escape.
You sometimes have to eat it with a spoon as its so tender. Cook some rice potatoes and shower it with some soy sauce and you got yourself a hellova meal!
I just finished dinner and this makes me hungry again.
drew4779 reply :
Largemouth are good. Smallmouth...not so much. I agree the smaller the fish, the better the taste. Soak the filets in salt water first to draw out the blood. Lemon juice, spices (onion, garlic, paprika, lemon pepper,heavy dill, parsley), wrap in tin foil with butter and topped with lemon wedge (also good with pineapple). Bake at 375' for 30 minutes or on the grill. Can't beat it
Mike L reply :
Bass is alright to eat but to me it's nothing special.
I like shark better.
But in my opinion NOTHING tastes better than fresh Walleye!
Mike
GoTakeANap reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 9:02 AM, rockchalk06 said:Just take some heavy duty aluminium foil and lay it flat. Spray some pam or olive oil on the foil. Add some lemon pepper and alittle salt. Add the fish in bit size pieces and take a bit of butter or oil and shower in lemon pepper. Roll it all up and seal it as best as you can. Throw it on the bbq grill on low for about 15 minutes or oven on at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. You dont have to turn it as its in foil. All the juices and smell stay in the foil and dont escape.
You sometimes have to eat it with a spoon as its so tender. Cook some rice potatoes and shower it with some soy sauce and you got yourself a hellova meal!
about to print this out and try it next time i decide to have bass. thanks man
BASSclary reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 9:41 AM, Mike L said:Bass is alright to eat but to me it's nothing special.
I like shark better.
But in my opinion NOTHING tastes better than fresh Walleye!
Mike
I agree. My favorite fish to eat is Mako Shark, specifically nuggets that are fried up with some honey mustard drizzle . (Insert Homer drool noise here)
NorcalBassin reply :
They taste like mercury in our foothill lakes... not good when kids and pregnant women are encouraged to not eat any, ever.
rockchalk06 reply :
Mom said they have been catching snapper off the coast in Oregon. Said it puts freshwater fish to shame. Anyone ever tried it fresh?
AK-Jax86 reply :
Never had bass before but I'd imagine it tastes like fish
SirSnookalot reply :
My dad was in the fish business for nearly 40 years, I've eaten many different species of both fresh and saltwater. Personal choice dictates what is good for some and not tasty to others. For me the sign of a good tasting fish is one that is not fried with batter or breading, not that isn't enjoyable but really picking up the flavors of the oil and breading, not the just the fish.
In freshwater I don't care that much for bass but walleye and perch are excellent, and I just love Lake Superior whitefish, those are usually commercially caught.
In saltwater there are some very good eating fish too, there are scores of snapper species, some excellent table fare like yellowtail. One of the most sought after fish here in Florida is barracuda, makes a delicious meal, I'm partial to cold water flounder or sole. People don't mention cod much, I think it's very good too.
Lund Explorer reply :
The original question is almost impossible to answer.
The taste of almost any fish is controlled by many factors. From where it was caught to how it was handled from the catch to the kitchen, and then to how it was prepared. After all of that, you need to consider individual taste preference. It would almost be easier to try to tell someone what makes the best BBQ or Chili than to say what a person's reaction to their first meal of any type of fish. The only way to tell is to try it several different ways to see if it something the person enjoys.
As a bass is a member of the panfish family, I like to prepare any I eat the same way I prepare bluegills. A boneless and skinless filet, soaked overnight in salted water. Once the filets are drained and somewhat dry, then lightly dusted in a mixture of flour, lemon pepper, and Lowry's seasoned salt. Placed into a cast iron skillet heated to 375 degrees with just a small amount of butter. Depending on the thickness of the filet, it shouldn't take more than 45 seconds to one minute per side, or until the middle of the filet has turned completely white. Over cooking the fish will make the filet tough and chewy so you only want to cook the fish for the minimum required time.
jdw174 reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 9:41 AM, Mike L said:Bass is alright to eat but to me it's nothing special.
I like shark better.
But in my opinion NOTHING tastes better than fresh Walleye!
Mike
Can't answer for the shark, but a resounding 
for the walleye (followed very closely by yellow perch/crappie).
