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shock	01/27/2018 10:49PM   Pinetree: "huntfun2: "old_salt: "The best way to cook pike, particularly large pike, is to cook the fillets on a pine board in a bed of coals. When the Pine board begins to burn, dump the fillets in the fire, and eat the board. Cooking this way makes the board palatable." I'll eat pike using the 5 piece fillet method, if we don't have walleyes to eat. But I fry them I don't bother with aluminum foil. What I don't understand is how people fry up smallmouths and eat those? Like Old Salt says - eat the board" Smallmouth are one of the sweetest tasting fish around. Much better than walleye. Now largemouth are a little muddy tasting." i feel it's more the waters that a largemouth comes out of, my local lake ,they rival crappie and sometimes walleye. a newbie i took into the BW loved the taste of smallies for the first time .
Pinetree	01/27/2018 11:03PM   Much of it is from the waters it comes from and also the time of year.
Pinetree	01/27/2018 05:24PM   QueticoMike: "I used to eat smallmouth up there, nothing wrong with them especially coming out of those crystal clear waters. Just make sure you let the big ones go. The smaller ones taste better anyways. They are part of the sunfish family and for the most part they are just big panfish :)" That;s what we do. Usually like under 16 inches and many lakes there is probably a over abundance of small to medium bass. On a whole trip probably talking less than 6 bass also kept. Smallmouth bass up north are very slow growing.
gqualls	01/18/2018 07:07PM   I love to eat Pike!! Probably prefer them over walleyes and smallies. I have used the 5 cut method and it works just fine. I prefer to filet both sides off to the tail then filet the meat from the skin. I then cut out the rib bones, then the Y bones. With a little practice it's not hard at all. We have cut the filets into 1.5 inch chunks, boiled some Spite and cook the Pike chunks in the Sprite. A few minutes later you have a pretty good version of Poor Man's Lobster --- hopefully you will have some garlic butter to use as a dip. This serves as a great appetizer while the rest of the meal is cooking. I have also read that a Pike can be thrown onto the coals sans guts and after 7-8 minutes flip it over and let the other side cook. After about 15 minutes pull the fish off the coals, peel back the skin, and start eating. I've never done it this way so I can't vouch for it. Yep ....... Pike are delicious. Would love to have some right now. BTW, there are some very good videos on You Tube about the best way to file Pike.
Pinetree	01/19/2018 06:27PM   Northern pike actually got a good flavor. Walleye are bland and it is what you cook them in. Also while camping on certain lakes or area instead of having lake trout all the time or some other species in certain lakes where they are not plentiful,we will eat northern pike to save on the other species.
PaddleAway	01/19/2018 11:34PM   I love pike. Long ago I caught a pike & eye out of the same body of water, fed it to people, & opinion was split on which was better. I clean pike just like I clean smallies, because I'm a simple-minded savage. I end up with a lot of bones, but since I live in the Cities, I'd never keep a 6-8 lb. pike. Too few of them around here already.
RackWrangler	01/18/2018 08:06AM   We often eat pike when the walleye are eluding us. I don't know what to call my fillet method, but it's far from perfect... nobody's died yet. Small bites and chew well. Fresh pike tastes just as good as anything else. -RW
AndySG	01/18/2018 08:04AM   I eat pike when in canoe country, preferably 20-25" fish. I clean them using the 5 fillet method and find it quick and simple. I have tried them both fried and baked. I prefer fillets breaded and fried using a small amount of ghee. Never had anyone say they did not like it.
old_salt	01/18/2018 12:08PM   The best way to cook pike, particularly large pike, is to cook the fillets on a pine board in a bed of coals. When the Pine board begins to burn, dump the fillets in the fire, and eat the board. Cooking this way makes the board palatable.
