The RIGHT way to clean pike

[Duckslayer100]

Duck, you need to come over to my place, drink a couple beers, and relax. Winter just started and you're already getting "Punchy". I prefer that people clean gators the "Wrong" way. Then they need to catch more to get enough meat to have a fish fry.

You're not wrong, KDM!

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2nd vid is the way I clean the gators we catch , the slime is a defense/stress reaction of the fish slice there throats let bleed out , if their dead they have no stress so no defense needed , I slice and bleed the walleyes I catch also , it make a difference to me anyway

I've never tried that but will now. Thanks for the tip.

In the meantime, I've found newspaper to be a pretty good absorber of slime. It's about the one good use for it these days.

 

[Davey Crockett]

2nd vid is the way I clean the gators we catch , the slime is a defense/stress reaction of the fish slice there throats let bleed out , if their dead they have no stress so no defense needed , I slice and bleed the walleyes I catch also , it make a difference to me anyway

That makes sense , So in theory a guy could bleed them out in the summer and throw them on a stringer or second live well for while and pack on ice and have a slime free cooler of Northerns ?

 

[lunkerslayer]

If you don't like Pike out of cold water you are a bitch.....


This applies to Joe as well...

Oh we gots a tough guy :;:duel

 

[Muzzytipped]

Keep 5-7lbs and fillet off the tail meat only.

 

[Up Y'oars]

I might miss a bit of meat from my pike fillets, but it's quicker, and ends up with three pieces of meat total.
1) I take the top portion of the head-to-dorsal fin as one fillet;
2) Next is to take the side fillet from the dorsal fin back to the tail; and,
3) Flip over and take the other side dorsal fin back to the tail

Three easy slices and no bones to cut around. Less slime to worry about. Quicker for the next fish and getting inside to a cold beer & warm fireplace.

:;:exactly

 

[Nodakker]

If anyone wants to clean a pike and eat it, more power to them. I pull them out of any lake for the 'benefit' of other fish. And my cats seem to enjoy them.

 

[BBQBluesMan]

Oh boy....

 

[bowcarp]

That makes sense , So in theory a guy could bleed them out in the summer and throw them on a stringer or second live well for while and pack on ice and have a slime free cooler of Northerns ?

Yes , I tried it this last summer and it worked , have not tried it ice fishing though

 

[guywhofishes]

I've never had bad pike. They are excellent summer and winter if properly cared for.

 

[Redneck1]

Use a small amt of white vinegar in a sink of water when cleaning up your fillets.The vinegar eliminates the slime tremendously. Use shore lunch n milk batter and deep fry.

 

[Ristorapper]

back in the day when we kept pike ice fishing, we'd try to keep the 5-7 pounders +/-. I'd never mess with the Y bones because i'd waste meat. Therefore i'd leave the Y bones in and bake the fillet. Once baked, the fillet can then be "forked" in half lengthwise exposing the Y bones. Pluck them babies out and feast for a king.

 

[NodakBuckeye]

Fried fish for our big family reunion potluck. Everybody liked the pike the best. I saw a video of a guy cleaning pike that way 2 winters ago, slick and wish I had thought of it!

 

[deleted_account]

THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO CLEAN A PIKE. PLEASE JUST KEEP THE DAMN THINGS. THEY TASTE GOOD. that is all.

 

[arrowdem]

THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO CLEAN A PIKE. PLEASE JUST KEEP THE DAMN THINGS. THEY TASTE GOOD. that is all.

woah... Wags is apparently yelling today!

 

[Flatrock]

I can pick slimmers out of walleye anyday. Anybody that can't tell the difference in taste doesn't eat walleye enough. Slimmers are disgusting and the easiest way to clean them is throw them in the ditch for the yotes.

Oh the walleye snobs. You might be partially right though because I'd say northerns are actually better than walleye. Walleyes honestly have very little flavor. If you have to deep fat fry something to make it taste good, that should tell you something.

 

[Buckmaster81]

Oh we gots a tough guy :;:duel

No worse then you buddy ;:;boohoo

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If anyone wants to clean a pike and eat it, more power to them. I pull them out of any lake for the 'benefit' of
other fish. And my cats seem to enjoy them.

I wouldn't advertise that

 

[lunkerslayer]

If it tastes like chicken keep on licken if it smells like trout get out.
Buck81 we need to have thick skin its the Nodak way.

 

[Davey Crockett]

One thing I have been practicing and trying to get good at is cutting the fillet into pan sized chunks before I take out the Y bones. I position the chunks on the edge of the cleaning table or a raised cutting board on a bowl and fillet the Y bones out of the chunks with the knife horizontal rather than the vertical cut with a smaller knife. I don't get fishing as much as I used to so my fillet knife skills have suffered but I think this method has potential.

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Still end up with two pieces of meat per fillet but I cut the smaller strips up for fish nuggets. Gonna be a long winter, I wish I had every Northern I threw back into Devils Lake last summer .

 

[Redneck1]

Northern pike is the state fish. I thought the UND Fighting Sioux should have changed their name to the " Fighting Northerns" with a toothy northern mascot.

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Northern is also delicious steamed n eaten with garlic butter.Leave the y bones in n flake off the meat after steaming.

 

[huntorride365]

Clean them on the ice, slime problem solved. SD now made this legal. I tend to like to be legal. Or just fillet them and pickle them, bones don't matter.