K_Mac reply :
I suspect that the OP making this his first post is just trying to rattle our chain a bit. What tickles me is that the question has been answered without anyone launching into a rant on either side of the selective harvest/catch and release divide. Good job guys. For the record smaller bass, whether fried, grilled, or sauteed are fine eating fish IMO.
K_Mac reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 1:21 PM, rockchalk06 said:Mom said they have been catching snapper off the coast in Oregon. Said it puts freshwater fish to shame. Anyone ever tried it fresh?
Red Snapper is the best tasting fish I have ever eaten. Grilled or blackened, it is as good as food gets in my opinion.
Bob C reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 10:00 AM, BASSclary said:I agree. My favorite fish to eat is Mako Shark, specifically nuggets that are fried up with some honey mustard drizzle . (Insert Homer drool noise here)
How do you know if you like it if you put "honey mustard drizzle" on it? If it's good you don't need to hide the flavor with seasoning. 
I eat Bass quite often. The inland lakes I fish are very clean and clear so that could be why they're so good. I also keep them happy in my live well until I get home. Can't get any fresher than that.
Nitrofreak reply :
There is nothing like a dutch oven cooked bass.
Skin on, scaled of course, slices of lemon cover the bottom, with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil.
Pepper, old bay seasoning, are mixed in the butter and spread over the fillet, as the butter melts the seasonings slowly cook into the meat, about half way into the process, 1/4 of a scallion is added to the top of the fillet's and then I add crab meat in small round portions, 4 total, made the same way as a crab cake.
bayouXpress reply :
grilled bass is my favorite fish to eat.
After filleting them, i sit them in ice cold water and clean them up with a sharp knife removing anything I don't like the looks of.
I marinate them with a slight touch of mustard (too much and you will taste it), fat free Italian dressing, lemon juice, and Louisiana hot sauce. Put in fridge for a day. I cook on an indoor electric grill at 275 degrees only flipping fish once. Before putting fish on grill coat grill with Pam and coat fish with a generous dose of Paul Prudhomme's blackened redfish magic. Pay attention as to not dry out fish it doesn't take long. Once of the grill sprinkle fish with parmesan cheese..
unionman reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 8:13 AM, flukemaster said:Like fish.
You beat me to it. lol
Gotfishyfingers? reply :
not like STEAK!! 
Phish reply :
On 7/19/2012 at 12:40 AM, Bob C said:If it's good you don't need to hide the flavor with seasoning.
I completely agree. Most folks put so much seasoning and frying into fish that they probably have no idea what certain fish really taste like. I learned from a chef - let the meat speak for itself. If you bread and fry the bejesus out of the meat, then its greasy fried breading you like, not so much the fish itself.
That said when I have a low quality fillet like bass, I concede and bread/fry it to oblivion, most of my friends/family enjoy it that way. Hot sauce or sriracha too, another method to compensate for lack of quality meat. It's all good, I like a fish fry and I like the spicy stuff, but it's nothing compared to properly broiled or baked mackeral, snapper, mahi mahi, grouper etc. Never had walleye cooked this way, that's what I'll try next.
On 7/19/2012 at 1:14 AM, bayouXpress said:Before putting fish on grill coat grill with Pam and coat fish with a generous dose of Paul Prudhomme's blackened redfish magic.
My secret ingrediate right there. When I'm stuck with a low end fillet like bass, I smother it with the Prudhomme's, among other things. When it's higher quality - then I just need a pinch to enhance the taste. Seafood Magic is also great.
200racing reply :
bass and striper have a firmer meat than catfish. it is close to many saltwater fish.
i love to blacken it like redfish very tasty.
bayouXpress reply :
well i guess i'm in the minority cause I don't consider bass a low end filet that I can cook. You can see in my picture its not smothered with anything. In fact the pieces I cook for my kids has hardly any spices because they don't like spicy food. I'm from south La.. hot sauce and tonys goes in everything except cereal.
I don't know. I find it to be one of the cleanest fish you can cook. You never have to worry about bitting into a bad piece or a blood line. I don't like my fish to taste like you just licked the scales.
