Smoking Northerns

[lunkerslayer]

Suppose to let them air dry for awhile to form a pellicle for smoke to adhere too. That's what I have done with salmon and eyes in the past anyhow.

Yep exactly and crabapple and wild plum wood and also smaller northern seemed to be preferable

 

[KDM]

Do you let your fillets sit after you take it out of the brine bath before they go into the smoker? i guess I never really thought of the slime since dad was the one who smoked the northerns but i know he liked to smoke northern in the summer because of the step of letting the northern air dry. We kept northerns in the 5 to 8 pound range which is the ones we kept for just pan frying up with the skin off

In a way. I always pat down the fillets with paper towels right before I put them in the smoker. The slight dampness of the meat really takes the smoke well. Now you guys have me wanting to smoke some fish.

 

[svnmag]

Never scaled a pike. Before I was the first in the family to learn to fillet we would fill the sink and scale with a spoon under water after wiping off the slime with a paper towel(s). If I were to do a pike I'd cut the carcass into manageable chunks for the same process. I'd then grab more beers and crank up some Chris Stapleton:

 

[Davey Crockett]

Finally got them smoked last night . I'm sort of disappointed but I think more time in the smoker and without water in the water pan. Taste wise they are ok but could be saltier . The texture is what I don't like , I'm used to it being dry and tough like jerky. this is moist and chewy , I filled the water pan with snow thinking it wouldn't hurt . Going to make a couple more small batches so I can learn . This batch of Northerns had a tough life, I left them in the smoker for a week beings it was below freezing but the salt kept them from freezing it was 9* outside when I checked on them and the flesh was firm but not frozen , so I wasn't expecting much.

 

[bucksnbears]

Gramps had a cabin on Lake Audubon for 35 years.
He'd smoke every kind of fish catchable.
Can't recall anything bad.

Smoking meat is akin to putting meat in a crock pot.
It's all at least (ok).

 

[svnmag]

 

[bucksnbears]

SVN Mag..., why?

 

[CatDaddy]

I've got some white bass I'm going to smoke. I filleted them, removed the red meat, and have 10 "back strap" pieces (above the rib cage). Plan is to dry brine, put them on parchment paper, and smoke them in a pellet grill with the addition of a pellet tube for more smoke (apple).

Question: What's been your experience smoking fish "skin off"? Any "do's" or "don'ts" I should be aware of? I took the skin off to remove the red meat which ruins the fish IMO.

Plan is to make some smoked fish dip - any recipes you care to share?

 

[NG3067]

I've got some white bass I'm going to smoke. I filleted them, removed the red meat, and have 10 "back strap" pieces (above the rib cage). Plan is to dry brine, put them on parchment paper, and smoke them in a pellet grill with the addition of a pellet tube for more smoke (apple).

Question: What's been your experience smoking fish "skin off"? Any "do's" or "don'ts" I should be aware of? I took the skin off to remove the red meat which ruins the fish IMO.

Plan is to make some smoked fish dip - any recipes you care to share?

When I’ve done skin off(salmon) it I’d rinse well and not brine it as long as it seems to get too salty. My go to is 3-1-1 brown sugar, white sugar, salt. 24 to 36 hr skin on, 12 to 18 skin off

 

[Davey Crockett]

I've got some white bass I'm going to smoke. I filleted them, removed the red meat, and have 10 "back strap" pieces (above the rib cage). Plan is to dry brine, put them on parchment paper, and smoke them in a pellet grill with the addition of a pellet tube for more smoke (apple).

Question: What's been your experience smoking fish "skin off"? Any "do's" or "don'ts" I should be aware of? I took the skin off to remove the red meat which ruins the fish IMO.

Plan is to make some smoked fish dip - any recipes you care to share?

I just cleaned another batch of northerns for the smoker, same plan as you is to try making some smoked fish dip . I'm going to try a few small batches to see what works . Filleted them this time and going to try garlic salt and spice rub and some garlic butter about the time it's done if it needs it. Some of it will get canned right away to see how that works . I'd smoked a turkey earlier this winter that got dry and tough so I canned that and boy it turned out good.

 

[CatDaddy]

I just cleaned another batch of northerns for the smoker, same plan as you is to try making some smoked fish dip . I'm going to try a few small batches to see what works . Filleted them this time and going to try garlic salt and spice rub and some garlic butter about the time it's done if it needs it. Some of it will get canned right away to see how that works . I'd smoked a turkey earlier this winter that got dry and tough so I canned that and boy it turned out good.

Mine are in the smoker right now! I dry brined with kosher salt, brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, and granulated garlic. Glazing half of them with hot honey, the other half for dip.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Forgot to mention, You did the right thing by taking the skin off , the last batch I did the fish was stuck to the skin like glue , I think that might be from too much water in the water pan.

 

[CatDaddy]

Forgot to mention, You did the right thing by taking the skin off , the last batch I did the fish was stuck to the skin like glue , I think that might be from too much water in the water pan.

Do you happen to have a smoked fish dip recipe you're planning to use?

 

[tikkalover]

Goggle, Smoked salmon dip recipes and just replace the salmon with northern

 

[CAH]

I just cleaned another batch of northerns for the smoker, same plan as you is to try making some smoked fish dip . I'm going to try a few small batches to see what works . Filleted them this time and going to try garlic salt and spice rub and some garlic butter about the time it's done if it needs it. Some of it will get canned right away to see how that works . I'd smoked a turkey earlier this winter that got dry and tough so I canned that and boy it turned out good.

Did you add liquid to the jars for the turkey? This has me quite intrigued.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Did you add liquid to the jars for the turkey? This has me quite intrigued.

I used chicken broth, I forget how much I put in but I'm guessing 2/3ds of the way up .

 

[Davey Crockett]

Do you happen to have a smoked fish dip recipe you're planning to use?

No, I haven't thought that far ahead . I'm hoping canning will simplify it and can add what ever right before snack time.

 

[Davey Crockett]

With regular canned pike all I use is a gob of mayo and mix it up and spread it on crackers. I usually go with lots of black pepper course ground.

 

[CatDaddy]

Well, texture and color are great! However, VERY salty. I dry brined and rinsed before smoking, thinking I left them too long. The recipe I found said 1 hour, flip, 1 more hour in the brine. I got busy and it was more like 2 hours per side. Hopefully the dip helps take some salty out when I make it.

Edit: The "wet" look on the fillets is a hot honey glaze I made, not water moisture.

 

[svnmag]

OT: Shortly after ice-out when the water is still a bit muddy (Audubon); pike WILL KNOCK THE FIRE out of a Jitterbug in the afternoon despite chop, wind and various squalls. It's a fine time to teach an 8yoa how to use a baitcaster outside of the yard and enjoy/deal with heart stopping moments.

I got the idea in the previous fall by watching muskrats in a slough. We took an 8lb home that night for the "4th Fish Fry".

We were there for an hour and a half, missed two amazing hits (possibly same fish) and got home while it still could be considered twilight. It was a perfect evening. Jake got real experience with a BC and I got an ego boost on many levels. It wasn't his PB size wise (12lb). It was his PB topwater on a BC:

That is all.