Taste of pellet fed fish

[Pgwilliamson]

Hey guys
do the fish that eat pellets tast Dif than wild caught ?

[justfishin2]

To me, yes. They taste "mealy", much like the pen reared quail that are released on preserves. To some that grew up on such things this is probably the normal taste, and anything wild may have an odd taste. Heck, there may even be different types of pellets that can affect the taste. All I know about is what I sampled...and rejected.

["G"]

Most of those pellets are made from grain....thus grain fed fish. I feed them to my catfish and the fish taste ok to me.

[CrappiePappy]

I've caught & eaten "stock" Rainbow Trout from a city park lake ... they have a milder taste than the wild caught Rainbow Trout that I've caught. It could be that the stocked trout were smaller than the wild caught ones I've had ... but, could also be from their pen raised diet. The wild caught ones had a much "richer" taste. I actually prefer the stocked fish.

The lake is also stocked with Channel Catfish, but I've yet to catch any of those for comparison.

... cp

[Crappitier]

The wild caught ones had a much "richer" taste. I actually prefer the stocked fish.

I agree, CP.

Grain fed is much better to eat. Years ago, I used to shoot some pheasants, but the taste just isn't as good as a regular store bought chicken! Corn fed beef is much better than grass fed IMO.

But! ....... with most farm raised fish like we buy in grocery stores (overseas, Viet Nam, China, like talapia and sewer shrimp) they are fed sewage and kept in overcrowded polluted sewer ponds. Almost too toxic to eat, but very cheap to purchase? The "sewer shrimp" are half the price of our "gulf shrimp"

The trout, crappie, etc in a local fish farmed for stocking are excellent fish to eat! The US fish stockers do a excellent job of producing healthy, good eating fish! IMHO

[NIMROD]

Fish can take on taste of feed and poor water quality can impart an off taste sometimes.

[skiptomylu]

I think any thing we eat is impacted by what they have been feeding on. Just like wild ducks, if they have been feeding in the rice fields and such they taste one way and if feeding on fish and stuff in the water, not so good!

[BigRiverMarine]

Hey guys
do the fish that eat pellets tast Dif than wild caught ?

Yes. They taste like chicken.

[Fatman]

The fish that are stocked here in my area of Vermont are fed liver pellets. I've seen people follow the stocking trucks and catch them and then on to the next spot same thing. I won't even fish for them for a couple of months till the taste of the pellets are out of them - and this year in my favorite pond I've only seen 8 trout caught - haven't even caught any this year. Mostly bass, sunnies and bullhead.

[Pgwilliamson]

Thanks guys: so some taste like chicken and some like liver.. Ain't that something to look forward to!