bones in smoked fish

[the local angler]

hey all i have a question for those of you that like to smoke the fish you catch. i see a lot of youtube videos that show people fillet and just cut the fillet in chunks and into the brine and then the smoker. my question is if you fillet the fish and there are bones in the fillet, after the smoking process you still have to pick the bones out when consuming right? does the smoking process cook up the bones that breaks up the bone where you just eat it all like a tin of canned fish?

[lone wolf]

The bones are not broken down like canning. You will still have to pick them out.

[the local angler]

oh ok thanks

[jednastka]

That is precisely why I do not fillet fish that I am smoking. I smoke them whole. Takes a little longer, but the de-boning is a snap during serving.

Vic

[The Fisherman Guy]

The bones definitely don't break down in a salt/sugar brine so as was mentioned above - you need to remove the bones after smoking. Easier to deal with - clean, whole fillets with skin on.
https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/13734492_868860713246210_724025038_n.jpg

[the local angler]

i only ask is because i have caught and cooked up some of the illegally introduced prussian carp and they are so incredibly boney as mention by others on this forum. i love fishing for them but trying to get past the boney part. they are a very tasty fish but i don't know the bone structure well to do boneless fillets like you would a northern pike. its sure fun to catch lots like literally in the hundreds but not sure what to do with them after since we are not allowed to throw them back. gonna check with a buddy who will be supplying fish to one of those injured birds sanctuaries to see if they would take them.

[Redfrog]

Canning dissolves bones in smoked whitefish, which BTW are delish.

Maybe a citrus or vinegar brine would help.

I'd be interested in trying some ideas but have no idea what to use to catch them.

[SNAPFisher]

I just debone my with skin still on. It's not like it makes it harder with the skin there. Why mess around with bones after smoking if you don't have to.

[SamSteele]

i only ask is because i have caught and cooked up some of the illegally introduced prussian carp and they are so incredibly boney as mention by others on this forum. i love fishing for them but trying to get past the boney part. they are a very tasty fish but i don't know the bone structure well to do boneless fillets like you would a northern pike. its sure fun to catch lots like literally in the hundreds but not sure what to do with them after since we are not allowed to throw them back. gonna check with a buddy who will be supplying fish to one of those injured birds sanctuaries to see if they would take them.

Might be worthwhile to sacrifice one just to learn the bone structure better. I'm thinking you could gut it and cut it crosswise into steaks which should show the way the bones are laid out a bit better. Even if you baked the steaks and then gently pulled the meat off the bones. That should give you an idea how to fillet them in order to minimize or get rid of the bones.

SS

[the local angler]

ya i think i still have a few 10"+ in the freezer i will have to check out. i have been cross examining them with asian carp in the US and i think the bone structure is similar. they have a row of Y bones along the whole back/shoulder to the tail and also from the rib cage back towards the tail.