Why Don't More People Eat Largemouth Bass?

Largemouth bass are one of the most popular game fish in America—but why don’t more people eat them?

In this video, I’m putting that question to the test with a complete largemouth bass catch, clean and cook. I’ll head out on the water to catch a few smaller bass, explain why selective harvest can make sense on lakes with abundant bass populations, and show you exactly how I handle these fish from the moment they come out of the water.

We’ll cover how to bleed and immediately chill bass, how I fillet and trim them for the best possible meat, and finally how to cook them for a simple taste test.

With increasing fishing pressure on traditional table fish like walleyes and panfish, I think it’s worth reconsidering some of the species we’ve traditionally overlooked. I’m certainly not advocating keeping every bass—or keeping the big trophy fish that are so valuable to a fishery—but in the right lake, selectively harvesting a few smaller bass can provide some excellent fish for the table.

So…are largemouth bass actually good to eat? Let’s find out!

Gear/Links

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Bass recipe videos:
https://youtu.be/YoMNjrqJl6k
https://youtu.be/uTgKrth1QGI