Fishes in trees reply :
Back when I was a bush hippie, I ate fish quite a bit. I also had access to very clean, very private lakes that were kind of stunted and I was strongly encouraged to keep any bass under 12". An average day at this lake was 20 to 30 around this size. So I can't speak to eating keeper sized bass cause I never caught any.
That being said, I had a couple of recipes that worked really well. 1 - Zebbie's Tempura mix. Take 1 bag of Zebbie and 1 cold beer and mix. Fry the small filets 2 or 3 at a time in your wok.
2 - Boy scout style, similar to the different tin foil recipes described earlier on this thread. It was seldom the same twice but the general idea was to take vegetables, fish filets, butter and some spices, wrap them up in tin foil and put them on the grill for 30 to 45 minutes or so. Seal the foil tight so the vegetables & fish steam and it always works and it is always good.
BASSclary reply :
On 7/19/2012 at 12:40 AM, Bob C said:How do you know if you like it if you put "honey mustard drizzle" on it? If it's good you don't need to hide the flavor with seasoning.
I eat Bass quite often. The inland lakes I fish are very clean and clear so that could be why they're so good. I also keep them happy in my live well until I get home. Can't get any fresher than that.
How do you know if you like french fries, when you use ketchup/mustard/ranch? How do you know if you like fish if you cook it with butter, lemon, and pepper? Its just a seasoning.
Just because I put some sauce on doesn't mean I cant taste the fish. I like to put honey mustard on a lot of stuff. I like it. I also like Mako Shark. I think the honey mustard compliments the shark very well. The key is just a drizzle on honey mustard. I'm not soaking the fish in the stuff.
tnriverluver reply :
I love to occasionally keep some 12-14 in bass when I can catch them. Our local lake has a 14-18 inch slot and most fish are in the slot or over now. In my opinion the small bass are one of the best eating fish there is. I have a hard time keeping nice size bass, but I don't think the older larger fish are all that good taste wise anyhow.
thehooligan reply :
Yellow perch is where its at, best tasting freshwater fish around.
ww2farmer reply :
I have had LM bass, rock bass,crappie, bluegill, and yellow perch out of my local waters. The bass taste just fine, in fact when cut into "nugget" sized chunks, mixed with the panfish, and then battered and deep fried, the only fish out of that bunch I could tell what it was where crappie.............and I didn't like them as much as the bass.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Bass get lots of worms in them during the warmer months around here but early in the year the smaller ones aren't terrible. It seems to depend a lot on their main diet. Lakes that they eat lots of shad have a very strong fishy taste, lakes where they eat lots of craws have better flavor. Like others have said 12-14 inch fish are by far the best to eat. Bad thing is all of our limits ar mostly 15+ inches They have finally changed a couple lakes with lots of smaller fish to 13-18 inch slot limits to encourage people to keep smaller (better tasting) fish. Personally don't eat any fish I catch anymore, even walleye and crappie usually get turned loose unless someone else is with me and wants them.
Bob C reply :
On 7/19/2012 at 3:21 AM, bayouXpress said:well i guess i'm in the minority cause I don't consider bass a low end filet that I can cook. I don't know. I find it to be one of the cleanest fish you can cook. You never have to worry about bitting into a bad piece or a blood line. I don't like my fish to taste like you just licked the scales.
I agree. I think it's one of the best out there. But....I've never had the opportunity to try some from a not so good lake. Could be a major difference.
Bob
hatrix reply :
I eat bass out of my lake at least a few times a year and we have fish fry's and invite some friends and family over. I have to cull fish every year to keep the population in check and continue to grow larger fish so why not eat them. The fish i keep are generally 12"-16" since that is usually about the average fish size and they are excellent tasting in my lake. IMO though lake Erie perch is about as good as it gets. I have been eating perch my whole life since I am from Cleveland. You can find perch in the grocery store around here depending on time of year but they usually want a pretty penny for it since its so highly regarded. You can buy crab or lobster for the price of perch and apparently people pay that all day or they wouldn't be charging so much.
NoBassPro reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 8:53 AM, Phish said:V
Never had sheephead
Those are far better than catfish. Low fat, mild flavor. For freshwater fish, nothing beats whitefish. For saltwater, fresh salmon (preferably sockeye - wholly different taste than salmon that's lived its entire life in freshwater) or tuna. But smaller bass and pike are all good if properly prepared.
