02-12-2013, 04:27 PM
Pike fillet and taste report:
Short report: They were pretty easy to fillet, once you got the technique down (YouTube...5 Fillet method) and they taste GREAT!
I would put Pike right up there with Wipers and Walleyes as far as taste and consistency goes.
Long Report:
So I started off with 6 Pikes to fillet when I got home Saturday night. On YouTube there are a few videos showing different techniques for fillet-ing pike. I tried two techniques, and ended up using one particular technique for all but one fish (The "5" fillet method). The fishes I had were all between 19" and 23" long. (We let the 25" incher go...). I don't have an electric fillet knife...if I did, I would likely go with the other method, which is more typical of most fishes, just cutting off the two sides and removing the bones. However, the "5 Fillet" method that I used, is fast, easy and you end up with 5 boneless fillets. I will be using this method from now on on any Pikes that I ever catch and keep again.
The skeletal structure of a pike is unlike any other fish I've ever filleted, so trust me when I say this works. There is a YouTube video that describes it.
1. With the fish on it's BELLY (ungutted), make a cut with the fillet knife right behind the head going down to the backbone. From there, holding the knife firmly against the spine, cut towards the tail, ending right at the dorsal fin where you turn the blade up following the dorsal fin to complete and remove the "TOP" fillet (#1).
2. With the fish on it's side looking at the top of the fish, find the "Y" bones, and start your side fillet ABOVE the Y bones, then fillet as normal following the Y bones and rib bones down to the stomach. Only go as far back as the TOP fillet. This is the SIDE fillet (#2).
3. Do the same for the other SIDE (#3).
4. Now with the fish still on it's side, find the anus and make one cut from the anus to the back of the TOP dorsal fin down to the skeleton. Turn the knife towards the tail and fillet off the TAIL section as normal (#4)
Note: You will end up with a "chunk" of leftover flesh here right below the dorsal fin, about an inch long that stays on the fish and looks like wasted meat. Don't worry about it..it is chock full of Y bones, so just let it go!
5. Do the same for the other side (#5).
Remove the skin as you normally do when filleting fish, and you end up with 5 BONELESS fillets, up to 3/4" thick, and we averaged about 1 quart size ziplock of pure boneless fillets per fish. We also removed the center section of the TOP fillet (looks like cartilage), and most of the red (dark) meat came off with the skin fillets, so for the most part, after the fillet job...they are pretty much ready to bag or cook.
We just fried some up last night with lemon pepper and the were absolutely outstanding. Very mild, flaky, delicious! We are having fish tacos tonight.
After I spent about an hour filleting and bagging those 6 fish on Saturday night (when I was tired), I announced to my wife that I would likely never keep another pike again. However, after tasting them last night, I have changed my mind. They are delicious.
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Short report: They were pretty easy to fillet, once you got the technique down (YouTube...5 Fillet method) and they taste GREAT!
I would put Pike right up there with Wipers and Walleyes as far as taste and consistency goes.
Long Report:
So I started off with 6 Pikes to fillet when I got home Saturday night. On YouTube there are a few videos showing different techniques for fillet-ing pike. I tried two techniques, and ended up using one particular technique for all but one fish (The "5" fillet method). The fishes I had were all between 19" and 23" long. (We let the 25" incher go...). I don't have an electric fillet knife...if I did, I would likely go with the other method, which is more typical of most fishes, just cutting off the two sides and removing the bones. However, the "5 Fillet" method that I used, is fast, easy and you end up with 5 boneless fillets. I will be using this method from now on on any Pikes that I ever catch and keep again.
The skeletal structure of a pike is unlike any other fish I've ever filleted, so trust me when I say this works. There is a YouTube video that describes it.
1. With the fish on it's BELLY (ungutted), make a cut with the fillet knife right behind the head going down to the backbone. From there, holding the knife firmly against the spine, cut towards the tail, ending right at the dorsal fin where you turn the blade up following the dorsal fin to complete and remove the "TOP" fillet (#1).
2. With the fish on it's side looking at the top of the fish, find the "Y" bones, and start your side fillet ABOVE the Y bones, then fillet as normal following the Y bones and rib bones down to the stomach. Only go as far back as the TOP fillet. This is the SIDE fillet (#2).
3. Do the same for the other SIDE (#3).
4. Now with the fish still on it's side, find the anus and make one cut from the anus to the back of the TOP dorsal fin down to the skeleton. Turn the knife towards the tail and fillet off the TAIL section as normal (#4)
Note: You will end up with a "chunk" of leftover flesh here right below the dorsal fin, about an inch long that stays on the fish and looks like wasted meat. Don't worry about it..it is chock full of Y bones, so just let it go!
5. Do the same for the other side (#5).
Remove the skin as you normally do when filleting fish, and you end up with 5 BONELESS fillets, up to 3/4" thick, and we averaged about 1 quart size ziplock of pure boneless fillets per fish. We also removed the center section of the TOP fillet (looks like cartilage), and most of the red (dark) meat came off with the skin fillets, so for the most part, after the fillet job...they are pretty much ready to bag or cook.
We just fried some up last night with lemon pepper and the were absolutely outstanding. Very mild, flaky, delicious! We are having fish tacos tonight.
After I spent about an hour filleting and bagging those 6 fish on Saturday night (when I was tired), I announced to my wife that I would likely never keep another pike again. However, after tasting them last night, I have changed my mind. They are delicious.
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I used to N.ot have E.nough T.ime O.ff to go fishing. Then I retired. Now I have less time than I had before. Sheesh.