How to deal with pike slime

[Gun Slinger]

Just wondering what you guys do about that nasty slime on the northerns that you keep to eat. I like the taste of those guys, but man I get so tired of the slime all over the kitchen counter after filleting.

[highlife4me]

Never let a northern hit the ice. After catching or spearing put the pike in a gunny sack. Do whatever you can to keep the bag off the ice and the amount of slime is greatly decreased.

[20lbSloughShark]

Simple, I cut it on a cutting board. If nothing else just open up a newspaper.

[Alagnak]

Letting it flop in the snow or a bucket of slush is not an issue- I think the key is surely not to let it freeze at all or it will be come a slime bomb when it thaws. Either way- there's a cheap and easy solution. After bleeding it/cutting the gills and doing whatever you do with it to bring it home- lay down some layers of news paper on your board/counter. Fillet out one side, lay the fillet aside on a new pc of paper and fillet out the other side and place on fresh paper. Then throw the carcass and a layer of paper away that are full of guts/slime- and skin the fillets on their clean paper. This way the meat NEVER touches any slime/guts/poo/blood or whatever. No slime and no fish taste along with taking out the y bones = better than walleye any day IMHO.

[20lbSloughShark]

You bleed fish? This seems unnessesary and quicker way to let them freeze.

An old peice of plywood (my fillet board) and newspaper are both cheap and easy (simply set it down)

[TruthWalleyes]

I clean all my fish on a beer box or pizza box. Then wash the knife, fillets,and your hands if ya want.

[mrklean]

Never let a northern hit the ice. After catching or spearing put the pike in a gunny sack. Do whatever you can to keep the bag off the ice and the amount of slime is greatly decreased.

This works great

[Alagnak]

You bleed fish? This seems unnessesary and quicker way to let them freeze.

An old peice of plywood (my fillet board) and newspaper are both cheap and easy (simply set it down)

It's just one less thing to come in contact with the meat on the fillet board and keep the meat white. Not saying it tastes any different but compare two fish some time you clean after bleeding one and not the other- it's an obvious difference even after rinsing them. It's a common practice with fish all over the world to delay spoilage. Simply less mess.

[MJ1657]

Never let a northern hit the ice. After catching or spearing put the pike in a gunny sack. Do whatever you can to keep the bag off the ice and the amount of slime is greatly decreased.

+1

[mainbutter]

You bleed fish? This seems unnessesary and quicker way to let them freeze.

I don't know about freezing, but I always bleed fish I keep, it's what everyone did when I was young and living in Alaska.

[MJ1657]

What is bleeding them supposed to do?

I've just never heard of it before.

[davidbigreelz]

In north carolina when i was a kid we would bleed any sharks we kept by cutting their tails. That greatly enhanced the meat, so i suppose i can see doing it with fish like cats. I dont have any exp bleeding freshwater fish though, never thought too.

[Getanet]

Not a huge pike eater myself, but I watched a video once of a guy taking the Y bone out, and he started by rolling the whole fish in a few sheets of newspaper, then unrolling it and throwing the paper away before beginning to fillet it.

That seemed to remove most of the slime. It was open water fishing though, so the pike never froze. I'll take people's word for it that if it freezes they become slime bombs.

[blackdog1101]

I bleed larger fish like pike, and have thought that there seems to be less slime if they die more quickly.

[merkman]

Vinegar and water... it has been cutting that fishy smell for ages!!!

But seriously, vinegar removes the slime right now.

It will make your stainless sink look as good as new too!!!

If you really want to remove all the slime... that is what I prefer when baking the with the skin on... after the vinegar; rub a generous portion of salt (whiten it) over the top of the skin... rinse repeat and rinse again.

The skin will actually be rough with no slime present at all.

My dad always hung them up and power washed them in the summer... that works well too.

.

[CANOPY SAM]

So what do you do to bleed them?

[Gordie]

Never let a northern hit the ice. After catching or spearing put the pike in a gunny sack. Do whatever you can to keep the bag off the ice and the amount of slime is greatly decreased.

ditto,

I did know of a guy that told me just wash them off in the bathtub when you get home, but this could have harsh results in the end

[CANOPY SAM]

Ha ha ha....wash them off in the bathtub, then powerwash and sterilize the bathtub when you're done cleaning fish. It's much easier.

[merkman]

So what do you do to bleed them?

Cut underneath the "neck of the fish" between the gills while they are still alive.

Some cut the gills out, others cut the tail, others do all 3.

I personally never do that.. I see where it helps, I can't see where it would hurt (other than letting others know I got a fish by the blood on the ice ).

I can "bleed" them in the fridge once they are filleted.

Keep them in the fridge in cold water with ice cubes on top.

Change out the water and adjust the "soak time" to get the flavor you want.

If you soak them for a day and a half or so (and change the water several times) they will be just as flavorless as a walleye. Soak them less time with less water changes for more flavor.

I dont mind if they freeze on the ice either as long as they freeze flat.

Much easier for me to fillet them when they are cold and very firm (not frozen but very close)

I feel much beter about them frozen, food saftey wise too.. (prob not too much of a concern, but I think the shorter the time from alive to cold or alive to filet and cold is much better bacteria etc wise)

Just like anything though... each person has thier own way of taking care of them... No one way is "right". Take all the tidbits and pick and choose the ones you like and come up with your own way of taking care of them once harvested.

.

[RK]

Hiya -

I bleed pike and walleyes right away, summer or winter (I put fish on ice instead of in a livewell when on the boat).

To bleed them stick a knife straight into the fish's belly just past the gills and cut straight toward the nose until you get to the isthmus where the outside arches of the gills converge. Kills them instantly, and I really do think they taste better after being bled. Definitely reduces the slime on the pike. I barely get to ice fish these days (a couple kids playing hockey will do that) but if I keep fish I try not to let them freeze - slow freezing then thawing makes the flesh mushy, IMHO. I pack them in slush in a cooler if I can. Keeps them cold, but they usually won't freeze.

For the slime - Merk is right on. Vinegar and water.

[hookncook]

There's a product called Thee Fisherman's Soap. Cuts the slime big time. I use it to wash my hands and counter tops after cleaning fish.

They don't call 'em snot rockets for nothing.

[BehindtheHead]

orange hand cleaner takes the slime and the smell off of your hands. its handy because its already in the garage.

[deerminator]

Right on with the vinegar and water. Incidentally, if your dog tinkles on the carpet, a 50/50 solution of that neutralizes the smell. Just mop up the tinkle, pour on the solution liberally and let dry and then scrub the carpet with some soapy water once it has. No need for expensive odor removing products.

I've also used the scent killer bar soap left over from hunting season with great success on my hands to remove smell. That's easier on your hands than vinegar.

[jigginjim]

When bleeding out fish, the area straight down from the gills is where the heart is. The nice about bleeding as soon as you cath them is you have very little blood in meat when cleaning.

To remove slime from my pike in do but them in a tub of water along with dawn dish soap. Cuts the grease/ slime, rinse well before filleting. Help cut down the goo. I have not tried it yet, no pike so far but denatured alochol was to do the same. f catch another pke son i'll try it and post how worked.

[20lbSloughShark]

I must really treat my fish with respect, I have never bled a fish in my life and the meat is always snow white. I still don't see why you would go through all the trouble with cleaning your counter. Just put down a newspaper and clean it. All the guts are thrown away with the slime and your counter is mostly clean.