rim2007x, I personally think they are good to eat although some people put them below various panfish as table fare. Due to their popularity they are more of a limited resource than they use to be. In North Indiana there is a strong catch and release ethic among many fisherman - that use to irratate me. By the time I caught a 4 1/2 pounder I realized that fish was probably 10 years old and released it. I've been told the bigger stuff is not as tasty as the smaller ones. Just keep in mind if we all kept what we caught none of us would be catching very much these days. If it were me I would go after panfish and cats if my focus was on food. Regards, Bill
