[grimmjj]

I've caught many, never filleted them. How are they?

 

[Matt Hougan]

I think they are fine......

They are much maligned by most fisherman. I for one dont understand since I think they taste fine. Either my sences are dulled or I'm an amazing cook. I think they get a bad reputation since they are considered to be a trash fish by Lake Erie walleye fisherman and are often caught by simple means from the bank by simple fisherman.

There is no doubt they are very sporty fish and fairly indiscriminant for anglers.

I would suggest cuting the sides off a few, throwing them in some cajun batter and in a some hot peanut oil until they are white and flakey. Don't listen to the Nay sayers, make up your own mind.

 

[jonnythfisherteen2]

definitely! I once did a test. I took a single wild caught female and filleted the fish. I fried one both sides, but left the skin and red line on one (was for mom) and skinned and cut out the red line on the other. both were fried in the same oil, and same seasonings. the former was very fishy, a little muddy, and had a fatty taste. the latter was clean and had a good fish taste to it. so cut that line and take off the skin!

 

[Bluewalleye]

I tried my first white bass this year. We were catching some really nice 16" to 18" fish while perch fishing. So we kept 2 just to try them. They don't taste bad. They are actually pretty good. They remind me a lot of a crappie. The meat is kind of mushy. It isn't a firm meat like a walleye or a perch. But taste just fine. We ate them the same day we caught them...

 

[grimmjj]

Thanks. Im heading to Atwood where they seem to dominate so I figure while im looking for cats I could also try my luck at some white bass and maybe get a couple hags for the freezer.

 

[c. j. stone]

I fillet and skin them. Lay the fillet skin side down and when you start your skinning cut at the tail, instead of holding your "sharp " filetting knife flat against the skin, angle the cutting edge up a bit so that as you remove the skin, you are leaving the "red " meat next to the skin ON the skin. This is the fishy tasting part and you want to remove it so you only get an all -white fillet. Bread and fry as with any other fish. You will probably never throw a good sized whitee back again if you closely follow this procedure!

 

[sherman51]

I have made many trips to dale hollow in the spring just to fish the spring run. white bass can be as good as any other fish if its taken care of and cleaned properly. I like to eat them fresh when possible. my mother n law lived about 20 miles from where we fished. we kept the fish on a stringer until we were done fishing then we put them on ice for the trip home. as soon as we got home I would fillet them and my wife would fry them while they were still alive.

just make sure to keep them alive as long as possible then get them on ice. when you cut the fillet off the skin turn the fillet over and trim all red meat off the fillet.

I seen ed stevens the old owner of east port dock serve some walleye fillets and some white bass fillets and nobody said anything bad about the fish they were eating. they couldn't even tell that part of the fish was white bass.

I don't keep white bass when im fishing for eyes just to much trouble to fillet them when I have walleye to clean.
sherman

 

[rod bender bob]

They are like most fish - if you treat them right they are good. They can be soft unless you immediately put them on ice. If you really want them at their best cut their gills to bleed them and put them on ice. When u fillet remove all red meat. Get them back on ice or in your frig as soon as u fillet them. My dad always soaked them overnight in water with sweet onion slices. Toss the water and onion slices and deep fry a nice firm, great tasting fillet.

 

[fishinnick]

As others have said they are pretty good but you have to get them on ice quickly, and they're better if cooked right away also. There's a creek/river close to where I live that has a great white bass run every year and I usually like to keep handful every year. I'll usually take the stringer down and then once I get about 10 or so on the stringer I'll run it up to the truck and put them right in the cooler(with ice) and then head back down and keep fishing(C&R). I only keep like 10 every year(and release 20 times that many) but the ones I've kept have tasted good.

Also their non-native cousins, the white perch. When perch fishing on Erie I usually release the white bass but just about every white perch I catch gets thrown in the cooler. They taste about the same as white bass, but I figured since they're not supposed to be hear anyways might as well keep some of those instead.

 

[ezbite]

don't mistake white bass for white perch, white bass are fine to eat, white perch suck.lol.

 

[ironman172]

I hear fresh....Dad never kept them, to mushy meat for him...but he was spoiled with walleye or saugeye & crappie....and he said they didn't freeze to well either....I can't comment on more then that, I don't keep them....due to his experiences with them I guess spoiled too with my salt water catches

 

[grimmjj]

Thanks everyone. Looks like I won't keep any for the freezer, but ill take oil down and have a good fish dinner while camping. Thanks for all the tips. Basically I just skin these like a crappie? Cut, flip and remove skin? Than look for any red left correct? I usually just bread with Italian bread crumbs cause beer batter is too messy for me. Any other batters I should try? I prefer dry batters.

 

[fishinnick]

don't mistake white bass for white perch, white bass are fine to eat, white perch suck.lol.

All of the white perch I've kept(out of Lake Erie and Ladue Res.) tasted fine. Not walleye/yellow perch/crappie good, but good and about the same as white bass I noticed. Again you have to put them on ice right away, and like most fish they taste better fresh.

grimmjj, yeah, just fillet like you would any other panfish.

 

[boss302]

I fillet and skin them. Lay the fillet skin side down and when you start your skinning cut at the tail, instead of holding your "sharp " filetting knife flat against the skin, angle the cutting edge up a bit so that as you remove the skin, you are leaving the "red " meat next to the skin ON the skin. This is the fishy tasting part and you want to remove it so you only get an all -white fillet. Bread and fry as with any other fish. You will probably never throw a good sized whitee back again if you closely follow this procedure!

Nice description....and what I do with walleye. Almost any fish can be decent if you take the time to prepare it properly. Sure you "waste" some of the meat, but its much much better tasting.

For a coating try panko breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan cheese and your preferred seasonings. The good grated cheese is best, but powdered is good and always on hand at home. Flower dip, then egg wash dunk, then add a few to a bag with the coating and shake to coat.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Ohub Campfire mobile app

 

[exide9922]

Had my first batch of white bass this year. Don't see what the fuss is about them. They taste fine. Not as good as bluegill or perch but still good


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[c. j. stone]

Try the Zaterains fish fry coatings. Some are already spiced. Pankos crumbs are good but you have to add the spices.

 

[grimmjj]

What would happen if I would fillet them and freeze them like I do crappie? I'll pit a batch in a zip lock, fill it up with water and freeze. Just curious what the meat may do once I would freeze them. Crappie tend to be stiffer meat once they are frozen and thawed but still taste great once they are thawed. Would white bass do the same thing as in the meat stiffen up or would they be different. Just curious cause me and my buddy plan on our limit both days. I know I can do it at Atwood. I just have to find the schools. It isn't hard with my fish finder. I have 5-10 spots already picked out. My other question was would it be better to take a basket i can hang over the edge or should i buy some styrofoam coolers and throw them directly on ice. And if i do ice them should i make ice water or just straight ice? Someone said slicing the gills so they bleed out. Should i slice gills and directly to ice? Wouldn't that get pretty bloody?. I have no live well on my pontoon yet. Soon but not yet.

 

[exide9922]

I freeze mine just like that in water with zip lock bags, no problems


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[LUNKER21]

Bleed em out and you get awesome white fillets! Rip some gills, toss em
In livewell, then put em in cooler with ice when they float! All you'll have is one red blood line when done!


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[grimmjj]

Ahhh. Ok. I see why to bleed them now. I dont have a livewell but I do have a fish basket that hangs over the edge of the boat. I'll try that, let them bleed out then throw them on ice.