# Instructions for Pike Fileting



## AndroDoug (Apr 12, 2004)

I am in desperate need of advice.

I fish Congress Lake on Mondays and they have a bit of a pike "problem", and require that you keep all pike under 30 inches. We fished two weeks ago and caught 10 pike, fishing for bass, and released them. My friend was corrected by the management for releasing them, so we have to keep them.

I am not much of a filet-er, as I practice C&R, and the 12 we caught this past Monday, we fileted. I did an OK job, as the end, cooked product was actually wonderful. We had a few bones, but I left WAY too much meat on the fish because of many, many bones in the fish.

I have heard something about slicing a "vee" in the filet to get rid of the bones. What is the technique to do that?

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I watched the Indian Guides do it on Lake Of The Woods but I could not get the hang of it. Not a bone in the pike when the Guides were finished.


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## esoxhunter (Apr 7, 2004)

no help here on filleting...sorry
I am interested in any lake with a "pike problem"  
Where is Congress lake ? Never been there.
EH


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## Worm Drowner (Apr 5, 2004)

Just don't practice this on muskies!!! 

http://www.landbigfish.com/recipes/fillet/pike.cfm


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

Wormdrowner comes through again; he helped me a few years back. My current filet method is different. A Canadian fishing camp owner taught me how to filet pike a few years ago that wastes very little meat, but does NOT remove all the bones. Theere is total bone removal method, but it is far too complicated for my desires, especially after a couple cold ones at 11:00 pm after 15 hour day of fishing Canadian waters. I'll briefly explain my method, but your best off searching web for pike filet techniques with pictures.

With pike on table in normal swimming position, make vertical cut behind head until you reach backbone, turn knife toward tail , keeping it horizontal and follow back bone towards tail as you slicer off the top slab. Stop at the top fin in back and turn knife up to remove slab and cut in half. Now make slices down both sides of fish just behind head and two more slices down sides where you finished your cut toward the rear. Slice each side body piece off backbone and ribs by making vertical cuts from front to back as the knife clicks but doesn't cut through the rib cage. When both sides are laying flat on board, lift carcass up, slice meat off carcass by making two cross cuts under the organs. I can slice the sides of meat off the ribs and body without cutting an organ;takes practice. Now cut that big rectangular piece into 4 pieces, cutting around that bottom fin which has a nice chunk of meat on it for fryer. Lay fish on side and traditionally filet the remaining pieces off the tail section of the fish - they should be boneless. Filet skin off all pieces except bottom fin piece; for the top slab pieces, slice skin off sides then turn over to filet remaining skin. Bottom line here is the top and side pieces aren't boneless, but the bones are predictable and somehat easy to remove after cooking, espeically the top slabs. You're eating with your fingers, but you get used to searching for the straight and y bones - it's worth it for fresh pike. We like pike (24-30") as well as walleye.

Good luck.


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## AndroDoug (Apr 12, 2004)

Thanks for all the replies. That is what I needed.

As far as Congress Lake goes, it is in Hartville and is privately owned by the country club. It is in the 4 spot of Ohio's natural lakes at 200 acres even. It is the same size, acreage wise as Springfield lake, a little smaller than Wingfoot and Aurora Pond, and a little bigger than Punderson and Hodgson. The outlet stream is the main feeder for Breakneck creek in Portage county.

My buddy is the caddy master and we get to fish it on Mondays, the day the club is closed. I have caught 6 bass there this year, so far, that are 5 pounds or bigger. I got a 6.2 lb hog 2 weeks ago among all the pike!  If I had a photo-resizing program, I'd post some pics!!


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