Thread: Random posts and thoughts...

A Request:
If someone is willing to teach and I catch a Northern Pike.....I would like to learn how to fillet it removing the "Y" bones.

Steve: My wife Sandy can show you at Spring Camp if you catch one.


Step 1
Place the Northern on its side and make a cut down to the backbone just behind the head and gills. Do not cut through the backbone--instead, turn you knife sideways and cut along the backbone all the way down to the tail. Leave the skin on the fillet because it will make it easier to remove the Y-bones.
Step 2
Remove the ribs from the fillet. Make a cut along the top of the ribs near the center of the fillet. Work the knife down along the ribs, keeping it as close as you can to the bones to avoid unnecessarily removing meat.
Step 3
Locate the Y-bones between the centerline and the top of the fillet. You can find them either by looking for a line of faint white dots or feeling for a series of spiny bumps protruding from the thickest part of the fillet.
Step 4
Make a cut along the top side of the Y-bones until you can feel them with the tip of your fillet knife. Continue your cut following the curve of the bones, taking care not to cut through them.
Step 5
Once you have made your top cut, make another cut on the side of the Y-bones closest to the fillet's centerline. Cut upwards at a 45-degree angle, keeping the knife as close to the Y-bones as possible, just like when removing the ribs.
Step 6
Grab the line of Y-bones. They will be held together by a thin strip of flesh. Pull and cut them free with your knife if necessary. With practice, it should become easier to pull the Y-bones right out after your first two cuts.
Step 7
Remove the skin from the fillet. Starting at the tail, work the knife down the entire length of the fillet cutting the skin away from the meat. Once the skin has been removed, rinse the fillet in clean water and place it in a large freezer bag.

Walleye can be done the exact same way as mentioned by Larry. Or salmon, or any other boney fish for that matter. If memory serves me, Jimmy (ready2fish) mentioned something about the "Zipper Method". I believe there is a youtube video on it. Might be worth a look.

Pike are awesome as boiled fish but my personal favorite is to pickle them!

Thanks, I'll sure be grateful for the lesson!
I've watched several videos but I'm the kind of person that needs to get my hands on the task.

Originally Posted by wicklundrh

Walleye can be done the exact same way as mentioned by Larry. Or salmon, or any other boney fish for that matter. If memory serves me, Jimmy (ready2fish) mentioned something about the "Zipper Method". I believe there is a youtube video on it. Might be worth a look.

Pike are awesome as boiled fish but my personal favorite is to pickle them!

The Zipper thing is to make a small cut on the tail end of the fillet on either side of the mud vein. Take a hold of each side and pull till you have 2 pieces of fillet leaving the mud vein.

I'm looking to bypass the zipper all together and just get right to wearing stretch pants

......anybody else getting cabin fever?......

Originally Posted by Ashman

......anybody else getting cabin fever?......

YES winter should be over