I've found the best way to prepare pickerel is to fillet them and then put the fillets through a meat grinder.When filleting them cut the skin off the meat.Then cut out the rib bones with the rib meat(throw this away).Run the fillets through a meat grinder.Electric grinders work best.If you use a hand grinder the meat will get mushy but if you ron a slice of bread through the grinder when this happens it will push the fish through.When done grinding them I make fish cakes out of them.I use lemon juice,parsley flakes,salt pepper,minced onion(or finely chopped onion),eggs,flour,and a little red pepper.Mix into cakes and fry.Pikerel under 18 inches don't have enough meat to make this worth the effort,but fish over 18 inches have a good amount of meat.Four fish will make enough for a panful.
