There are few species of fish that are more popular to catch the biggest and that is Largemouth Bass. I always see people asking a ton of questions on forums and social media. One of the questions I get asked most – Can you eat Largemouth Bass? In this post we will answer this question and more.
Can you eat Largemouth Bass?
Yes! Largemouth Bass are safe to eat. They are high in protein and Omega-3 which Largemouth Bass one of the most nutritious fish to eat. Largemouth Bass are mild in flavor and can be prepared in a variety of ways.
What are Largemouth Bass?
Largemouth Bass is a freshwater fish that is native to North America.
Largemouth Bass is one of the most popular fish to catch not only because they are widely available but also because they are a fun to catch. There are huge competition each year around the country to catch the largest largemouth bass.
Related: What is the Record for Largemouth Bass in all 50 states
Where can you find Largemouth Bass?
You can find Largemouth Bass pretty much in all of the United States in all types of bodies of water. They are found primarily in creeks, rivers, ponds, and lakes.
What do Largemouth Bass Eat?
Largemouth bass eat fish, crayfish and amphibians. Young bass will also feed on different types of crustaceans, insects that land on the water surface and small bait fish like perch or shad.
What do Largemouth Bass Taste Like?
Largemouth Bass have a light and clean flavor if caught in a clean body of water. They have a great texture and flavor if prepared the correct way. Unfortunately like other types of fish, they can begin to take on a less than desirable flavor the older they get and if they live in dirty water.
Are Largemouth Bass Healthy To Eat?
Yes, Largemouth Bass are healthy to eat. They are very nutritious as they are loaded with protein, omega 3 and low in calories. You can enjoy this freshwater fish even on a diet.
The health benefits of largemouth bass are many. For instance, protein is an important macronutrient that helps maintain a strong immune system while promoting muscle development for people who exercise regularly. Largemouth bass have 20 g/3oz serving can provide all your body’s metabolic needs- just not as much at once- so you need more servings each day with slightly higher calorie content (4g) than those found in sea fish counterparts.
With only 105 calories or 124 respectively in every three ounce portion of this delicious dish, it will give you everything from energy boosting B vitamins to essential minerals like selenium!
For more nutrition details check out Fitbit’s website
Are Largemouth Bass high in Mercury?
Largemouth Bass and several other freshwater fish species have been found to be potentially high in mercury. It can depend on where the fish were caught as to the exact levels of Mercury and you should always consult a physician before eating large amounts.
Can you eat Largemouth Bass in the Summer?
Largemouth Bass are best eaten in the early spring or fall. The lakes are cleaner during the colder months due to less algae being present so it is usually recommended that you eat largemouth bass in the spring and fall but not during the summer months. Even though they are best during the spring and fall, you can still eat them during the summer.
What size bass should you eat?
You can eat any size of largemouth bass as long as you are staying with the bag limits and restrictions of your state. The absolute best size to eat is between ten and fourteen inches. Like a lot of other fish, young bass are still tender and will taste a lot better.
How to Prepare Largemouth Bass to Eat
It’s easy to clean and gut Largemouth Bass for cooking. Once you have caught your largemouth bass, you can fry whole the fish or fillets; either way tastes great when done properly on a skillet with butter.
Cut through each side of the dorsal fin and then all at once pull out until they come right off–it should not take too much effort since this time around there are no bones holding them on instead muscles that can be easily cut with just a little bit more knife work.
Scale the fish and slide your knife through to remove its head, insides, ribs in one swift motion. You can choose whether or not you want a tail for that crunchy texture taste!
How to Filet a Largemouth Bass
Filet the fish by cutting behind the gills, keep slicing down to the head, keep going until you hit its backbone. Don’t cut the backbone though; instead turn your knife flat so that it faces away from the tail, then run across along all of its spine except for at where it ends – do not forget to stop there! If anyone wants a good fileting blade or knows someone who does, I use and love the Kast King 7″ Filet Knife
To make your fish fillets, start by pulling the meat away from the bone and then follow up with a final cut to take it off. Make sure you leave as much of this filet intact as possible when removing – just try not to slice through! This should give you two more pieces of fry-ready goodness for dinner tonight.
Cooking Bass
Bass is a versatile fish that can be prepared many different ways. You may choose to pan fry it, deep-fry it or bake the fillet whole. If you’re cooking bass on the grill make sure to spray your BBQ well so that they won’t stick or use a fish basket like this one AIZOAM Grilling Basket. We love it for cooking fish and veggies on the grill!
Trying to cut down on your fat intake? Baking can be a healthier alternative for those who want their fried food without all the grease from frying. If you use butter instead of oil, it cuts back significantly on the amount of fat used in cooking!
Largemouth Bass Cooking Tips
- Always use fresh fish. Bass should be cooked as soon as you can. Fresh fish has a flaky texture.
- Fry at high temperatures and try not slow cook on low heat for best results.
- Make sure to not overcook the fish. Bass usually have 4-6 minutes cooking time so keep an eye out around 2-3 minute each side depending on how well done you like them or somewhere in between if that sounds good too!
- Breaded bass are a great option too if you want some fried fish.
Pan Fried Largemouth Bass Recipe
- 4 Largemouth Bass Filets
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Season the filets with salt and pepper.
- Heat a skillet on the stovetop.
- After the skillet gets hot, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat.
- Coat the filets in flour, pick them up shaking off the excess. Pan fry for 3 minutes on either side to get a perfect golden brown crust that is sure to please your taste buds!
- Take the fish from the pan.
- Add the rest of the butter to a skillet and melt. When it is hot, add garlic slices and cook until they turn light golden brown in color. Add any desired herbs at this time as well such as thyme or rosemary for example; then remove from heat so that you do not burn them. Carefully pour lemon juice over top, season with salt/pepper if necessary (depending on type), spoon some onto your plate with fish fillet on it before serving!
Like Fried Fish but Want a Healthier Option?
You can cook a pretty delicious Bass filet in an air fryer that is super healthy for you.
Air Fryer Bass Recipe
- 1 pound fresh Bass fillets
- 2 tablespoons salt
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (such as LAWRY’S®)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (Optional)
- cooking spray
Place the fish in a bowl, cover with the salt and water. Cover and soak for roughly thirty minutes. Next, rinse the salt off and use paper towels to pat dry.
Set the air fryer to 400 degrees F and allow to preheat for a 3 minutes or so.
To create a crispy coating for your fillets, use cornmeal, flour, and some seasoned salt to mixing bowl. Mix well. Then coat the filets with the bread mixture.
Cooking fillets in an air fryer is a relatively foolproof process. Make sure to spray the tops of your fish with nonstick cooking spray and place them, sprayed-side down, in an air fryer basket – but make sure none are overlapping! Cook for four minutes; carefully flip each piece when you see chalky spots forming on their surface because that means they’re getting crispy. Repeat this procedure until all of your pieces have been cooked through (about 4 more minutes).
We absolutely love our Air Fryer! We use it several nights a week and it works great. This is the one we have and use all the time COSORI Air Fryer Max XL
What goes good with Bass?
There are tons of options of side dishes that go well with Bass. I personally like, Bok Choy Salad, Broccolini with Marcona Almonds, turmeric roasted cauliflower. You could always go the more traditional route with coleslaw, hush puppies and french fries.
In Conclusion
If you are looking for a new freshwater fish to add to your dinner recipes – then you need to try making some bass for your family.
Also, check out our articles in Freshwater Fishing or Saltwater Fishing!
