pike haters!

[PINEHURST-PIKE-FREAK]

I have a few buddies who refuse to even consider fishing them,I love pike and how big/aggressive they can be.My winter trade mark is a cut in my index finger from the line burning through my hands...awesome I say!

[Shekka]

I have a couple of friends who also detest catching them, they curse fiercely when they have one! Lol.

Myself, I like the fights. They always go crazy!

[stinkynuts]

Pike are a great game fish and with you tube there is no reason you can not figure out how to debone them and they are great eating and if you bleed the fish the meat is white and tasty

[Game Hunter]

I know of some grown men who are scared of pike.:sHa_sarcasticlol::sHa_sarcasticlol:

[Ceilidh69]

Great fight and good eating

[pinelakeperch]

I don't really know what it is. They're generally found in lakes where walleye and perch are present, two species that are usually more popular. I certainly don't mind when I have a thick water wolf peeling my line! Great table fare too!

[Red Bullets]

I've enjoyed catching Alberta mermaids (pike) for a lifetime.

Pike is very healthy to eat nutritionally. Pike is low in sodium, and very low in Saturated Fat. It is also a good source of niacin and manganese, and a very good source of protein, vitamin B12, phosphorus, selenium and Omega 3 oils.
I love smoke dried pike...bush candy.

[Redfrog]

No reason to eat a pike. Release them all. Costco sells fish if you must eat fish.:)

[58thecat]

No reason to eat a pike. Release them all. Costco sells fish if you must eat fish.:)

Yep,you all stay at Costco to hunt and gather...or fish...find a mate...whatever city folk do :sHa_sarcasticlol:

[Astrocyte]

I still get that scare shock when I suddenly see a big one in shallow water. I remember when I was maybe 10 ice fishing for perch with my young neighbor. We saw this monster prowling around our hooks. He was all excited saying take the hook take the hook, and here I am saying noooo look at how big it is noooooo! My thought was the big fish would of course pull me into the water lol.


Now when I am ice fishing I am trying for walleye or perch and the second that line snaps tight because a 10 lb+ log of a fish slams it I am thinking holy moly break the line break the line my finger!!!! Ouuuccchhhh it's tight ooouuuuccchh lol. Usually with the lighter line it breaks before I can grab my rod (I like to unwind a bit of it so I can wrap it around my finger instead of jig with the rod) but those few seconds are shock and pain in my finger lol


I have never cleaned a pike due to not knowing how to get the y bone out but I will sure try to make that my goal this year. Had some pike over the summer and it was absolutely delicious.

[FlyTheory]

I love pike. They make rod series after pike, YouTube channels on pike, baits and flies specific to pike. Pike really is an unreal fish and one of my favourites. Ppl h8 pike? More 4 me. ;)

[KegRiver]

Pike are one of my favorites, but I have never turned down a real fish.
Rat Fish are not fish. They are scaly rats.

When I was a kid we used to catch and EAT Chubs. Suckers and Ling were targeted for the table as well.

I guess some folks were taught to hate some things. That's okay with me, it means there is more for me.

The only thing, and I do mean the only thing, I have ever encountered that I will not eat is boiled Turnip.

Maybe it's because we grew up dirt poor and because I had eleven sisters that all had to learn to cook and we had to eat what they cooked or go hungry.
I've seen biscuits so hard they made good hockey pucks and one pot of porridge that even dad could not eat.

One cup of rolled oats.
One cup of water
Once cup of salt.

I guess that sounds about right to a ten year old girl who is trying to please her dad by making him breakfast while everyone sleeps. :)

[58thecat]

Had many pike haters eat humble pie doing a taste testing competition in which no one new what they were eating between pike and walleye...luv the look on thier face when they choose pike 9 times out is 10:sHa_shakeshout:

[rapalaman]

No reason to eat a pike. Release them all. Costco sells fish if you must eat fish.:)

Lol Pike taste awesome that's a good reason,pike are in almost every water body that's a good reason, they are the apex predator in any lake they exist that's a good reason, fish from Costco are not pike at all! they are oil spilled riddin Mercury infested salt water ocean crap!

And that is the best reason so the ?n Isent y should you eat pike its y shouldn't you?? Unless your finding that catching fish at Costco is the only way you can catch them.

In that case I'll buy your fishing gear!!:bad_boys_20:

[crownb]

No reason to eat a pike. Release them all. Costco sells fish if you must eat fish.:)

Haha, having trouble catching hey!!!! At least you have options!!:)

[Bushrat]

fish from Costco are not pike at all! they are oil spilled riddin Mercury infested salt water ocean crap!

