Let me start out by saying this: I am not a fish connoisseur. I will eat fish; most of the time, I’d rather eat steak. I know, I know — a guy who works at a bait shop and doesn’t eat fish every night? But the truth is that I fish mostly for mental therapy (hey, it’s a lot cheaper than paying a shrink). When I feel like bringing one home for dinner, I do — it’s just not all the time.

That aside, anglers who enjoy putting fillets on the table have it good here in Southwest Florida. There are a whole bunch of fish here that are good eating. But which ones are truly the best? Well, that depends. Some people like strongly flavored fish, others prefer fish with no flavor at all. And it’s very personal — what one person considers too fishy might be just fine for someone else. There’s also the preparation method to consider. “Fishy” fish can be milder when prepared using a few tricks.