I’ve got to come clean in the interest of transparency—I didn’t used to be a fan of eating any type of bass. I could tolerate white bass grilled on a sandwich, but then again, white bass isn’t fishy to me.

Smallmouth bass are cool to catch and take nifty photos before throwing them back. I love the fact that they fight like you stole something from them. Angling for smallmouth and largemouth for me has mostly been of the catch and release variety.

From the Des Plaines, Kankakee and Fox rivers, southern Wisconsin glacial lakes and St. Croix and Chippewa rivers, I’ve caught my share of bass. The first smallmouth I ate came from the generosity of a retired teacher fishing on the cleaned-up Chicago River. He cooked it whole on his little Weber grill. My perspective changed.

Many of us city kids didn’t grow up eating or fishing for smallmouth, instead going for buffalo carp, catfish, perch and various species of salmon. There is the argument bass of any kind is too fishy to eat regularly.

I say it’s all in the preparation, where it’s caught, if it’s pan-fried, sautéed, grilled or cooked over charcoal. Smallmouth bass is meaty, has a bold flavor and stands up well to acid. They are a meaty fish that you don’t have to treat as delicately as whitefish.

I was surprised to talk to so many anglers who don’t have recipes for cooking smallmouth. Hopefully the following help.

Grilled Bass with Sweet and Sour Guacamole

4 bass fillets

4 peaches, chopped

4 jalapeños, diced

1 serrano pepper, diced

1 avocado, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Place oil in pan. Cook bass over medium heat; season with salt and pepper. Remove fish from pan and add a drizzle more of the oil to the pan. Cook remaining ingredients over medium heat, season to taste and pour over bass. Serve with pan-grilled asparagus (oil, salt and pepper, a little oil).

Baked Tomato Bass

4 bass fillets

1 onion, sliced

1/2 cup of sliced red and yellow peppers

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

1 can stewed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

In a baking pan, place bass seasoned with salt and pepper in pan spaced apart. Mix all other ingredients and pour over bass. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta.

You’ll find more recipes to prepare using the meat and fish that you’ve harvested yourself in every issue of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.