No, they are the freshest nicest thing to ever come out of a sewage pond where they live under the chicken coops that are always built over the fish ponds, they only have to feed the chickens and the chickens crap in the water to feed the fish. This is economically viable, environmentally friendly, the chicken feed is processed naturally twice before it is then collected and sprayed on the rice fields all over Vietnam, North Korea and south asia. I dunno why anyone would want to eat a Pike out of a river or lake, no antibiotics, they eat disgusting things like live smaller fish, frogs, they swim wherever they want in a lake, etc etc. that's disgusting.

[neilsledder]

I know people that hate them to, I don't get it. I am a catch and release mostly fisher and pike are my favorite. I start out trying for perch but always end up pike fishing!

I like eating them myself! But in warm water they can get a bit fishy tasting.

[aulrich]

Yup I have a hard time just typing walleye without falling asleep. As for taste at least out of dory and I would assume any cool water lake pike are much better tasting. The walleye out of Dory are as muddy as hatchery trout

[woody1948]

I know people that hate them to, I don't get it. I am a catch and release mostly fisher and pike are my favorite. I start out trying for perch but always end up pike fishing!

I like eating them myself! But in warm water they can get a bit fishy tasting.

They are ok if you can get past the smell, lol. And if you are unable to catch a Pickerel.

[Lowrance Fishburn]

Love me a good pike battle.

[Newellknik]

Hahahaha your killing me !

Alberta has some of the best eating pike in Western Canada especially
In southern Alberta ....no swamp jacks . Winter best time .
Can hardly tell the difference between Walleyes and pike .
Unfortunately likely the most poached fish in the south ,
All reservoirs will be C&R in the south for all species
In very short order but whitefish and burbot .
. Why do you think ESRD closed off netting .
You better invest in a deboner

[Jamie Black R/T]

They are fun if you are targeting them....Im guilty of cursing a pike hookup quite often.

Always when i set the micro jig into their lip on 2lb line :)

[Foot Stomper]

Had many pike haters eat humble pie doing a taste testing competition in which no one new what they were eating between pike and walleye...luv the look on thier face when they choose pike 9 times out is 10:sHa_shakeshout:

HELL YA!!!:tongue0017:

[binnzer32]

They taste great from cold water ... to be honest though if it isn't 40 inches I could really care less. ...to catch I mean. . Not to eat. ..

[EZM]

I think most of the people who hate eating pike either kept and tried one caught out of warm water in the summer months and then dragged the carcass around on the stringer all day or put the carcass in a hot black garbage bag before cleaning it.

The other half of the haters don't know how to properly de-bone or care for it after you catch it.

If everyone caught a pike, bled it right away and immediately put it on ice then cleaned it properly - there would be no issue.

I think the key is to get a pike large enough to clean (4lbs-7lbs) is perfect. The bigger ones are left to swim and breed for another day.

I agree with anther contributor - 9/10 people who I serve pike and walleye too will choose the pike as the better tasting fish.

Too bad for them - more for me to eat.

added a video on how to clean and debone pike properly .... I like the top fillet off method myself ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CkWA9g_q5g

[cube]

Had many pike haters eat humble pie doing a taste testing competition in which no one new what they were eating between pike and walleye...luv the look on thier face when they choose pike 9 times out is 10:sHa_shakeshout:

I have exactly the same ratio picking pike over walleye. 9 out of 10 will pick boneless pike over walleye when prepared exactly the same.

What I find the most entertaining is on fishing shows guys hook into a fish and you should see his face light up as he's got a good one on. It takes runs and pulls drag then you should see his face when he realizes it's a pike.

I just don't get it. He was obviously very happy with the fight and was getting a much better scrap than the bass or walleye he was originally targeting was able to give him but when he see the pike he looks down trodden.

To me it jut shows he should be fishing pike as the fight is generally so much better. :)

[Maxwell78]

Nothing beats having your flag on your tip up spring up and seeing your line peeling off the reel. Thats when you prepare yourself for a good fight.

I'll take a cold water Pike any day.

[Kings]

I love to catch pike and they are entertaining especaily the larger one >10lb. For me it is very easy to catch. I only take home one pike per season and most of them I release. I admit that I don't enjoy cleaning it. I usually make cutlet with pike meat and they are delicious...yummy.

Cheers

[DOGFISH]

I think most of the people who hate eating pike either kept and tried one caught out of warm water in the summer months and then dragged the carcass around on the stringer all day or put the carcass in a hot black garbage bag before cleaning it.

