It was mentioned way at the beginning of this guide that this fish species makes for some good eating as they are indeed regarded as one of the most appetizing panfish out there. And, for the record, you can eat both the black and white variety. Now, some of the reasons why they are nice to eat are because they are high in protein and fat and also because they offer some nutritional value. Oh, and they also do not eat enough insects to be considered a contaminated species to eat (though you still need to cook them correctly).