Waramaug 1.11.13

[androux]

Hey, new to the site, figured I'd quit trolling and join. Thought I'd start off with a report.

Hit Waramaug at the state park on Friday (yeah, I know, old news) afternoon after work. I had a bit of a bait kill the few days prior due to weather ups and downs, and was surprisingly left with almost all chunky large shiners. Wasn't what was ideal, since I was sorta looking for perch and maybe an odd trout, but I figured at least we'd see some lake snakes, and we weren't disappointed. Pulled up 4 large picks, the biggest two were nearly identical 24"er's with big bellies. The second and last one was bleeding pretty good, so I kept him.

Sooo....anyone know what to do with a fat slimy pincushion of a fish? Thinking skinning and poaching whole, maybe the bones will pull out, and maybe add to a chowder?

[JohnnyJigger]

I had a coworker fry one, it was delicious. He filleted somehow with no bones....

[skeet190]

There is a way to fillet a pickerel or a pike for that matter...  it quite difficult to explain but u have to fillet it in 5 separate parts   U will end up with the back fillet, 2 tail fillets, and the tricky part the sides...  The tricky part is the Y bones that run down the side.  they are very small bones...  Do the back first, after that u should be able to feel the Y bones... then u cut on a 45 degree angle just above the Y bones...  its not easy,,,  I learned when I was a kid by a guide in Canada...

[jebra]

Here is a Youtube video to go along with what SKeet said about removing the y-bones:

 :tipup:http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/Smileys/default/tipup.gif

[Tom G]

Hey, new to the site, figured I'd quit trolling and join. Thought I'd start off with a report.

Hit Waramaug at the state park on Friday (yeah, I know, old news) afternoon after work. I had a bit of a bait kill the few days prior due to weather ups and downs, and was surprisingly left with almost all chunky large shiners. Wasn't what was ideal, since I was sorta looking for perch and maybe an odd trout, but I figured at least we'd see some lake snakes, and we weren't disappointed. Pulled up 4 large picks, the biggest two were nearly identical 24"er's with big bellies. The second and last one was bleeding pretty good, so I kept him.

Sooo....anyone know what to do with a fat slimy pincushion of a fish? Thinking skinning and poaching whole, maybe the bones will pull out, and maybe add to a chowder?

I have read on another site to pickle them, and the bones get soft…or you could bury it under your rose bushes.

[Global Warming in CT]

I filleted a pike once that was bleeding like a stuck pig and wouldn't have survived. From an 8 lb fish I got four little strips of meat, although it was good tasting white meat and enough for one meal. They are tough unless you don't mind some bones. Needless to say I haven't eaten a pike since because I have plenty of bone-free fluke fillets to last me the winter