QueticoMike	01/18/2018 01:12PM   old_salt: "The best way to cook pike, particularly large pike, is to cook the fillets on a pine board in a bed of coals. When the Pine board begins to burn, dump the fillets in the fire, and eat the board. Cooking this way makes the board palatable." I am guessing you do not like to eat pike. :) I think they taste just as good or better than other fish in Quetico. They just are not my favorite to fillet. That is why I asked about cooking them in aluminum foil and just peeling the bones out. To each their own......
missmolly	01/18/2018 01:59PM   RackWrangler: "We often eat pike when the walleye are eluding us. I don't know what to call my fillet method, but it's far from perfect... nobody's died yet. Small bites and chew well. Fresh pike tastes just as good as anything else. -RW" That's my method.
johndku	01/18/2018 02:46PM   I gut 'em, cook 'em on the grill, and zip the bones out, same as with trout.
missmolly	01/18/2018 08:20PM   Remember this pike? Don't eat it! More expensive than Kobe beef.
Ohiopikeman	01/18/2018 08:09PM   I've been a big fan of pike for a long time and have tried numerous methods of filleting them to remove the y-bones. Most of the time I will go with the exact method RPIKE suggested in the IN-FISHERMAN video. This works well as you end up with lots of nice sized pieces to throw in your frying pan. http://www.in-fisherman.com/recipes/cleaning-care/cleaning-catch-y-bone-removal/ The link that PIKECHASE shared is basically the same method as is done by IN-FISHERMAN, except that one keeps a single large fillet instead of cutting each side of the pike down into smaller pieces. So far as eating pike goes, I find them to be excellent. Most of our fish dinners in the BWCA and QUETICO for the past 20+ years have involved one or more pike. I do prefer to keep walleye to eat just because of the ease of filleting them, but it's unusual to catch walleye throwing 6" glide baits into the shallow weedbeds. I wound not recommend keeping any pike under 22" as the amount of meat vs. fillet effort becomes a poor trade. I like to keep pike in the 24"~30" range for eating as they are much easier to fillet. Anything above 30" we will let go with the hope it will one day turn into a 40"+ trophy.
Forrest75	01/18/2018 10:02AM   This doesn't really help you in canoe country but if you catch some close to home, pickled northern is fantastic. Otherwise, when you are prepping them for a shore lunch, look up a couple of the videos online for how to fillet them without bones. It's not hard to do, but you do need to watch it a couple times to get the hang of it. I do prefer average sized ones (22"-26") for eating. The meat seems to be firmer and sweeter on ones around that size.
Gadfly	01/18/2018 09:51AM   I actually prefer the taste of pike over walleye but they are more of a pain to clean. I am far from a filleting expert but what I do works for me. I have taken the bones out in the past but I always felt guilty about the wasted meat. I may section off a boneless piece of the fillet for my kids to eat but once it is cooked it is very easy to pull the meat right off the bone so that is what I do for myself. As far as recipes I try different things all the time, some as simple as a little pepper and a squirt of lemon with not bread.
Savage Voyageur	01/18/2018 11:08AM   Pike are good eating in my opinion. I do the 5 fillet method when cleaning. We will cut them up in chunks and put them in the potato chowder and cook them . This year I’m bringing them back and going to pickle them.
mastertangler	01/18/2018 01:16PM   old_salt: "The best way to cook pike, particularly large pike, is to cook the fillets on a pine board in a bed of coals. When the Pine board begins to burn, dump the fillets in the fire, and eat the board. Cooking this way makes the board palatable." Hey wheres the hat tip OS? Nay way Jose' Pike are EXCELLENT eating and easily rival walleye in all but the cleaning process. When I eat walleye I always say "these are the best"..........then the next day I eat a pike and say "Nope, these are the best" ad infinitum. Canadians used to toss pike away considering them a "trash" fish but that has largely changed. The trick IMO is to eat a sizable pike. Small pike are even more difficult to clean with very thin small bones which are easily cut through. But even more important, to truly appreciate the texture of pike, which is MUCH firmer than walleye (more like chicken ;-) is to have nice thick chunks. Firm texture and excellent flavor shines through in the larger pieces. I do not usually mess with pike unless they are right at 30" which I consider an "eater". I use the 5 piece method but have considered trying other methods which may be better. I do not spend lots of time being exact on pike cleaning. Other than not wanting bones I am a bit ruthless and want to get on with my trip instead of making sure I get every scrap of meat. But all in all I am pretty good with a knife so I get most of it. The top back straps on pike of 30 to 34" fish are as good as fresh water fish gets IMO except for perch which have an excellent overall flavor (pike still get the firm texture award however).
