What is your Northern Pike Consumption?

Remember the day? I’m talking 60’s early 70’s when every pike seemed to be a dead pike on the river, possibly a lot of lakes then also. Don’t know myself, as a youngster it was all about river for me

It wasn’t just fish either back then. There was an era where my parents and grandparents felt safe with a freezer full. Didn’t matter if it was fish, squirrels, rabbit or venison…….it was there safe zone from the life styles they had to endure.

This will not (right)….turn into a bash a dude for keeping legal fish post
If it does….sorry I asked

Keeping track for at least the past 10 years I don’t believe I have taken home more than 6 pike a year, 3 through the ice and 3 open water…..or there about. The reason, my personal opinion is, Pike are the best tasting fish that swims If Bass tasted half as good, well…..I’d be wolfin’ down six of them a year too…….start your own post in the bass forum dudes

Imagine if granddad or pops had half the tools for fishing as we do today what would be left for us to fish for

It seems that everyone has more of a passion for a particular species of fish every year, standing at the landing for an hour is living proof. It’s not hard to tell the bass rigs from the walleye rigs to the cat rigs…….then there is always my floater, What’s hitting rig

With the time Mike and I spend on the water, today we hear more and more of the fish that came boat side for a picture. Back in the day it was all about….hey check out my cooler.

Anywho…..on pool 8 the pike are starting to get some girth to them again, just like back in the day. For the life of me I don’t think it is because the habitat is better (habitat just moves through the years on a river) but my belief is the new era is more about just fishing to be fishing.

And for the pike I keep…30-36 is my slot, and yes……have kept a couple 28inchers just because I could taste it before I was even fishing for it I don’t screw with taking out Y bones either.

Just thought I would ask in this forum because…..this is an esox passion forum Do you eat any Pike? Have you witnessed the change?

With that said I have not yet ate a Musky….it would happen though with respect if the fish bled out in my boat and was legal. Just as
we respect any wild game consumed at the Clark house.

It’s safe to come out of the closet and talk, I’m sure some else likes poor mans lobster, baked or fried, we all have taste buds

Remember….no bashing unless it is at me I’m a big boy now :toast

My buddy and I were up in the Minong area and boated well over 75 pike in a full day of fishing. In addition, we caught another 15 or so bass. We even caught a pike with what felt exactly like a turtle in its belly.

That said, we didn’t keep any to eat. That was really our plan to begin. But, as the day progressed, we had dreams of poor mans lobster, pickled pike, baked Northern…you get the point.

I’m not opposed to keeping pike. As with any wild game. Keep what you can eat if you wish. Don’t be wasteful. My philosophy is to let the females go back.

That’s my 2 cents.

Good post I love pickled pike My brother in law, keeps the gill hooks and he has a tasty pickling recipe…. W A Y better than the pickled herring you buy in the blue and silver jar I get to eat northern, when we are up in canada… one always ends up floating and rather than waste it (let the Ealges eat it) we will filet and wrap in tin foil with some butter and onions and a half hour on the grill… YUMMY !!! I do remember as a kid, dad and the uncles always put northern on the stringer…. I remember the big red bobbers, with a 5″ sucker below em on a big ol’ hook. That was like watching JAWS… seeing that big bobber getting sucked below the surface !!!

big G

I don’t think you can have just one answer to that question. When I fished Big Chetac all the time, I kept every pike we caught. That was necessary, because the population was out of control. On Geneva, I haven’t ever kept a pike. Someday, I will. They are so good, and I take the time to remove the Y-bones.

Now, since you brought up squirrels… I would have a freezer full if I could. Actually, I don’t think I would, because I would eat squirrel for every meal! I find it to be the tastiest meat I’ve ever consumed.

Put a couple nice slimmers back this weekend. As i sit here at the cabin eating a frozen pizza wishing i would of put the knife to one of those tasty specimens. Yes i have noticed the change, In myself too….

I believe Bret brought up a very good point. When I fished with my grandpa we kept everything. Bass, northerns even rock bass made it to the fry pan. Nowadays I think people have become more conservation minded. The improvements in habitat and Cpr have definitely raised the bar for future generations. I have no problems with anybody keeping fish to eat. I keep maybe 2 or 3 to pickle but other than that I let them go to get big. In my book nothing is better than a big old critter blowing up a bait 4 feet from the boat. Nice post Bret, Dan

We usually keep a limit or two of pike out of a lake where it is full of stunted little guys. 1 -2 pound fish galore. They are prefect pickling fish.

when dads with the pike make the ride home but he cleans em and cooks em i will eat them and they are good but if hes not with pic and gone then wipe off the slime

Just had some fried pike for supper tonight at the in-laws Drank a few and ate pike AWESOME

Funny this post popped up, because this upcoming weekend is my annual trip to the BWCA with my main goal of getting into some nice pike! I love pike, both catching and consuming. I’d eat em everyday if I could! I pickle a lot of pike every year and probably fillet out around a dozen 5-8 pounders for the pan each year, also. I think they are the perfect size for filleting boneless…the smaller guys go into the pickle jar. Mmmm! The lakes I fish can sustain my style of catch and consume, so you won’t get any apologies out of me, that’s for sure.

Great post Brett…
There are several lakes in my area that are becoming over populated with Bass and the DNR is even encouraging comsuption. The local bass club went up in arms but I’ll tell you what… Soak some Bass fillets (15-16 inchers) overnight in a plastic bag with water and 3 oz of RealLemon concentrate…bread em in ShoreLunch Beer batter and deep fry em in 375 degree peanut oil and you will change your mind son!

