Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations tastiest fish

Nuther area I need advice - for SMB, BG and YP is there a "best size" to eat them? Chickens seem best at about 10 weeks. I need to know when to eat the BG and how to prepare if anything special.
Thanks Rockytopper for the cooking advice. I like em spicy.

Sunil has had gangs of SMB running meth labs in his pond in PA; he called law enforcement in to break them up after one of the gangs threatened him with a fish scaler and a filleting knife. The problem is apparently under control now, but he says he is still too worried to let his (expecting) wife and daughter fish without either himself or his brother Sid to keep an eye on the Smallmouths.

WRT eating size for BG: my semi-experienced hand can fillet BG as small as 5.5", but I don't bother with anything under 6" unless it is foulhooked. Reportedly BG over something around 9" have meat that is a little tougher and some BG eaters object to it. I haven't cleaned any over 8.5" out of my pond and haven't noticed a meat difference up to that size; however at around 7" the ribs get noticeably harder and require a slightly different technique to stay boneless.

You guys really should try cooking the 5 and 6 in. BG whole with a 1/4 inch deep slit down each side of dorsal for it to cook good. On the larger ones you can filet, cook the carcass. Adults can get some good meat and it can be cooked more for the rib bones to get brittle.

BM you sound just like my mom. That is just what she likes. She will even eat the small crisp bones.

While once again risking exposing my true ignorance about catching, cleaning and eating fish, are you fellers willin to help me speed through the learning curve? My experience from many years ago revolved around fileting bass abd perch. Never cleaned a bluegill - is cleaning it about the same? I used to think a 5 or 6" bluegill was fairly large. But if still tender 8 or 9" sounds like less work to a full belly.
I ahd read in the paper we had some SMB gangs terrorizing local farm ponds on motorcycles but I always thought those things happened to other people. Especially if they didn't practice good farm pond management. Hurts when it is close to home. I am leaning strongly towards SMB, YP and HSB once my system will support them.

I disagree on the size thing...I've cleaned 10.5" BG and ain't found a "tough" one yet, except they can be a bit tough to filet. The electric knife makes short work of 'em though. They all taste fine.

My confession, biggest crappie harvested from my pond was about 2.5 to 3 lbs. I did not weight it but it was over 16 inches in length. I caught it in a cast net trying to catch catfish bait (BG's)to rod fish with. I knew I had a lot of crappie but know idea thay were that big. Turns out they were several all suspended right under the edge of the dock. The cast net was not thrown but just opened and drop straight off the side. Any how I was very excited and decided to fillet it. My son usally does all the fish filleting. He wasn't around. Any how after I got thru with it using the cheap electric slayer I had, there was barely enough meat to cover 1/4 the palm of my hand. I have given up filleting and now clean and put in freezer for him to slice at fish fry time.