AmarilloJim	01/18/2018 02:49PM   old_salt: "The best way to cook pike, particularly large pike, is to cook the fillets on a pine board in a bed of coals. When the Pine board begins to burn, dump the fillets in the fire, and eat the board. Cooking this way makes the board palatable." LOL
PikeChase	01/18/2018 03:24PM   In that past when I'm at home I've not removed the Y-bones and just cut the tail portion of the meat off and my wife ate that. I gave the rest to my dad for pickling (I don't eat fish). Last year was the first year we kept pike for food in the BWCA because we couldn't find the walleye. I used this method to clean them and it worked out well. We did manage to catch one walleye the day we had the pike and no one could tell the difference. We just fried it in a little oil with some Shore Lunch seasonings.
hooky	01/18/2018 03:40PM   old_salt: "The best way to cook pike, particularly large pike, is to cook the fillets on a pine board in a bed of coals. When the Pine board begins to burn, dump the fillets in the fire, and eat the board. Cooking this way makes the board palatable." That's how I was taught to cook carp.
Grizzlyman	01/18/2018 03:41PM   I don't get this " I don't like northern pike" sentiment that pops up from time to time. Anyone who's ever actually eaten a northern knows they are every bit as good. Bones are not that hard to cut out. Just filet like normal and cut out the strip with the y bones in it. Wastes very little meat. Not hard. Just takes practice. Fried, baked, etc just like any other fish.
Eyedocron	01/18/2018 03:58PM   Pike is my favorite fish for taste. Too bad they have so many bones.
lundojam	01/18/2018 04:25PM   5- cut, love 'em. Very often I include pike in a "walleye dinner", not much difference to me.
murphylakejim	01/18/2018 04:41PM   A few years ago on the way back from ensign we fished boot lake and did well. I ended up taking home a walleye a pike and some bass and had a friend smoke them. It was the best fish I've had. Walleye and pike were slightly better than the bass when smoked.
Savage Voyageur	01/18/2018 05:27PM   old_salt: "The best way to cook pike, particularly large pike, is to cook the fillets on a pine board in a bed of coals. When the Pine board begins to burn, dump the fillets in the fire, and eat the board. Cooking this way makes the board palatable." Maybe you are cooking them with old salt. Try some fresh salt.
rpike	01/18/2018 05:54PM   I prefer the taste of pike to walleye. I do this.
KarlBAndersen1	01/19/2018 12:38PM   I intentionally seek out northern to eat. One of the three best tasting fresh water fish in America - Northern - bluegill -perch. Walleye taste like whatever seasoning you put in the flour. After switching to the 5-cut method, I have yet to clean a northern any other way: Best way to clean a northern:
shock	01/22/2018 06:49PM   i'll put my two against your 5 ;)
shock	01/18/2018 09:57PM   Boneless pike done right. I usually release pike over 8#, but the 5-8# are perfect eaters. Boneless pike doesnt get much better.
jhb8426	01/18/2018 10:59PM   Love northerns. As I'm inexperienced in fillet practices, I usually defer to someone else for the method of cleaning them. Used to get a lot from my dad as well.
mutz	01/19/2018 01:39AM   Five pieces, fried or broiled or baked excellent eating.
yellowhorse	01/19/2018 05:20AM   shock: "Boneless pike done right. I usually release pike over 8#, but the 5-8# are perfect eaters. Boneless pike doesnt get much better. " Beautiful. I wish I'd took a pic of the 2 lb snake my 9 yo nephew caught at Christmas and it did NOT look like this. Nice job. Love pike and people who don't haven't tried poor man's lobster!
QueticoMike	01/19/2018 06:44AM   hooky: "old_salt: "The best way to cook pike, particularly large pike, is to cook the fillets on a pine board in a bed of coals. When the Pine board begins to burn, dump the fillets in the fire, and eat the board. Cooking this way makes the board palatable." That's how I was taught to cook carp." Yep, that is an old joke.
