Slimy Pike???

[Pickelfarmer]

Ok I have forgoten over the last few years just how slimy a Pike is when you clean it after it freezes on the Ice (or on the ride home in my case). My question is First, how many of you guys eat these things and have you ever noticed the difference between rinsing them in cold water Vrs warm or hot water after you get them home? The reason I ask is my Dad asked me to keep a few for him for pickling so I brought home a limit tonight. I normally throw them back mainly cause of the bones. I love the taste of them but the wife hates when I clean them inside the house so I kind of quit bringing them home. Anyway, I put one in the sink to thaw it out and I ran warm to hot water over it. MAN was that thing Full of slime. Well by the time I got to the second one I ran cool or cold water over it and the slime just seem to come right off. Anyone else ever notice that? I don't know maybe Im looking into it to much but I think the cold water did the trick.

[BobT]

Cold is best.

As far as the bones are concerned, learn how to fillet out the Y bones and you'll be a happy piker. There's a lot more that can be done with them besides pickling. Deep frying, pan frying, broiling, grilling, baking, you name it.

Bob

[Far-I]

I don't think u should run warm/hot water over any fish, should you? I never do anyways. I never have the slime problem with my pike and cold water, so i think warm water might be the problem. By the way, how the he77 is pickled pike? i think it must be a generational thing i missed (like lutefisk).

[GSB Ice Man]

I know some guys that get the y bones out and would rather eat fresh pike over walleyes. I hope to learn to remove the y bones myself

[Pickelfarmer]

Cold is best.

There's a lot more that can be done with them besides pickling. Deep frying, pan frying, broiling, grilling, baking, you name it.

Bob

Right on Bob, I could sit and eat fryed Northern all day. I love It. I have tried to clean them and take out the Y bones but to me it just seems like I end up wasteing alot of meet. Myself, I really dont mind the Y bones its just that I got two little guys that could maybe choke on them (or so my wife says). Really makes me wonder now because when I was about there age, my parents would feed me northern a couple times a week during the winter, Y bones and all. Maybe they were trying to tell me something????

[choclabnut]

Picklefarmer!

Do you suffer from any chronic throat problems? The constant urge to clear the throat! I'm a late bloomer so to speak, I hadn't even tried Pike until last winter. Fresh out of the icy water into the fryer! Good stuff!

[Sandmannd]

Pike are awesome fish. I've grinded the meat bones and all and make fish cakes with them. They turn out awesome!! Cold water is the way I usually go with them.

[spearman]

Newspaper wrap them in it and it keeps them dry

[snoozebutton]

I know some guys that get the y bones out and would rather eat fresh pike over walleyes. I hope to learn to remove the y bones myself

Check this out, it helped me a lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcWyGrV0qao&mode=related&search=

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I like the taste of northern over walleye. I use cold water too, but that is just the way I was taught.

[Iambjm]

Pickled Pike are awesome!!!! I have made 3 batches this winter and they don't last long. Easy to do, you don't have to get the bones out, better than pickled herring!!!!!

[BobT]

That a very good video demonstration.

Couple points I'll add.

1.

An extremely sharp fillet knife will simplify the job considerably. You need to be able to feel the tip of your knife as it contacts the bones.

2.

When you make that first slice on the top side of the Y-bones, angle your knife about 45 degrees. That's about the angle of the one arm of the Y.

3.

When you make the second slice start in at the lateral line and hold your knife pretty much flat and slice toward the top of the fillet.

If you do it right, you'll still have a single fillet with the Y-bones gone. I find the nicest size for doing this is 24"-27" fish. This job can get a little trickier with fish smaller than 24" because the fillet is much thinner and the bones much softer.

Bob

[TiNK3R]

Pike is very good. Love those snot rockets!

[candiru]

Keep them from freezing. That keeps the slime down. Just use an old cooler or a bucket with water or snow in it. Nice to clean fish without waiting for them to thaw.

[snoozebutton]

Keep them from freezing. That keeps the slime down. Just use an old cooler or a bucket with water or snow in it. Nice to clean fish without waiting for them to thaw.

That's the ticket if you can do it. Also, if it looks like the will freeze, I like to cut the fillet and skin off on the ice. Then when I get home, I cut out the rib bones and Y bones.

[glenn57]

we take the y bones out on the bigger fish and they go inti the pickling pile.

[snoozebutton]

The pickling process will dissolve the Y bones and the rib bones. That's why we pickle the little ones and fry up the bigger ones.

[mskyfshntchr]

Best thing we have figured to keep the slime down is to kill the fish as soon as you determine you are keeping it.

Then you can freeze it or whatever, it doesn't matter.

Y bones are pretty easy when you get the hang of them. One thing I do that makes it easier is I cut the filets down into 3-4 pieces before taking out the Y bones. Then you are able to go the end of the piece with your knife. Makes it much easier for me and I seem to waste less meat.

Never run water on them- they really get slimy then.

Good luck- pike are a vastly underrated table fare fish!

[catflisher]

White vinegar cuts the slime..mix about a cup to a gallon of water, a quick rinse, wipe with towel..A whole lot easier to clean em' when you can handle them! As for the Y bones, they are all on the top 1/2 of the fillet.. After you cook them,with a little practice, you can flake the piece in half, and the Y bones will stay on one side, like the teeth on a comb..Then just pull them all out together in one fell swoop!..Or, do like I do, and only serve the bottom half of the fillet to others, and force yourself to deal with that thick, juicy, flakey, delicious backstap..Great, now I'm hungry!!

[glenn57]

i use the vinegar also. believe me when you leave all she skin on for smoking that water gets slimy. i dont think you need a hole cup of vinegar though. in an ice cream pail i may use about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup maybe, and i let sit overnite then wash off.

[Hammer Handle]

Northern are great to eat and easy to clean.

Hot water on a fish? No way!

[mnfin]

Do not use warm or hot water cleaning any game or meat.

[TruthWalleyes]

I would put snow and ice in a bucket when you catch pike and not let them freeze. I'll never let a northern freeze after i let the 5pounder freeze earlier this year. Now it's the bucket for ever. Keeps them alive the whole day with no problems.