Video on Y bone removal from Northern's.

[WillCFish]

Northern Y Bone removal has always been a mystery to me but not now.

[minnesotathorn]

interesting. first time i have seen it done with an electric knife.

[newoodhntr]

Thanks I'll have to try it that way.

[BobT]

I do it that way although I don't use electric knife.

One thing I do differently when I fillet fish for transport. When you skin the fillet, cut almost all the way off leaving just a very small amount of skin attached to the fillet. Then cut the skin off 1" back so you have the legal amount of skin still attached. When you are ready to use the fillet you can just pull the skin off with your fingers instead of trying to slice it off that last inch with a knife.

[20lbSloughShark]

I dont do it this way, I cut the back meat horizontal first (I call it the pikes backstrap). Then you can see the y bone "line" and you can cut on the outside of it. Then I make what I call the "wedge" cut, where I cut the "wedge" out of the back/inside of the y bones. I also cut the cheeks out and the back of the head. Like I say, a northern pike is the meatiest fish there is, they are 50% meat.

[jerkbait]

I do it just like Bob, even do the skin the same way. Funny how many people I show how to do that with the skin and still won't adopt the practice. They think it is easier to cut it off later .

[BobT]

I do it just like Bob, even do the skin the same way. Funny how many people I show how to do that with the skin and still won't adopt the practice. They think it is easier to cut it off later .

I had been filleting fish for decades and leaving that last inch of skin on completely as shown in the video and the first time I saw someone do it the way I do now, it was like, "Duh!" I guess my old high school teacher was right when he said, "Common sense is not so common."

[WillCFish]

The electric knife is the way to go even though it's tough to give up the fillet knife.

[Jarrod32]

I dont do it this way, I cut the back meat horizontal first (I call it the pikes backstrap). Then you can see the y bone "line" and you can cut on the outside of it. Then I make what I call the "wedge" cut, where I cut the "wedge" out of the back/inside of the y bones. I also cut the cheeks out and the back of the head. Like I say, a northern pike is the meatiest fish there is, they are 50% meat.

That is how I do it, too. We also refer to the "backstrap". You just have to remember to take that center strip of fat/gristle out of the backstrap before it hits the frying pan...

[CANOPY SAM]

Good vid! That's the way I've been doin' em' for years, but the electric knife sure makes it look a lot easier!

For heaven's sake though, shut off the dog-gone water! Blew thru 30 gallons of fresh clean water to rinse off two small pike fillets? Geez...We American's really take advantage of clean fresh water...waste WAY more of it than we ever use.

[EJ]

Canopy ,

Looks like well water and they don't seem to be running water through a plutonium filter. I would guess the half life to be about 30 minutes and that mother earth will naturally clean and offer her water water back to us.

I loved the video!

EJ

[Beast26]

I use and electric to take to take the meat off the bone then switch to a regular knife to remove the rib bones and take out the y-bones. I have tried the three cut (or whatever it's called) method and every other method out there and IMO the best is still taking all the meat off the fish at once and then deboning the fillet. BTW - I love eating northerns if they are deboned. One of the best eating fish out there IMO

[CANOPY SAM]

Good advice EJ. Well water comes from a different place then city water, hence there is an unlimited supply! We should all leave the water running full tilt while filleting and washing 2-3 small fish. That's practical, sensible advice right there!

For anyone that couldn't tell, that was a little sarcasm. Use common sense folks. One bowl of fresh clean water is more than enough to clean a few fillets. Fillet em', lightly rinse em', and set em' in a bowl of cold clean water to firm up. Good to go....

Pike are a great eating fish once you get all the bones out of the way. Great video. Thanks for posting.