# Best way to clean muskies



## peteavsurace (May 15, 2008)

Asking for a friend


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## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

U trying stir up some hate?


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

Youtube is your friend.

Been a long time for me (40 years this summer) but I remember a filet knife worked pretty well. We cut the filets into 4" long servings and skillet fried them, then stuffed ourselves silly on muskie, bass, sunfish and crappie. That was one heck of a feed. 

I have been told that boiled muskie served with drawn butter is supposed to be pretty good. It's called poor mans lobster, but I've never had it though.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

canoe carp killer said:


> U trying stir up some hate?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


People aren't allowed to eat muskies? Hate should be discouraged, civil conversation should not.


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## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

I personally don't care what u catch and eat, just giving some advice. People on here are very fickle and will flip out on someone for something they don't agree with.


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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

Use Goop degreaser first. Rub all over and rinse thoroughly. Then use a good liquid hand soap. They clean up pretty good and look nice!


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## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

polebender said:


> Use Goop degreaser first. Rub all over and rinse thoroughly. Then use a good liquid hand soap. They clean up pretty good and look nice!



Haha lmao. Sadly that took me a minute!!


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

Fillet it just like a steelhead!


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## peteavsurace (May 15, 2008)

Hey crew,

Thanks for the replies. I probably should have clarified my intent before posting this. Anyways, my long-time fishing buddy had told me that one of the places he used to fish in Canada had a decent number of fishermen who ate their muskies. Neither of us have ever done it, and we are C/R with esox so weren't planning to; that said, we both thought we had overheard that there was somehow something more complicated about filleting a pike/musky. I figured I would ask on here since we couldn't remember what it was. Anyways, I looked into it and think what I was remembering was the "y-bones." 

Don't worry, I throw my musky back.

Thanks!


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

Just like a steelhead, muskies and pike have a "Y" row of bones in the loin/shoulder part of the meat. The rear 1/4 towards the tail fillet is bone free, like most fish. I simply fillet right through that row of bones and carve around it after the fillet is free of the carcass. Or I simply leave it in if I'm going to grille or smoke the fish, when cooked is at that time the bones can be easily removed. 

One year we chunked the muskie meat and beer battered it right with Erie walleye....Nobody could tell the difference between the two. Don't believe everything some of these "extremists" tell you....Extremists will even lie to try to preserve something to appease their own selfishness. 

Have a good one!


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

muskie has good white meat as I remember(my Dad years ago caught and kept a few in Canada), but they were bonier then heck and had to pick through the bones, they aren't like northern pike that actually can be filleted (4 fillet's).....I have never ate them since and never would, heck I stop fishing around here when the water gets to warm and the chance to catch one increases in the heat(and they die from stress)....I don't muskie fish, but catch many trolling for saugeye in the spring time .....they are fun for the short fight on lighter tackle .....unlike a lot of fisher people that kill fish that might dine on there particular prey they target....it is all catch and release for me, but saugeye and crappie for my dining pleasure.


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## Dana.Birrell (Apr 23, 2012)

Gut and gill the fish. (If you're unfamiliar with doing this on bigger fish, ask youtube)

Take three filets from the fish; one on the top side behind the head to the front dorsal. Two from the sides on the tail from the rear dorsal back.

The remainder of the bony fish... I recommend making fish cakes or something out of.

Separate the head, salvage any meat you can (ex. cheeks). Using a strong knife (cleavers work great) cut the fish into 1-2" steaks.

SOAK fish in lightly salted water (1 TBSP per 1/2 gal) for 24 hours, changing the water after 12. This will pull most of the slime from the fish.

Place fish in a pan baking dish, drizzle in vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Once cooked, allow to cool and debone fish.

My fish cakes recipe;
Disclaimer; This is an estimate recipe. I rarely follow even my own recipe to a T.

2-3 lb of de boned fish
1 Sweet Onion
1 Red bell Pepper
2 Jalapeno Peppers - Use seeds as you wish, if you don't want heat, completely rid the pepper of seeds, if you like heat, you know what to do.
1 TBSP Cajun Seasoning
3 Egg Yolks
1/2 Cup Mayo (approximately, can use less but you need some sort of fat)

Pank As needed. This might require 3-4 cups of panko. Start with 2 cups, and fold in. I recommend getting your cakes to a good point and cooking a small 1-2 oz cake to make sure it holds together.


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