question of my own about pike or musky flavor

[beerduck]

i target big fish but i want to know what the pa guys think about the taste of pa caught pike or musky. i see alot of people from around the nation talking about them but i would like a PA opinion since we generally have a different taste meaning people in canada have tons of pike of course there are gonna eat them. i grew up eating panfish can pike or musky taste as good as panfish.   

[PCB]

you can smoke anything and have it taste good.... never have eaten pick or musky, but i do eat a good bit of pickerel... not bad at all

[boatnik13]

We had Pickerel  VS  trout and the Pickerel were way better than trout. I believe we were fishing a remote section of stoney creek (Leb.) backpacking in 1976 and tried Pickerel, Trout and fallfish(yes !fallfish). You just cut two slabs off this fish and no bones. Now Musky? don't ever gut cut by mistake >(MUSK -A - LUNGE  should be Musk-up chuck). The Musk will grab you.

[JAZII]

Have never tried Musky, I release them all.
Pike and Pickerel are very tasty when taken during the cold water periods. I fillet them, do not worry about the y-bones, and grind them and make fish patties. Both have a very sweet tasting flavor.
JAZII

[fishin fool]

Pickerel are excellent, at least those taken through the ice.  Pike and Musky, I haven't had either.  I don't think I would eat a Musky, just C & R.

[Jim_R]

Pike fillets from cold water are excellent poached.  Tried pickling some that didn't turn out too well, but I think that was my fault during preparation.  I'll have a better idea of how to do it next time.

grind them and make fish patties

Jazzi- Care to your recipe/process?

[slider]

And before anyone says it "No it doesnt taste like chicken"

[treesparrow]

I have eaten tons of Pike! I love the taste of Pike out of cold water, and actually prefer
Pike over Walleye in most waters. However in waters that get fairly warm in the summer I will only eat Pike out of an ice hole. I guided fishermen in Canada some and ate fish constantly for years. When I die my body should be considered hazardous waste. Some people that don,t fish and hunt consider me that now.

[MikeThePike]

By the time a musky makes it to 40" to be legal in this state its so full of mercury (among other contaminents) that even if it tastes like fillet mignon I wouldn't eat it. Just about everyone I've ever talked to has said they do not taste good at all and I'm going to take their word for it.

[Buck1985]

 I know I'm from Wisconsin, but I really really like Pike, but so long as they're below 33". I fry'em up like panfish in beer batter. I talked to one guy on the lake in town here and he says he prefers the taste of Pike over Walleye even.

[JAZII]

Pike fillets from cold water are excellent poached.  Tried pickling some that didn't turn out too well, but I think that was my fault during preparation.  I'll have a better idea of how to do it next time.

Jazzi- Care to your recipe/process?

I will post the recipe on here when I find it.
Its basically : bread crumbs, onion, celery, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, old bay seasoning, salt and pepper.
                   grind the fish so its a little chunky, not a paste, add the ingredients above and lightly coat formed patty with bread crumbs and pan
                   fry in oil till golden brown on each side.

[penna]

I have had pike breaded and fryed I thought it was good.