Y bone removal

[hardwater diehard]

https://www.facebook.com/MNHuntingClub/videos/1118691308187672/

I may try this on my larger pickerel .

[Chris338378]

I've heard Pickerel taste good but I never tried it because of all the bones.  I'm going to try this with one and see how well it works, thanks for posting it.

[hardwater diehard]

Pickling them is a great way to get rid of the bones and very tasty as well.

[deadsmelthead]

As far as table fare they are the most underated.. I prefer picks over 24"  they are very very good..

[Spider1]

I can't do facebook on my computer so I couldn't watch your video. But, I love pickerel. I will keep them if they are over 20" and I will try at times to remove the y-bones. When they are smaller than 20" it is a bit harder so I like them a bit bigger. This last year I caught some pic's and I tried grinding them up with the y-bones cuz one of my buddies suggested it. Turned out fine and the Mrs loved it but I could still feel the bones when I was swallowing the fish so I remove the larger sections of the y-bones and don't worry about getting the thinner ends, works even better. Grind it up and make fish patties. Yum! I don't understand why guys hate pic's so much, even the fillets are great if you remove the y-bones! Much better than the stocker trout that have pin bones!

[DR.SPECKLER]

Pickling them is a great way to get rid of the bones and very tasty as well.

yes! very tasty and the vinegar dissolves all the bones.

[HWeber]

Another way is the five fillet method. There's lots of videos of it out there. I tried it this summer and would say it was the easiest way I've tried

[metalbender]

Being from Canada, I've done a lot of northern pike or jacks as we also call them here.  Posters here are calling them pickerel.  There are fish called chain pickerel that resemble northerns, never caught one to see the bone structure.   The video states northern.  Where I have my trailer up north as I call it, we keep the smaller 1 1/2 to 2 lbs fish for meals. The larger 3-8 lb ones I don't de-bone.  They get cut into chunks for the smoker. I wouldn't try that method on a small fish either.  Taking out the y bones from a small fish is easy, just need to practice till you get good enough not to wind up with nuggets.  Here we also have to leave on a bit of skin if the fish is to be transported.

[Spider1]

yep, chains are what we get around here. The bone structure is the same as on pikes which we get also.

[conservationist]

Pickerel and pike taste the same to me (delicious!).
And the flesh is flaky and moist.
I like to bake them whole and pull the meat off the bones, much like folks commonly do with trout.
The baked meat comes off the bone and slides to the plate very easily.
Very healthy, too. *Mouth watering..
See a recipe below:
http://jenmenke.com/a-blast-from-the-past-baked-and-stuffed-northern-pike/
Cook 1-3 hours? More like 35-55 minutes for a fish that's been brought to room temp, but maybe the stuffing requires a lonnnng cook time.
I never tried stuffing the fish with anything but herbs, butter, and once, onions. -they were pretty good.
But I will try this stuffing recipe for the heck of it.
Bigger fish are better for this recipe as the spine is more robust, and the flesh can be impatiently yanked off the bones by hungry diners.

[octanehi5]

You can get 5 nice fillets from these fish, Check out how to fillet pike on U-tube

[missoulafish]

5 fillet method looks like a good way to waste a lot of meat.

[USA Ice Team]

I saw a Chicago area guy 5-6 years ago on one of the outdoor shows demonstrating some pretty deft cleaning skills, including a way I had not befor seen getting the Y bones out of larger pike (smaller ones, I usuall just pickle them.) http://nobonesaboutit.com is the guy's website; he's kind of a goof on the videos but I always found his techniques easy to learn. I'm sure his videos are probably all over youtube by now, as well.

[PerchRapala]

I've done it this way for years. Once you do it 2 or 3 times, it's super easy. You'll never throw Northern back again.

[Knife2sharp]

Both methods in the OP and the gutted pike are too time consuming.  The 5 part method is OK, but there's another.  Fillet your pike like normal and leave the skin on until the 'Y' bones are removed. On each fillet you will feel the tips of the bones, about halfway between the top of the fillet and the lateral line. Make the first incision just above those tips at a 45 degree angle towards the top of the fillet, but not all the way through, just about 3/4 of the thickness. This cut should run from head to just past the taper towards the tail end.  The second incision starts just below the lateral line and is almost level, you're basically cutting through to the bottom of the first incision.

Keeping the skin on until aferwards makes it easier by keeping the fillet more rigid, but it can be  done if the skin is off.  Whats nice about this method is the fillets are more even in thickness and you don't have strips or pieces of various sizes.

On YouTube, search 'y bone removal' and there's one for the way resort owners on Leech lake MN do it.

[Spider1]

I don't like keeping the skin on for more than I have to. It seems that as long as the skin is on, it'll be making slime. I finally saw that first video and it is great. I'm gonna give that a try, thanks diehard!

[Coach 54]

I use the five fillet method all the time and it works great. Another great way to enjoy pickerel is to make them into chowder. They have a firm enough meat to hold up well.

[Spider1]

I got a 24" pickerel this weekend and gave this a try. worked very well. I was surprised how easy it peeled right down the length of the fish. mmmmm-m, pickerel patties

[Crayfish2]

5 fillet method looks like a good way to waste a lot of meat.

Agreed!  I fillet out the Y-bones on pike and pickerel.  I find that the "Y" portion of the bones is a little bigger on pickerel.  For pike the "Y" is maybe 1/4" across, but it's more like 3/8" on good sized pickerel.

[Chris338378]

Is there a minimum size you guys fillet?

[Doubles Shooter]

I prefer 32-33" and up. They have started to bulk up and get chunky. More meat per inch and easier to fillet.

[Spider1]

Chris, I usually don't keep pickerel unless they are at least 20". The smaller pic's are tougher to get the y-bones because the fish tend to be smaller and skinnier and my old eyes just don't see the bones in those small fish like they used to but if I'm planning on grinding them anyway, I might get tempted.

[CowDawg]

I for one am going to eat more pike this year too...  Been watching all those you-tube videos... Plenty good ones on there to watch and learn filleting techniques for those stubborn bones.
Had pike several years ago, a buddy made it.. They are very tasty!

[hardwater diehard]

Could just fillet the tail portion(s) and Below the lateral line(s),using the zipper method, for no Y bones then prepare as you please . As for the Y bone portions(s) you could save them until enough to make a batch of Pickled Pike/Pickerel . Seen where some are recommending freezing for 30 days prior to pickling process to kill off the parasites .