I don’t perticularly keep to many of them because I think they’re a pain in the to clean

I’m not against keeping them especially in the winter

There’s somthing to be said about that cold water

Besides there’s to many of the damn things anyways, we need to do a little selective harvest

Took a total of three pike in the mid 20’s off pool 9 last year. One just cuz I’ve never actually landed a pike jig fishing for crappie through that fabulous hard stuff we call ICE. Two August wing dingers last year didn’t make it back in ~ one of which was gonna bleed out anyway. This year I’ve boated or banked eight pike to date that swim free today….Yes I keep track

We always keep a few every year too, one of our deer hunting camp’s traditions, pickled northerns! Yum!

The last time we went to Canada, (8 years ago) we ate as many pike as we did walleye. I hate picking bones out of my mouth so the bones are always removed before cooking.

Here on Lake Wisconsin, I can’t remember ever keeping a pike. Over the past six years of guiding, maybe one or two pike caught by clients were kept.

Clients have boated about six nice pike between 31-36″ so far this year and they have all been released.

Although the Wisconsin river above Lake Wisconsin has plenty of pike, the lake itself really doesn’t have many. It would sure be nice to see that change.

Back to the question: Yup, I think they taste great and out of the right lake or river, I’ll eatem too!

to squirrel here also! By far my favorite of all wild animals in this area.

Funny you should mention pike…well just last night…

These will be a little on the spicy side!

We used to keep them all that were legal, but I haven’t kept a pike in 10 years. My buddy likes to keep an ice fish now and again. I find most of my pike fishing happens on Mendota that has a 40 inch minimum. That limit has produced some fine fishing around here but if I do happen to get one that big, CPR is the way to go.

Ugg… Its a good thing I can’t stand the taste of fish cause if it were anything like Beef the river from lax to pdc would be barron.. -kidding- I am glad that bass taste like crap though…

Oh, And start keeping more pike.. They owe me about $50 in baits so far this year!!!

I will keep and eat pike, taking out the Y-bones is not that big of deal, with practice you will be able to do this with not a whole lot of extra time (maybe a beer’s worth or so). The small top section you get after removing the Y-bones is like a delicious fish stick and is the favorite of anyone I have ever eaten with. By the way Chris that pickled stuff looks good, I have never tried it, any chance you would share your recipe??

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The small top section you get after removing the Y-bones is like a delicious fish stick and is the favorite of anyone I have ever eaten with.

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It’s the pikes version of a beef tenderloin

yummm

YUCK!!! friggin snot rockets!!

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The small top section you get after removing the Y-bones is like a delicious fish stick and is the favorite of anyone I have ever eaten with.

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It’s the pikes version of a beef tenderloin

yummm

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Yep, that would be a fair assumption! My favorite cut!

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I will keep and eat pike, taking out the Y-bones is not that big of deal, with practice you will be able to do this with not a whole lot of extra time (maybe a beer’s worth or so). The small top section you get after removing the Y-bones is like a delicious fish stick and is the favorite of anyone I have ever eaten with. By the way Chris that pickled stuff looks good, I have never tried it, any chance you would share your recipe??

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It’s the same recipe that is in the members recipe forum. Only I use 1/2 cup less sugar and replace it with a half cup of white wine.

That looks awesome Tuck, I’m hungry now

When my girls were younger we always removed the Y bones. Now they are all grown up so I don’t mess with them anymore. Pulling a cooked filet apart at the lateral line reveals the Y bones and they pull out with ease.

I fish for them all the time but haven’t kept one in many years. Pike is outstanding to cook and eat. I guess I like them as a trophy fishery like bass therefore I would rather release them to grow because its getting very rare to catch respectable pike anywhere but way up north.

I tend to keep a few here and there. I have tangled with a couple big ones on Mendota but their teeth were better than my line. This spring I kept one on Waubesa that ate a crappie that I had hooked. That one would have gone back if it hadn’t committed suicide. It flopped around and my finger hooked one of its gills snapping it when it flew of my fingers and it bled profusely. I couldn’t get it to go even after getting it in the water quick. It was good eating.

In Canada and out at Devils lake a I generally keep a few too, the really big ones end up going back after a picture. The little guys go back too but some of the 4-8 pounders that seem to be so thick do come and meet the Weber or get released to grease. I am guessing maybe 10 year max.

I used to keep Pike to pickle. I overate a bunch of pickled pike one night and lost my appetite for it since. I haven’t kept a pike since that night.

With the reduction of panfish this year I may have to reconsider. I started eating bass this year and discovered they actually aren’t bad if you keep the small legals and prepare them properly. I think after reading this thread I might keep the next eater pike. What size is the best for eating in your opinion? I can’t see me keeping the big girls.

I like 5-7 pounders so Y bones are easy to cut out.

Pike are definately my favorite winter fish to catch/eat. I take my fair share of 5-12 lb fish each winter. Baked/fried/boiled/broiled…….it is all top-notch.

All Y-bones are removed – just gotta be a little careful while carving around the spear marks…….see avatar……

Tim

Good topic. We fish a semi private lake once a year and limit on little guys for pickling. Maybe once a year ice fishing I will keep a few pike to eat, but they have to be in that 30-35″ range because it is to hard to fillet out the Y bones on anything smaller. But when you talk Canadien Pike out of that clean cool water, I prefer that fish over walleye anywhere. And I love walleye. That being said I am off to cool clean Canadien water in 23.5 hours to fish and eat some tasty Pike. Now for the guys that keep and eat 15-20# fish up in Canada. I think you have a serious problem with understanding the age and beauty of a fish like that and I have zero respect for you. Unfortunatly the MNR has the rules set up to kill those fish over what they consider “prime spawners” the 30-36″ fish.