Steven Dauster reply :
As far as freshwater goes I like walleye catfish trout crappie bluegill bass in that order nothing better than catching a dozen keeper bluegills and frying em that night
RAMBLER reply :
I like fillets from about a 15" - 17" bass. When I fillet it, I leave the skin and scales on. Brush the meat side with a little olive oil, sprinkle with mediterranean basil leaves, put a couple of strips of onion and just a very little tomatoe on them (I don't eat the onion and tomatoe, it just adds a little bit to the fish). Put it directly on the grill, skin side down ( I use a gas grill) on high and close the lid. Check once in a while to see when the center turns white. The meat will slide off the skin and be moist. I was told that this was the way to cook snapper and found it works really good with bass, too.
craww reply :
On 7/19/2012 at 2:17 AM, Phish said:I completely agree. Most folks put so much seasoning and frying into fish that they probably have no idea what certain fish really taste like. I learned from a chef - let the meat speak for itself. If you bread and fry the bejesus out of the meat, then its greasy fried breading you like, not so much the fish itself.
That said when I have a low quality fillet like bass, I concede and bread/fry it to oblivion, most of my friends/family enjoy it that way. Hot sauce or sriracha too, another method to compensate for lack of quality meat. It's all good, I like a fish fry and I like the spicy stuff, but it's nothing compared to properly broiled or baked mackeral, snapper, mahi mahi, grouper etc. Never had walleye cooked this way, that's what I'll try next.
My secret ingrediate right there. When I'm stuck with a low end fillet like bass, I smother it with the Prudhomme's, among other things. When it's higher quality - then I just need a pinch to enhance the taste. Seafood Magic is also great.
You guys are 100% dead on on the Chef Paul Spices. "Meat Magic" brings grilled burgers to a new level.
flyeaglesfly5186 reply :
I'll eat largemouth bass any day but I can't bring myself to eat smallmouth. I have way too much respect for the bronzebacks and their lifestyles fighting their whole lives against the current. Dealing with dams and droughts. It's such a wondrous fish; I would almost say I revere the smallmouth bass.
Phish reply :
On 7/25/2012 at 6:24 AM, flyeaglesfly5186 said:I'll eat largemouth bass any day but I can't bring myself to eat smallmouth. I have way too much respect for the bronzebacks and their lifestyles fighting their whole lives against the current. Dealing with dams and droughts. It's such a wondrous fish; I would almost say I revere the smallmouth bass.
I understand that. I grew up catching smallies in local rivers and on Lake Erie; the smallie became king in my eyes from day one and that hasn't changed.
I'm mostly catch and release on all bass, so I'm biased to begin with. But when we do decide to keep a few, I can't let anyone kill the smallies. I'll leave my smallie spots to target large mouth before a single smallie gets iced.
prjavelin reply :
I work in a Fine Dining restaurant in Puerto Rico in a beach resort. We have many kinds of locally caught fish. Its usually caught in the morning and we sell it at night on dinner. We also have fresh spiny Caribbean Lobster.
Ive tried:
Hog fish
yellow snapper
yellowtail snapper
porgy
red snapper
black snapper
queen snapper
grouper
cod
clog fish
sting ray
shark
marlin
redbanded sea bream
parrot fish
Mahi mahi
I have tried a couple more that i dont know the name of.
In My personal opinion the best 3 by a LONG SHOT are:
Queen snapper as the best ive had. the texture and the flavor are out of this world. It doesnt need anything to be amazing not even salt. Obviously that when you keep adding you will end with the best fish you can eat.
Hog fish a very close second. Theres no amount of breading that will spoil this fish(they dont use bredding at the rest anyways). Its great fried but its amazing when oven cooked with a local herb thats kind of a mint smell, white wine, herbs and a little bit of garlic.
Cod filet are a third. the Cod filet they have cooked there at work were awesome. Add a curry sauce and you got me overdosing on pleasure.
fresh water ive had
bass, tilapia, catfish and shellcrackers.
rb56 reply :
for me there's nothing better except maybe farm raised corn fed catfish cooked by someone else. fillet, dip in meal, salt, pepper, deep fry and lemon juice and watch me slap my momma.
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