What weight range do successful cooks often advise targeting for freshwater bass for the best flavor balance?

1 to 2-pound range

There is a general culinary consensus recommending that anglers intending to consume freshwater bass, such as Largemouth or Smallmouth, should target smaller specimens to ensure optimal palatability. The ideal range frequently cited for achieving the best compromise between meat yield and flavor quality is between one and two pounds. Fish exceeding this weight or length threshold (often cited around 15 inches) tend to have coarser muscle texture due to changes in muscular structure as they mature. Furthermore, older and larger bass have had more time to accumulate strong-tasting compounds within their tissues, leading to a flavor intensity that many find unpleasant compared to the finer flesh found in younger, smaller individuals.