Cleaning a Lake Sturgeon?

Do you guys normally cut them into “steaks” or split them in half and smoke them that way?

Is there honestly a good way to prep a Sturgeon for the table?

BK, do you realize that is like a cannibal eating a 90 year old person???????

Apparently that art was quite prevelant in earlier days, as most of the sturgeon in the Midwest were consumed out of existence. I remember the stories of an old timer who recently passed – growing up he had a job of fishing for the table of the town doctor and his family. The rate was a dime for a big walleye or pike (of course it was a “walleye pike” back then) and 50 cents for a sturgeon.

However, I’m still on board for saying that sturgeon fillets will cause extreme gastric distress if eaten!

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Do you guys normally cut them into “steaks” or split them in half and smoke them that way?

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What I’ve done is cut the head and tail off then grab the spinal cord with a pliers and pull it out then cut the sturgeon into 2″ thick steaks. Then smoke or grill to your taste. It’s actualy a very tasty fish if prepped rite.

never know anyone who ate sturgeon, but try paddlefish…it get boiled/steamed/grilled then dipped in butter, awesome.

Tim, wouldn’t you leave the tail attached and just cut down to the spinal cord? The tail becomes your pliers.

Also, are you talking Lake or Shovels?

I have cleaned many of them in the past and always cut the head and tail clean off and removed the spinal cord – like Tim said. Slice into steaks from the front up to the vent….then “fillet” the tail section. Brined and smoked, it was actually excellent. Removing the spinal cord is a unique experience – and has to be seen to be appreciated……

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Do you guys normally cut them into “steaks” or split them in half and smoke them that way?

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What I’ve done is cut the head and tail off then grab the spinal cord with a pliers and pull it out then cut the sturgeon into 2″ thick steaks. Then smoke or grill to your taste. It’s actualy a very tasty fish if prepped rite.

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I gave it a try a few years back, honestly the worst thing I have ever placed in my mouth.

Brian is trying to start trouble again. I think he is trying to remove himself from the MNCSA. You aren’t getting off that easy.

Hard to believe Bob, but I’ll take your word for it.

I had smoked shovel a few years back. It was ok and I would like to have it again only a little “fresher” than what I had last time.

If Lake Sturgeon are as greasy as the shovels…and I think they are as they were caught and tossed into boilers like firewood to power steam engines back in a day, I think I’ll pass.

All the GOOD stuff from the rivers stick in the fat.

But…to each their own.

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Tim, wouldn’t you leave the tail attached and just cut down to the spinal cord? The tail becomes your pliers.

Also, are you talking Lake or Shovels?

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The times I’ve tried to leave the tail and cord attached have never worked well so I just cut it off and grab the pliers.
Never tried a shovel just 1 rainy river laker a year.

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[/honestly the worst thing I have ever placed in my mouth.

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That’s what she said.

I’ve found that being very vigilant about trimming ALL the fat off makes a huge difference in flavor. Of course, that is dealing with the porky lake sturgeon of Winnebago.

I thought you used sturgeon chunks as walleye bait…works for me anyway………………………..

Actually, don’t think I ever had it, after the baked bass of years back, been a bit hesitant to try new fish.

Al

About five years ago my brother in-law had an opportunity to go lake sturgeon spearing on lake Winnebago. He came home with an 87 lb sturgeon. The locals told him to take it to the car wash and pressure wash it with just water to remove the blood and slime, which he did.
He brought it to my house to clean. It was like butchering a hog. We cut off the head then the tail. Then I split it in half using a heavy duty butcher knife. The spinal cord was easily removed by pulling out with a pliers. Then I used a fillet knife to remove the shell from each half. The outside of the fish had about 3/4 of an inch of gray fat just under the shell. All of this fat was remove using a sharp fillet knife. We then cut it up into smoke-able size chunks. We had 3 five gallon buckets full of meat.
I soaked it in a salt and brown sugar brine over night.
The next day I smoked it using maple and apple wood. The meat turned out golden brown on the outside and pure white on the inside. It was some of the most delicious smoked fish I have ever eaten.

Dave Ho

I fillet them just like any other fish except I cut the belly meat and section back of the vent off to smoke. The fillets have the gray fat removed and are then cut into steaks. Grill and baste with butter – lemon – garlic sauce. Should be golden brown when done right. Very good eating. Smoked stuff is the best smoked meat you will ever get.

The above post was for lake sturgeon. Funny but true story is that one of my fishing partners decided to try smoked shovelnose. When he got it home, he could not cut the head off with a knife and had to go to the basement to get a hacksaw to get the job done. Lakers are not near as hard to clean. Any good sharp knife will cut right through both flesh and cartilage of the spine and ribs.

One other thing, always remember that sturgeon have to be transported whole. We gut ours then rinse them in the river. Fill the body cavity with ice and pack ice around them. Role in a tarp and wrap in an old sleeping bag. Works wonders for a 300 mile transport. We have actually had the flesh jump after we got home and unpacked them.