The other half of the haters don't know how to properly de-bone or care for it after you catch it.

If everyone caught a pike, bled it right away and immediately put it on ice then cleaned it properly - there would be no issue.

I think the key is to get a pike large enough to clean (4lbs-7lbs) is perfect. The bigger ones are left to swim and breed for another day.

I agree with anther contributor - 9/10 people who I serve pike and walleye too will choose the pike as the better tasting fish.

Too bad for them - more for me to eat.

added a video on how to clean and debone pike properly .... I like the top fillet off method myself ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CkWA9g_q5g

X2 - I Prefer the second method of deboning. I have been deboning Pike since we flew into Gypsy Lake back in the nineties. The camp cook would clean our catch before he prepared it and I would help him and observed his techniques and improved on a few. Now I always seem to be the one cleaning fish but do not mind. I like the feel of a sharp knife gliding through flesh and seeing how symmetrical and neat I can make the fillets. I call it the tenderloin but the two back pieces off the top are my choice cuts for frying. The only suggestion I would make to anyone trying this is after the guy in the video takes the skin off he tosses the fillet on the slime of the cutting board. I take the skin off and lift the fillet onto a clean piece of paper or into a bowl with ice cold water which protects your fillets from any fishy taste. I have had small audiences around the Filleting table and I am more than happy to show others how to do it. Pikestriker is a master at boneless pike but uses the first method. Do not be scared to try these methods the worst that can happen is some messed up fillets the first time but you will improve with time.

[aulrich]

[QUOTE=EZM;3110549]
If everyone caught a pike, bled it right away and immediately put it on ice then cleaned it properly - there would be no issue.

I think the key is to get a pike large enough to clean (4lbs-7lbs) is perfect. The bigger ones are left to swim and breed for another day.
QUOTE]

X2

Or folks take their limit home and most of it stays frozen until it's "too old to eat" so it either past prime or worst thrown out.

[Bowhntr4life]

Pike are absolutely delicious. Not sure why everyone complains about bones because it's never really been a problem when I fillet them. I only eat a few each year, but next to walleye, I'll have pike over any other fish.

Fun to catch, slimy when cleaning, but well worth the effort. I choose wisely what lakes I eat my pike out of and 5-7 lb range are the most tasty in my opinion. Pike caught out of clean, cold lakes are hard to beat!

For all you pike haters out there... To each their own. Please throw back every pike you ever catch. More fish for me to catch and if the conditions are right, it's going home to my frying pan!

[EZM]

X2 - I Prefer the second method of deboning. I have been deboning Pike since we flew into Gypsy Lake back in the nineties. The camp cook would clean our catch before he prepared it and I would help him and observed his techniques and improved on a few. Now I always seem to be the one cleaning fish but do not mind. I like the feel of a sharp knife gliding through flesh and seeing how symmetrical and neat I can make the fillets. I call it the tenderloin but the two back pieces off the top are my choice cuts for frying. The only suggestion I would make to anyone trying this is after the guy in the video takes the skin off he tosses the fillet on the slime of the cutting board. I take the skin off and lift the fillet onto a clean piece of paper or into a bowl with ice cold water which protects your fillets from any fishy taste. I have had small audiences around the Filleting table and I am more than happy to show others how to do it. Pikestriker is a master at boneless pike but uses the first method. Do not be scared to try these methods the worst that can happen is some messed up fillets the first time but you will improve with time.

OK Dogfish - you are invited to fish with us anytime. I don't enjoy cleaning fish as much as I like to eat them.

At Winefred lake this young guy (this fall) cleaned up the two eater pike we brought in and did an amazing job. Although TrophyPikeHunter and I know how to clean fish well - this kid was amazing. It takes us 5-7 minutes per fish but this kid did it in 2 min a fish at the most and with zero waste and zero cuts into the boneless fillets.

He used the top loin off the back method and did it quickly, cleanly, and with little waste. His knife was razor sharp and his confidence with the knife was something cool to watch. The other thing that was amazing is there wasn't a drop of blood on the board and he skinned and moved the fillets to a clean area as you described.

It's a pleasure to watch someone with that much skill for sure.

[cube]

OK Dogfish - you are invited to fish with us anytime. I don't enjoy cleaning fish as much as I like to eat them.

