Also know as chain pickrel. Always considered a trash fish in this area.

Yesterday I caught the biggest one I've ever caught. About 2 feet long and 2 1/2 to three pounds. Hell of a fighter. As my usual practice I cut his throat and threw him back in. Afterwards, I regretted throwing it back.

Anyone know a way to prepare them for the table.

It pains me to read the above. If you don't want to eat it, why not just put it back? It's one thing if it is an invasive species, but chain pickerel are a native fish. Even if they aren't and you want to kill them to remove them from the local lake don't throw them back in the lake. Conservation of aquatic ecosystems has moved on since the 1950's.

To answer your question, there are a myriad of ways to prepare pike or chain pickerel. YouTube has several videos on how to debone them. I eat pike regularly and they are fantastic table fare.

SS

Sam, I'm a product if the '50s. As I've aged I've begun to questions some of those ideas, thus the question about preparing them for table fair.
Sorry that it pained you to read about it.

Thanks WP47. You are never too old to change! I was actually telling my son that I hope to put together a youtube video on cleaning and deboning pike. I clean them a little different than most, but it is how my grandfather taught me and it works well. If I get them done I will put up a link.

SS

They eat fine. I find they are best out of colder water, the meat color will tell a bit, usually more yellow in warmer water, white in cold water. But it all cooks up a bright white, it's a firm texture. Flavor is good (IMO), the bones are large and are easily picked if you should not jump into the art of deboning pike.

I sometimes shake a light seasoning on, lay a little butter on top, a bit of lemon juice, wrap in foil and bake or cook over a fire same way. That pan fry just fine too.

Larger one get fried or baked, but the smaller ones like you had get smoked, then canned. That process makes the bones go away. Only problem is that once a jar is opened, it doesn't last very long!

Last summer I did filet one and fried it. I over cooked it and really couldn't tell what taste the meat might have.

When I was going to school in NC we caught a couple that hit the 4 lb. mark...as big as Ive seen. I didn't know how to filet them around the bones so we picked them out....being starving college students 4 pounds of any kind of meat didn't get released!


I will agree though...no need to kill them needlessly...thats what carp are for.

Pike here in SC AK are invasive. You are not allowed to release them alive.

Here they usually taste like swamp water and mud...

Hunting em in spring with a 22LR can be sporty!

Pike are excellent table fare. We love the jumbo yellow perch and walleye, but fresh pike out of cold water taste excellent.
We once dared some native Canadians in our fish camp to tell the difference between our fresh deep fried walleye and northern...
In every taste test they got it wrong.

A guy will face stiff fines killing and wasting them in many places like Ontario and Manitoba.
They have their place in the pecking order, but Alaskan trout streams etc. can't happen.
In more apt Alaskan places like Minto they do well and are fun fishing.

When taken from cold water and filleted, with the the y bones removed they are as good as Walleye. Water was still too cold at Candle lake on the weekend (58 degrees) for the Walleye to bite. Had a few small Jacks what we call hammer handles 12 to 14 inch long and about 2 1/2" in diameter. I use barbless hooks this time of year, makes catch and release of the small fish easy.

Flyer

WP47,

I promised you a video on how to clean a pike. Here is a link to a video my son and I made this weekend on a nice 7 lb pike he caught. I'm in the process of uploading another video that shows how to debone them as well. Will post once up.

https://youtu.be/ZMUyb1HjyHY

First YouTube video for me, so be gentle!

SS

Here is the link to the video on deboning. Hope it helps.

https://youtu.be/GyuSDRZcT8U

SS

Sam, thanks for the helpful videos. Mike

I like pickled pickerel. They can be from warmer water and the pickling process gets rid of the bones.....

Catch them from time to time here, half the time they cut the line with their teeth, mono, P-Line CX, and braid......but they fight like hell, especially the larger ones. Saw a youtube vid where they cut 5 filet's out of a Pike....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM3wAgBmeNU

I haven't tried the 5 cut method, although it seems like a lot of people have. My issue with it is that I can filet a pike in under 30 seconds, wash the filets inside, put them in the fridge for a bit to stiffen up (which helps debone them) and debone them at the kitchen table where there are no mosquitos and I can take my time. I also think you lose more meat with the 5 cut method.

As for the line getting cut, it's funny but I run 20# Suffix 832 braid (often without a leader) and I can't remember the last time I got bit off by a pike. I used to use Trilene 8# XL all the time and even then it wasn't too often. If I do run a leader it's one of the titanium ones though.

SS

A man of your word Sam. Thanks.

I have had few cut offs using a fluorocarbon leader on braid. The leader is for walleye and perch. Pike aren't afraid of braid.