removing slime from northerns

[Mike89]

I have never thought about ths before, but in the last couple weeks I have heard some folks say removing the slime is easy. the bad part was I missed the last part of the subject, so I'm curious now. What do you all think about this, I have just cleaned the northerns and enjoy a great meal!! Mike

[Whopper Stopper]

As I remember the way of getting rid of it was to wrap them in news paper, supposedly this takes care of it. I do know that if you put them in a bucket and add vinegar to the water the slime comes of in globs.

WS

[Mike89]

Thanks WS, it's always interesting figuring new things out. I have only been cleaning fish 40 years so maybe I can still learn something!! Mike

[spearingboy]

Hey Mike. I've also heard of wrapping them in newspaper. I've never tried it myself I just kind of deal with the slime as much as I hate it. We go on Christmas break thursday so hopefully I'll have some spearing reports for you. Have you been out? Any luck? Merry Christmas!

[Mike89]

Hello Spearing Boy, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Been way to busy! Have not been fishing since last Sunday. Now with Christmas here it will be some what longer yet! Got lots of water on the ice so that doesn't help. Sure hope while you are on break you get some fishing in!! Merry Christmas to you and your family too!!!! Mike

[Maineiac]

Wow and all this time I thought the way to remove pike and pickerel slime was to sneak one of the wifes towels and just wipe them down. Oh and don't try and sneak the towel into the wash, much better to wash it yourself. I assure you on that one. Oh and equally not good for her to find said towel in the boat before you have washed it. Newspaper heh?Why didn't I think of that????

[Mike89]

That's too funny and scary too!!! Mike

[Guest]

I like to clean northerns in winter while they still have a little frost to them.. not quite frozen, but not thawed either. The slime stays pretty well under control then. It seems the slime comes back even thicker any other way.

They sure do taste good, but they are a pain to clean(compared to other fish).

[jonny_redhorse]

I've been using the news papers for years for taking off the slime off northerns....crappies too!......makes em alot easier to handle for sure and the slime.... once gone ....doesn't come into contact with the fillets...the slime certainly is what gives the fillets the strong "fishy" taste...guess there's a % of people who don't care if the fillets are stronger,but I like my fillets milder...my fillets never touch the slime while cleaning the fish.......(or very little)....jonny

[Gus]

I use news paper and just wipe as much as I can off. Then I use a fork to help hold the fish's head while I fillet. Aslo helps hold the fillets while you debone the rib cage area or even Y bone area. Just a normal kitchen fork. Works wonders and keeps your hand drier and warmer too.

[fisheye]

Gunnysack, burlap bag, potato sack - call it what you want but it works wonders. Put your fish in the bag right away (before it has a chance to start freezing). The rough material seems to rub off the slime and absorb it at the same time. I have been using them for years and it really makes a difference. Now - where you go to get one is another problem. I get mine at the local potato warehouse but not everyone is lucky enough to have one in the area.

[Mike89]

Thanks all! I'll try the paper route. Fisheye, do you recycle the burlap bags or throw them away? I have some that I can use. They are old though! Spearing Boy, how are you doing? Mike

[spearingboy]

Hey Mike. Things are going good. I've been out everyday except christmas and today since break started last friday. I'm seeing some fish mostly in the 10:00-12:00 time frame. I've only speared one that was a eater. My brother and I saw another nice fish the other day. I'd say it was around 10 lbs. It swam through my brothers hole and he watched it. Pretty cool. Have you ever used an aqua-view while spearing? My parents got me the Scout XL and I'm thinking about using it just to see fish coming in and see how many fish sit outside of the hole out of view. Have you been out lately?

[Maineiac]

Burlap bags are getting harder and harder to find and I live in a potato producing area. But if anyone wants to go that route and I might. Most ag stores sell roll burlap quite cheap and you can always run the stuff through a comercial washer afterwards. As a continuation of an earlier post it is also better not to have your wife find pickerel or pike slime all over her washer as well or scales in the lint trap, always remove the scales from the lint trap, trust me on this. Oh wait that was the first wife.....or maybe the second,what ever, it was one of them, hard to remember at my age. But roll burlap like used newspaper is cheap and in a matrimonial sense much cheaper if you don't want to end up owning half a boat.

[Mike89]

that's a good thought on washing the burlap. I think newspaper wins this one!

Spearing Boy, no I have never used a camera for spearing but I have given some thought. I have a home made one that works fairly good and maybe I should try it too!!! Let me know how your vacation ends for fishing!!

Mike