At Winefred lake this young guy (this fall) cleaned up the two eater pike we brought in and did an amazing job. Although TrophyPikeHunter and I know how to clean fish well - this kid was amazing. It takes us 5-7 minutes per fish but this kid did it in 2 min a fish at the most and with zero waste and zero cuts into the boneless fillets.

He used the top loin off the back method and did it quickly, cleanly, and with little waste. His knife was razor sharp and his confidence with the knife was something cool to watch. The other thing that was amazing is there wasn't a drop of blood on the board and he skinned and moved the fillets to a clean area as you described.

It's a pleasure to watch someone with that much skill for sure.

I find the back method like in the video you posted seems to waster more meat. Hence I like the first method.

Here are my favorite vids and like you said it truly is amazing to watch guys like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBFrQ5KMIs8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyoK7-8zf8I

[Okotokian]

I've got nothing personally against pike. I've just been inept at filleting them without a million bones, don't want to waste them, so don't purposely go out to catch them.

[Sooner]

My uncle could whip up a batch of pan fried pike in batter, fresh from the lake and it was soooo good. Nothing wrong with a pike from a good cold lake.

[DOGFISH]

"OK Dogfish - you are invited to fish with us anytime. I don't enjoy cleaning fish as much as I like to eat them". EZM

You bet EZM, fresh caught and properly prepared fish is tough to beat.

[Newellknik]

If you ever had breaded fish balls , a Chinese delicacy, you would
Never put a pike back. It's a Winnipeg thing like canned sucker .
I have no idea how they are made , I would give the guy pike
And he would bring these pike balls that his wife made .
Maybe our resident epicurean knows how to make these .
O 50 .

[Red Bullets]

No reason to eat a pike. Release them all. Costco sells fish if you must eat fish.:)

If god didn't want us to eat pike he wouldn't have made them out of meat. :)

[SNAPFisher]

I think most of the people who hate eating pike either kept and tried one caught out of warm water in the summer months and then dragged the carcass around on the stringer all day or put the carcass in a hot black garbage bag before cleaning it.

The other half of the haters don't know how to properly de-bone or care for it after you catch it.

If everyone caught a pike, bled it right away and immediately put it on ice then cleaned it properly - there would be no issue.

I think the key is to get a pike large enough to clean (4lbs-7lbs) is perfect. The bigger ones are left to swim and breed for another day.

I agree with anther contributor - 9/10 people who I serve pike and walleye too will choose the pike as the better tasting fish.

Too bad for them - more for me to eat.

added a video on how to clean and debone pike properly .... I like the top fillet off method myself ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CkWA9g_q5g

What he said :)

[elkonthemind]

Grew up catching pike all the time so for me know I just don't get the excitement adrenaline from pike. I do agree they do taste good but just out of cold water is where I would eat them. My favorite fish to chase is lakers nothing like a good size laker on the line those fish have power. When I was at Reindeer lake last 2 years all of our native guides preferred pike over all other fish but up there meat on them is solid white cause of cold water. but we did manage to real in some monster 50 inch plus pike up there and that was entertaining but still prefer a fish u got to out smart rather then fish that will bite anything that moves.

[KegRiver]

I have to admit I'm not picky when it comes to food, especially wild food. Berries, game birds, big and small game. I've eaten thing most would not think of eating, and liked it. a lot.

You haven't lived till you've eaten beaver and I mean the buck toothed variety. Or Goldeye, or Blackbirds, or chub, or Red Squirrel.

But I should also own up to catching pike I found less then good table fare.
I've only had problems with fish I caught down south, in warm water.

For whatever reason, even in the warm months, the Pike up here taste good all year round and those I've caught in the NWT were every bit as good as the best fish I've eaten from any source.

As someone here said, they would fool anyone in a blind taste test against the best Walleye, and in my books Walleye are the best eating fish in the world. I'd take them over a Salmon or a Trout any day of the week.

But the pike are close even in warm water up here and they offer so much more opportunity and so much more sport, they beat Walleye in every way except as table fare, and as I said, those I've eaten from NWT waters were a match for Walleye in that department too.

Unfortunately, the NWT fishery is not worth it these days. We spent a week up there this fall and the Goobermunt has reduced the limit to one of each species, day and possession limits are the same, one of each.

It's just too far to drive for one Pike, one walleye, one Cooni and one Grayling.
Besides the commercial fisherman have depleted the stock to the point that you really have to know the lake to find the few that are left.

We've fished up there for years and never had a problem catching our limits, even with limits of ten ten ten and five.
This fall we saw a lot of nets and caught only three fish in total between the three of us. In a week. And we lived on the boat and fished day and night.