Kokanee Killer	01/19/2018 07:37AM   gqualls: "I love to eat Pike!! Probably prefer them over walleyes and smallies. I have used the 5 cut method and it works just fine. I prefer to filet both sides off to the tail then filet the meat from the skin. I then cut out the rib bones, then the Y bones. With a little practice it's not hard at all. We have cut the filets into 1.5 inch chunks, boiled some Spite and cook the Pike chunks in the Sprite. A few minutes later you have a pretty good version of Poor Man's Lobster --- hopefully you will have some garlic butter to use as a dip. This serves as a great appetizer while the rest of the meal is cooking. I have also read that a Pike can be thrown onto the coals sans guts and after 7-8 minutes flip it over and let the other side cook. After about 15 minutes pull the fish off the coals, peel back the skin, and start eating. I've never done it this way so I can't vouch for it. Yep ....... Pike are delicious. Would love to have some right now. BTW, there are some very good videos on You Tube about the best way to file Pike. " We do the pike boil as well. With melted butter it is fantastic. We have a "pike derby". We select one day and the guy who catches the biggest pike of the day is the winner. Contest ends at 5 pm. During the day we keep one "eater" - typically about 24"-26". The loser has to clean the pike and the other fish, cook it, and do all the clean up while the "victor" gets to drink beer and revel in his greatness for another 12 months.
QueticoMike	01/18/2018 07:35AM   Who eats pike? What method do you use to cook them? Do you use the 5 fillet method when cleaning the fish? If not, what method do you use? I have heard of people just gutting the fish, cutting off the head, and wrapping the pike in aluminum foil with butter and onions and lemon pepper spice and placing it in the coals of the fire. Then pulling or zipping the bones out once cooked. Anybody do that? I haven't had a pike in over 20 years but thinking about it for the next trip. I do remember really liking the taste of pike, but they can be a pain to clean I do recall.
DeanL	01/19/2018 07:21AM   shock: "Boneless pike done right. I usually release pike over 8#, but the 5-8# are perfect eaters. Boneless pike doesnt get much better. " You nailed it shock! I love eating pike that are in the 4-6 lb range. I fillet them just like any other fish and then remove the bones like shock showed in the pictures. When done correctly the only thing wasted is the bones and a very small amount of meat. If you are worried about wasting the piece with the bones pickled pike is awesome and if you want more meat just make the cut on the bottom of the y-bones out the top and keep everything on the “top” side of the fillet. We bread and deep fry them as well. One important thing is to split the fillet by the tail and peel the entire fillet into 2 strips and remove the small strip of meat that pulls right out, it has a very fishy taste. There are also 2 recipes on the ND Game and Fish website that are very good. One is a pike chowder and the other is a cedar plank pike, similar recipes could be found using any internet search.
QueticoMike	01/19/2018 12:54PM   I don't see how anyone can say that pike doesn't taste good unless they have never tried it before or someone doesn't know how to cook.
shock	01/19/2018 01:02PM   thanks DeanL , ya with a little practice not very difficult at all, i'll take my whole fillet method over the 5 piece ;) here's the key the top cut is easy , knife straight up tick the bones then angle the knife in the direction of the bones(top of fillet) and dont cut through. the 2nd cut (below) make a line in the meat with the knife , then you kind of guesstimate where the end of the Y-bone lays and you lay your knife flat with the fillet and kind of cut upwards(and if you dont hit the middle of the Y) you'll follow the bone to your first cut. pike Y-bones dont lay up and down like lateral/pin bones in a lake trout) way different direction, that is the key ;) BON APPETIT :)
The Great Outdoors	01/20/2018 11:15AM   I think that pike are the best eating fish, pain to clean with the slime being the worst part, by far. After filleting and removing the Y bones, coat the fillets with mustard (regular mustard, like putting it on a hot dog) then roll in a corn meal based breading. (I prefer mixing one bag of Panko with one bag of Bearden Farms) Drop in 400 degree oil and fry until just past golden brown.
