Have to agree with y'all on the stripe. When I fish Smith Lake I'll always try to get a couple of 10 pounders after dark for the grill. It's all about getting the red meat out of them. I cut them in to 3" pieces, brush 'em with melted butter, sprinkle my favorite spice and grill 'em 'til they turn light colored which only takes a couple of minutes per side... So yeah, I keep them 'til my freezer is stocked too! Anybody who says they're no good/ too strong hasn't had them cleaned and cooked properly.