I'd have to choose striped bass, partially because I can catch it in front of my home. Also, it's an outstanding fish to eat, with white, firm, flaky meat, a mild flavor and manageable bones. I haven't prepared enough to be able to tell you how I prefer it, but breaded with seasoned panko and fried in cast iron has been excellent.
The fish are literally on their way up the Chesapeake Bay where I live and will be catchable starting about 2 weeks from now.
I love to fish, but love to release my catch unharmed, so despite catching over 100 fish last year, I only kept 2. It's also important to know that many fish are not safe enough to be consumed on a regular basis. You can thank industrial pollution with lack of federal oversight for that. Hopefully, the recent rollbacks in ocean dumping protection can be reversed soon. We don't want to return to the "old days" despite what people think!