QueticoMike	01/20/2018 12:06PM   The Great Outdoors: "I think that pike are the best eating fish, pain to clean with the slime being the worst part, by far. After filleting and removing the Y bones, coat the fillets with mustard (regular mustard, like putting it on a hot dog) then roll in a corn meal based breading. (I prefer mixing one bag of Panko with one bag of Bearden Farms) Drop in 400 degree oil and fry until just past golden brown." The only mustard I ever used in Ely was Zup's Hot Mustard on the Zup's smoked Polish. If people reading this have never tried this combo with some fresh cut onions, they are truly missing out. Sounds interesting, never heard of anyone doing mustard on fish before.
overthehill	01/19/2018 01:16PM   we put pike in one side of our mouth and spit the bones out of the other. ;) I do the Shock method when frying......slow going for me and not as neat but my favorite. A few times it was foil bake zip method. Either way, if eating (not considering the fillet work) I find it a good tasting fish.
mc2mens	01/19/2018 05:24PM   I love the taste of pike.
Pinetree	01/20/2018 01:59PM   I think the number one reason people don't like northern pike is because of the bones. Their lazy to pick them while eating or they don't know how to fillet the pike to get rid of them. Also like lake trout for the size of the fish you get a lot of meat compared to some.
bwcasolo	01/20/2018 04:05PM   a northern pike is one of the finest eating white fish out there. learn to clean them, and you will have a canoe country treat. they are delicious, get past the slime and the bones, and you have fine tasting fish!
mutz	01/21/2018 06:05PM   johndku: "I had not seen or heard of the 5 filet method prior to my earlier post on this thread. After watching a couple of videos on Youtube, it looks pretty simple and easy, and I believe this old dog has learned a new trick. I'll be trying it out in 2017." As others have said, make sure you're into a five to eight pounder. The small ones just aren’t worth the work and all you will end up doing is wasting a fish.
Pinetree	01/21/2018 06:10PM   mutz: "johndku: "I had not seen or heard of the 5 filet method prior to my earlier post on this thread. After watching a couple of videos on Youtube, it looks pretty simple and easy, and I believe this old dog has learned a new trick. I'll be trying it out in 2017." As others have said make sure your into a five to eight pounder. The small ones just aren’t worth the work and all you will end up doing is wasting a fish." I really like them from 22.5-26 inches. About 2.5 pounds to just around 5 ponds. Bigger pike get more big flakes and to me just don't taste as good. I do fillet mine a little different.
bwcaforktail	01/21/2018 08:22PM   I love pike too. 2-3# are perfect for me. I let bigger go. I take tail, belly and fillet the back strap off the y bone. 3 pieces.
TheBrownLeader	01/22/2018 09:04AM   The Great Outdoors: "I think that pike are the best eating fish, pain to clean with the slime being the worst part, by far. After filleting and removing the Y bones, coat the fillets with mustard (regular mustard, like putting it on a hot dog) then roll in a corn meal based breading. (I prefer mixing one bag of Panko with one bag of Bearden Farms) Drop in 400 degree oil and fry until just past golden brown." Regarding the slime: Hang the pike on the stringer in the breeze for 20-30 minutes before fileting. There will be no slime whatsoever. TBL
SammyN	01/22/2018 10:12AM   Once I learned this way of filleting pike, it became my favorite fish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM3wAgBmeNU
SammyN	01/22/2018 10:17AM   SammyN: "Once I learned this way of filleting pike, it became my favorite fish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM3wAgBmeNU " Just realized karl posted the same video. I'm in great company! :-)
bwcaforktail	01/22/2018 03:05PM   Another thing that is nice regardless of which fillet method you use, is to bleed them first while they are alive. You will have zero blood is the meat or on the fillet table.
cburton103	01/22/2018 08:32PM   I’m a big fan of the five filet method because I’m not quite the artist that Shock is :)
shock	01/22/2018 09:02PM   cburton103: "I’m a big fan of the five filet method because I’m not quite the artist that Shock is :)" thanks chris , i will say this , on the smaller pike the 5 piece method maybe be better ?
