INMO it is ok to keep a few bass for the grill or pan when you want them as long as you obey the bag limits, length, and slot limits, and if you don't take too many bass out. I, personally, don't keep large bass since I prefer they serve as brood stock. I know people, however, that strenuously object to keeping any bass. I spoke to someone recently that said he had never killed a bass, never eaten a bass, and he never will. So, like many other things, there is a wide range of opinions concerning this issue. It would be interesting to hear from a number of you on the bass forum to see if there is a strong leaning one way or the other. I've already tipped my hand, now please say how you feel, but don't hunt me down and stone me.

There will be alot of different opinions on this subject. Thats why it great to live in a country where we can express our opinions. I personally don't keep anything I catch. I CPR (Catch, Photograph, & Release) My whole family does.If I wanna eat fish, I'll go to Catfish King or something. I work with a guy that doesn't see the point of fishing if your not gonna eat what you catch. My wife, who brim fishes, usually feels so bad when she catches one and it get the hook so far in its mouth you tear the fish up getting it out, she'll quit fishing for the day. I'm gonna sit back and read all the comments on this one.....Kevin

I will take home catfish, stripers, hybrids, SMB, and crappie but i wont take home a LMB unless its in a pond that needs some population adjustment...LMB are just too cool man

I eat bass regularly. I have 3 ponds on my place and often eat bass less than 10" in length. They are delicious. I probably eat more bass than any other species. In public waters I seldom target bass but on private property it's a different story.

Alot of people say bass arent good to eat.Thats BS,they just dont know how to cook em.As for keeping bass,as long as you have a license and keeping legal fish,Knock yourself out!

Ditto! Bass are DELICIOOOOOOOOOUS!

In ponds, normally small bass need to be removed to reduce competition and enable growth of larger bass. Those small ones are great eating.

I'm with Oldtown, Meadowlark and Txcntryboy, I eat small bass out of my own ponds to keep 'em from getting overpopulated and stunted. Lake and river bass I'll release.

As long as it is your pond or a huge lake, keep and eat according to regulations. Ponds in urban areas no.

Next to a walleye, I think bass is the best tasting freshwater fish. MMMMMmmmMMMMmmMMmmm...Good!

I personally do not ever keep what I catch. If I want food, I will go home and grab a sammich. Catch, Photograph, Release is what i have always done.

I keep all the small bass too, anything under 6 pounds. I pay for my license just like all the tourny fisherman, bass fisherman,cat fisherman etc. Why not eat them, they are stocked more hevily than other fish.

I rarely fish lakes, so that's not an issue. In a pond or a river, I'll keep usually all the bass under a pound. They're tasty. I keep all decent bream and crappie.

I roll the fillets in Shore Lunch (http://www.shorelunch.com/) and fry in olive oil in a pan. I like them just fried and with hush puppies, or on a tortilla with pico de gallo, or also on a tortilla with a chipotle sauce and shredded cabbage on top and maybe some yellow rice.

Bigger bass tend to have a very course meat, so I prefer to keep the smaller ones. If you buy a license and stick to the rules, I don't have a problem at all with it. I also understand Catch and Release.

Yup. If I catch a legal sized bass when I'm jigging on my crappie piles he goes in the cooler. Same goes for flatheads.

i love to eat bass, one of my favorite fish. i have absolutely no problem taking home my keeper bass, and most of the time, i will. unless i dont feel like fileting them. catfish are always kept. now for private ponds, i usually dont keep many bass. everynow and then when i get the urge, ill go catch a bass or two and eat it. but one thing about fish is i dont much care to freeze my fish. in other words, if i go catch fish to eat, i try to cook it in the next day or so. WAY WAY better than gettin frozen fish, or fish from longjohn silvers.