eater size northerns

[thedeadsea]

This almost calls for a favorite pickling recipe post, there is nothing better than pickled fish and a few crackers if done correctly !!!

I couldn't agree more!

For your visual enjoyment...

Only a few more weeks before I can start another batch of this.

Steve

[Muddog]

Quote:

Doesn't matter what species I'm fishing, I seem to catch at least a few pike. Which is a good thing other wise I would be getting skunk alot of the time. I've never keep the pike I caught and I was thinking of giving them a try for the frying pan. What is a good length for eaters 18 to 24 inches? Should I pickle them? At what size would you consider to big to keep (the ones with trophy potetial)?

For my life experiences, I would have to say; It all depends on how hungry you are.

As you said, Pike are not always hard to catch. A good population of Norther Pike can easly be decimated in a short time if you are not careful.

[Muddog]

thedeadsea

Remember 3 fish is the possession limit.

[thedeadsea]

Muddog,

I appreciate you keeping me honest but there are only 6 fish in there and I have a family of 5 fisherpeople.

Steve

[BoxMN]

That looks great deadsea!!! Mmmmmmmm I gotta do that this year, our little lake has so many of those dratted small pike. I encourage people (on our lake, or any lake with tons of tiny pike) to keep their limit of small ones, but throw back anything that is starting to hit the 25-26" mark or bigger.

I actually love the taste of pike, and as the others said, once you get de-boning the Y bones down, it is easy and pretty quick, and the filets are great. They just end up being a bit skinny and long how I do it... or maybe that is just the tiny fish I always catch, ha! Cooking on the same day you catch is mmm-mmmm good.

[Random guy]

I can see where muddog got excited, those jars look HUGE but then compare them to the liter of soda in the back ground...small jars, prolly not enough for sharin' huh?

[thedeadsea]

I actually gave away 3/4 of that batch to extended family and friends in smaller Mason jars. At this point I'm the only person in the house that likes pickled fish. That may change though as the boys grow and develop more diverse taste buds. I didn't really like pickled food until my late teens.

For me most of the fun is in the process itself; catching, preparing, and tinkering with the recipe.

I wish I knew how to make pickled fish in sour cream like the herring I buy.

Pretty soon the suckers will be running so I can make another batch, and then a couple of weeks later I can start catching pike again.

Steve

[Muskiefool]

* 1 (22 ounce) jar pickled herring, cutlets in wine sauce drained

* 3 medium potatoes, cooked and cubed

* 1 (16 ounce) jar pickled beets, drained and cubed

* 2 small dill pickles, chopped (optional)

* 1 apple, cubed

* 1 small onion, chopped

* 1/4 cup vinegar

* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

* 2 tablespoons water

* 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Dilled Sour Cream

* 1 cup sour cream

* 2 tablespoons milk

* 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

Directions

1.

1

Place herring, potatoes, beets, pickles, apple and onion in glass or plastic bowl.

2.

2

Mix vinegar, sugar, water and pepper; pour over herring mixture.

3.

3

Toss lightly.

4.

4

Cover and refrigerate, stirring once or twice, at least 2 hours.

5.

5

Serve with Dilled Sour Cream.

6.

6

Garnish with parsley and wedges of hardboiled egg if desired.

[Muddog]

from page 12

• Lawfully taken fish may be transferred as a gift if accompanied by a

receipt containing: name and address of the owner, name and address

of recipient, date of transfer, description of the gift, and license

number under which the fish was taken. The receipt must remain

with the gift. The recipient cannot possess more than the statewide

possession limit.

[goblueM]

man, relax muddog! he's not out decimating northern pike populations and violating fish limits

[thedeadsea]

Thanks muskiefool, I will try that one this summer!

Muddog, I am familiar with and always abide by the law. Not sure what your point is but FYI that was the first batch of pike that I have pickled in 5 years, and those were the first pike I've kept since the summer of 2007. Also FYI those fish came from a small rice lake that gets no fishing pressure. I don't keep fish from trophy lakes because I want to see the species prosper as much as the next guy. And trust me, there were only 6 fish in there.

Steve

[Random guy]

Thanks for the recipe MuskieFool.

...and Muddog, go fishing or rake the yard or something to get those idle hands moving. Pickled fish goes a long ways. My grandmother used to fill a gallon jar with two hammer handle sized fish.

[Fishpondc]

Pickled Northern= Norwegian Soulfood