MrBadExample	01/23/2018 08:18AM   Nothing beats them baked. If you go that route, double wrap in foil. Hang them in the breeze to remove slime Slit belly and remove guts. Rinse out the inside. Stuff cavity with butter, onions and seasoning. Wrap in tinfoil. Make sure to fold the seams really well. You want to ensure that the wrap does not leak out any of the butter. Wrap again in the same manner. Place in coals or on a grill or in an oven. Takes quite awhile. Best pike you’ll ever eat in my opinion. The key is to make sure nothing leaks out while baking. I’ve taught quite a few people how to take out the y bones. It’s not too bad, you just end up hacking up a few fish in the learning process. I think it’s an important skill every fisherman should learn. I never do it anymore. I prefer to bake or pickle them pike.
QueticoMike	01/23/2018 09:35AM   MrBadExample: "Nothing beats them baked. If you go that route, double wrap in foil. Hang them in the breeze to remove slime Slit belly and remove guts. Rinse out the inside. Stuff cavity with butter, onions and seasoning. Wrap in tinfoil. Make sure to fold the seams really well. You want to ensure that the wrap does not leak out any of the butter. Wrap again in the same manner. Place in coals or on a grill or in an oven. Takes quite awhile. Best pike you’ll ever eat in my opinion. The key is to make sure nothing leaks out while baking. I’ve taught quite a few people how to take out the y bones. It’s not too bad, you just end up hacking up a few fish in the learning process. I think it’s an important skill every fisherman should learn. I never do it anymore. I prefer to bake or pickle them pike." Thanks for the detailed description! How long is a good guesstimate on how long to bake the fish over coals? 15 or 20 minutes?
MrBadExample	01/23/2018 01:31PM   The last time I did it was on a charcoal grill. I believe it was in there for about an hour. In the coals will be faster. I’ve been meaning to time it, but, we are usually doing other things while it’s on the coals. When I say on the coals I guess I mean right next to them. Turning every so often.
MrBadExample	01/23/2018 01:54PM   I’m part of a local spotsmens club. Each year the DNR donates fish they have netted for lake testing. We get a bunch of guys together and clean pickup loads of fish. The fish get used for free community meals and fundraiser fish fries. Anyhoo, at the end of the night we’ll end up with quite a large amount of y bones taken out of the pike. The old timers always argue over who gets to take them home and pickle them. So, if you get into a mess of pike, don’t neglect those y bones. They pickle just fine.
huntfun2	01/27/2018 01:03PM   old_salt: "The best way to cook pike, particularly large pike, is to cook the fillets on a pine board in a bed of coals. When the Pine board begins to burn, dump the fillets in the fire, and eat the board. Cooking this way makes the board palatable." I'll eat pike using the 5 piece fillet method, if we don't have walleyes to eat. But I fry them I don't bother with aluminum foil. What I don't understand is how people fry up smallmouths and eat those? Like Old Salt says - eat the board
QueticoMike	01/27/2018 03:30PM   I used to eat smallmouth up there, nothing wrong with them especially coming out of those crystal clear waters. Just make sure you let the big ones go. The smaller ones taste better anyways. They are part of the sunfish family and for the most part they are just big panfish :)
Mad_Angler	02/03/2018 12:44PM   I love pike and actually sorta prefer then. They are easier to catch than walleye. I use the shock method and fillet out the y bones. Just look on YouTube for pike craving videos. It's actually quite easy to remove the y bones.
Captn Tony	02/04/2018 08:27AM   Me like pike
Bronco	02/05/2018 12:59PM   Mike we always do the tinfoil pike. I scale the pike, much easier to do in the water then clean the guts and pull the stomach lining. Trim around the fins and pull them off. I use salt pepper lemon or lime salt and chili powder. wrap in tin foil set on the grate away from direct flames leave it until it starts to sizzle the turn to other side. when you think its ready turn on its back and open the tinfoil on the top side there will be a lot of water in the foil. I let it breath for awhile then we pull the meat out grab some tortillas and hot sauce for some of the best fish tacos I've ever had . We carry salsa packets sundried tomatoes and sprinkle cheese. my .02 And yes I love pike I think its always worth the trouble to clean and prepare however you like your fish...
