Can You Eat Bass Fish? Things You Should Know
If you are a newbie in the fishing profession or have seen people do marine fishing, you’ve probably seen people releasing bass fish as soon as they catch it. This may have raised a question in your mind, and you must have wondered if the bass fish was edible.
The question is ‘Can you eat bass fish?’ Bass fish is entirely edible and safe to consume. So, yes! You can enjoy a relished meal of bass fish wherever and whenever you want! The freshwater bass fish is an exciting and fun fish to get hold of with good nutrition; it contains proteins, omega 3 fatty acids, and low calories, making it of a good nutrition value.
In this article, we will be having an in-depth discussion on the bass fish and a bunch of other questions, like whether you can eat bass fish while pregnant, what happens if you eat bass fish, and whether it’s healthy to eat or not. So, let’s get started!
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Can You Eat Bass Fish While Pregnant?
Pregnant women are always getting advice regarding what they should do, what they should eat, what activities they should practice for better health.
However, most of the pieces of advice are always food relevant. But, you don’t have to take all this advice because not all of them are scientifically proven rather just a bunch of folklore stories.
Now, let’s answer the main question, “Can you eat bass fish during pregnancy?” If we talk in general, it’s safe to consume fish during pregnancy. However, not all fish is safe to eat. Why so? Mercury is a dangerous toxin that pregnant women should avoid at any cost. Unfortunately, some of the species of fish contain mercury in small amounts.
According to the National Resources Defense Council results, traces of mercury have been found in black and striped bass. Besides, tuna species also contain mercury that needs to be avoided.
However, when it’s about freshwater fish species like freshwater bass, you should be more cautious about where the fish came from than finding out the origin of its species. It’s best not to consume a fish you don’t know where it came from.
Besides the general mercury toxin alert, there are pollutions and contaminations in certain water bodies. Even during the usual times, you shouldn’t don’t have fish from there, let alone during pregnancy.
So, what is the advice here for pregnant women?
- They should have freshly caught fish that should be thermally processed to get rid of the bacteria and contamination.
- It is best to eat fish only a couple of times each month to avoid any possibility of toxin consumption.
Are Bass Fish Good Eating Fish?
So, you already know that bass fish is all good to eat. Being rich in vitamins, proteins and low in calories, bass fish is one healthy fish to consume. But of course, it has to be well cooked; only then, whether it’s saltwater, sea bass, or freshwater bass, there would be no issue in safety.
However, as we mentioned earlier, some bass species can include mercury, which can result in toxicity if taken in large amounts or more frequently. Hence, the best idea to prevent such a poisonous reaction is to consume only about six parts of bass every month, not more.
According to research, if I speak more certainly, striped fish contains more mercury levels. It should be avoided by sick people suffering from chronic disease and pregnant women at any cost.
Besides, children should also refrain from consuming striped bass, black bass, or largemouth bass. The others should be fine consuming only 4-6 portions of bass a month. However, people in doubt can avoid the whole meal even when it is a signature dish prepped by your favorite.
Besides, there’s one more risk in eating largemouth bass, the risk of being affected with listeria. Listeria is a bacteria usually found in contaminated fish, sometimes in the bass. It lives as a parasite in mammals and generates mild to severe symptoms depending on your health condition.
Also, as we said earlier, you should be careful where the bass fish is coming from because they are even found in stagnant and contaminated water bodies. Eating one such bass can create complex health problems.
Hence, it is advisable to refrain from consuming bass fish from an unknown location to you, eat it in lesser amounts, and cook it well even if there are no more odds to it.
What Happens If You Eat Bass Fish?
Bass fish is edible, as I mentioned before. Just like any other fish, the bass has no safety issues. However, it does have regional preferences like any other. For instance, the rock bass in Michigan is always treated as sport fish; they catch it for practicing fishing and then release it.
However, the same fish in some regions of New York is served as a rewarded pan fish, a signature dish at the dinner table.
Most bass fish categories, like the largemouth bass, the smallmouth bass, the black bass, and the spotted bass, all are caught and released, used as a sport fish in most areas. If we look at the statistics, about 90% of Americans prefer releasing the bass after catching it.
Although, some natives catch it and eat it as a delicious meal served at dinner.
Now, let’s talk a bit about the anglers of the west. There has been an issue in certain rivers in the west, where once there was an abundance of trout and salmons. These same rivers now have an increased number of bass fish which hampers the growth of salmons and trout like native fishes.
Hence, the anglers in these areas willingly catch bass and kill them instead of releasing or eating. Don’t worry, that’s not illegal at all!
On the other hand, Florida is well-known for being a solid contingent of bass fish-loving people. People from this region catch both marine and freshwater bass and eat it up.
Hence, as you can see, there are differences in anglers’ opinions from different regions. Some consider it okay to eat, while some use it for practicing fishing, while some catch and kill it for better growth of native fishes.
So, eating the bass leads to no serious issues; it only differs from region to region if you eat it. But, the question stands, ‘Is bass fish healthy to eat?‘ In a word, yes! Yes, bass fish is healthy to eat. However, there are a few things to consider before you start gobbling it.
- Make sure it’s from a clean water body.
- Make sure to clean it up nicely.
- And finally, cook it well.
Then, you can have a tasty meal with around 20 grams of protein, high omega 3 fatty acids, low calories, and vitamins.
Why Do Most People Not Consume Bass Fish?
The answer is easy; it just doesn’t taste as good as similar freshwater fishes. So, if you can get hold of some super tasty freshwater fish, letting go of bass isn’t a bad idea. Hence, instead of anglers, catch the bass as a part of the fishing sport and release it.
Final Words
If you have not tried bass fish yet, hearing all those misconceptions and myths, I hope by now you’re cleared of them, and you know exactly if you should eat it or not.
Plenty of restaurants also serve bass as an excellent protein meal; you can have a taste of that too or cook a proper bass meal for the day by yourself.
However, do not forget how it can be harmful to children or pregnant women and check for contamination levels. That’s it; catch your bass and rock some healthy bass recipe right away!
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- istockphoto.com
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