A POD a few days back had me scratching my head a bit.  It was a sight that I have not witnessed in Quetico and that being a SM bass on a stringer.  I assume it was on the stringer for the purpose of carving it up and eating it but I could be wrong.  Regardless, this led me to question my menu in Quetico.  I've never considered bass as table fare when I can have my fill of Walleye, Pike or LT.  I like to fish for bass and they are a blast to catch but eat . . . ?  What say you and why?

I eat them. I’m not a fish snob.

Sorry the devil made me say it. 
Actually I like a variety.  I even eat a northern if it is a spring trip. 

polarbear wrote on Apr 30^th, 2011 at 11:33pm:


Ummmm, ok.  I'm not a fish snob and I'm not turning my nose up nor am I doubting that it's eatable but just wondering "why" when the lake is full of walleye.  If you like it, fantastic.  I've just never considered the idea.

Nothing quite like the taste of a walleye caught in the Canadian shield.

This might be interesting though..........we much prefer to eat smallmouths than walleye in the Lake St. Clair, St. Clair river and Lake Erie watersheds. It's not that they are bad, the water quality is very good nowadays and has been for quite some time. The "white bellied" walleyes are just a different tasting fish than the "yellow bellied" eyes caught in canoe country.

We like the smallies and find them excellent eating certainly not to be compared with their big mouth counterparts. Of course ANY red meat on any fish I catch is trimmed away.

I am also extremely fond of eating northerns, especially those with a little heft to them. A 30" is generally worth cleaning as the bones are developed enough to be able to NOT cut through them so easily as with the smaller ones. Small pike = hassle in my book. I love the meaty firmness of pike and think they have a good flavor as well.

Well, I am turning my nose up, at the thought of eating a bass.  Yup, I did it once, never again.  Truely for the dogs.  I'd eat my dirty sock first.  Sure they're fun to catch.  But why, when you've got anything else to eat?

I will gladly assume the "fish-snob" moniker.

I aim for a trout, pike or walleye meal daily.  Reminds me of the good ol' boy convention on LLC.  About 4 bass boats trailered over from Sandpoint.  All of 'em from Alabama land.  They were in heaven and couldn't eat enough smallies.  They threw the pike and 'eyes back.  Had me over to their fire at Zup's....now that was a mess o' bass in the frying pan.  I politely declined and went away snickering...(<--fishsnob).