QueticoMike	02/05/2018 05:31PM   Bronco: "Mike we always do the tinfoil pike. I scale the pike, much easier to do in the water then clean the guts and pull the stomach lining. Trim around the fins and pull them off. I use salt pepper lemon or lime salt and chili powder. wrap in tin foil set on the grate away from direct flames leave it until it starts to sizzle the turn to other side. when you think its ready turn on its back and open the tinfoil on the top side there will be a lot of water in the foil. I let it breath for awhile then we pull the meat out grab some tortillas and hot sauce for some of the best fish tacos I've ever had . We carry salsa packets sundried tomatoes and sprinkle cheese. my .02 And yes I love pike I think its always worth the trouble to clean and prepare however you like your fish..." That does sound good. I will forward this onto my fishing partner and get his input. Thanks!
carmike	02/05/2018 11:20PM   In an effort to figure out if people could actually tell the difference between fried smallmouth, walleye, perch, pike, rock bass, largemouth, or panfish, I've conducted at least a dozen single-blind studies on unsuspecting friends who didn't know which species they were eating. When I can control for the shape of the fillet, I have never had anyone notice the difference between the species -- except for largemouth. For the bass, I only had smallish ones, no big ones. Other than the bucketmouths, no one said anything -- which leads me to think that, at least when deep fried in hot fat with a good batter, covered in some lemon juice and salt, most fish taste pretty much the same. YMMV, as the kids say. :) I know of a resort in northern Minnesota on a famous "walleye factory" that offers guests a free fish fry each week. It's a perk of staying there. The food is delicious, including the fish. Only they don't specify which species they're feeding us...because it's rock bass, and that's been the "secret" for years. People eat 'em up with gusto.
Jeriatric	02/06/2018 10:00PM   I used the 5-fillet method in the BW. In Yukon Terr, where it is illegal to fillet except at your primary residence, I have baked them. Where I have access to an ice box, leftover baked chunks are lightly browned in a skillet. The chunks are pretty good for leftovers.
Frenchy19	01/20/2018 09:04PM   KarlBAndersen1: "I intentionally seek out northern to eat. One of the three best tasting fresh water fish in America - Northern - bluegill -perch. Walleye taste like whatever seasoning you put in the flour. After switching to the 5-cut method, I have yet to clean a northern any other way: Best way to clean a northern: " + 1 I love pike!!
johndku	01/21/2018 05:52AM   I had not seen or heard of the 5 filet method prior to my earlier post on this thread. After watching a couple of videos on Youtube, it looks pretty simple and easy, and I believe this old dog has learned a new trick. I'll be trying it out in 2017.
treehorn	01/22/2018 03:47PM   TheBrownLeader: "The Great Outdoors: "I think that pike are the best eating fish, pain to clean with the slime being the worst part, by far. After filleting and removing the Y bones, coat the fillets with mustard (regular mustard, like putting it on a hot dog) then roll in a corn meal based breading. (I prefer mixing one bag of Panko with one bag of Bearden Farms) Drop in 400 degree oil and fry until just past golden brown." Regarding the slime: Hang the pike on the stringer in the breeze for 20-30 minutes before fileting. There will be no slime whatsoever. TBL" YES! Do this. I do 5 filet method and bread/fry in oil...delicious.
Pinetree	01/27/2018 02:20PM   huntfun2: "old_salt: "The best way to cook pike, particularly large pike, is to cook the fillets on a pine board in a bed of coals. When the Pine board begins to burn, dump the fillets in the fire, and eat the board. Cooking this way makes the board palatable." I'll eat pike using the 5 piece fillet method, if we don't have walleyes to eat. But I fry them I don't bother with aluminum foil. What I don't understand is how people fry up smallmouths and eat those? Like Old Salt says - eat the board" Smallmouth are one of the sweetest tasting fish around. Much better than walleye. Now largemouth are a little muddy tasting.