View Full Version : Pickerel cheek removal
bessiedog
05-10-2020, 08:15 AM
So how do you do it?
I’m not great at it with the ole filleting knife... I thought about honestly taking the edge of a spoon to a grinder and sharpening it.
..... got one nice one for dinner yesterday.... was disappointed with one of the cheeks cause I mangled it.
35 whelen
05-10-2020, 08:45 AM
Spoon works good ,I like a 6in fillet knife ,When I go back to Manitoba every year they sell checks by the bags at the fish market ,always buy a few :)
Jigsalot
05-10-2020, 09:05 AM
Spoon works good ,I like a 6in fillet knife ,When I go back to Manitoba every year they sell checks by the bags at the fish market ,always buy a few :)
I use my small filet knife. Cut around the edge about 3/4 of the circle then use your thumb and it will come out easily. I have never failed with my method.
Smoky buck
05-10-2020, 09:27 AM
Have you tried using a 10ga?
I have just used a fillet knife
Zip-in-Z
05-10-2020, 12:33 PM
Walleye here in Alberta, you must be from Manitoba ... :)
D.
Dean2
05-10-2020, 12:52 PM
So how do you do it?
I’m not great at it with the ole filleting knife... I thought about honestly taking the edge of a spoon to a grinder and sharpening it.
..... got one nice one for dinner yesterday.... was disappointed with one of the cheeks cause I mangled it.
Sharpened spoon would work great. They use a similar tool to take the cheeks out of Cod.
bessiedog
05-10-2020, 01:07 PM
Walleye here in Alberta, you must be from Manitoba ... :)
D.
The rare ‘alberta Keeper pickerel’
https://i.imgur.com/eaVk5qi.jpg
Taped her out to make sure
Thinking tempura batter tonight.
Zip-in-Z
05-10-2020, 01:09 PM
Nice ... Eye or Walter or Walleye but that's no Pickerel .... enjoy.
D.
bessiedog
05-10-2020, 01:20 PM
I know
Just old slang I guess.
Bigwoodsman
05-10-2020, 01:25 PM
I use my small filet knife. Cut around the edge about 3/4 of the circle then use your thumb and it will come out easily. I have never failed with my method.
This is how I do it, if I’m lucky enough to catch a keeper!
BW
58thecat
05-10-2020, 02:29 PM
pocket knife 1" blade.....
Bushleague
05-10-2020, 03:53 PM
Nice ... Eye or Walter or Walleye but that's no Pickerel .... enjoy.
D.
I never used to call them Pickerel, but whenever I read posts like this I get the urge to start. Old habits die hard, but I'm sure I could learn to call them Pickerel.
As for the cheeks, I start at the rear of the cheek, stick the point of my fillet knife in, and cut a semi circle towards the eye on the top and somewhere under it on the bottom. There's sort of a ridge in the gill cover you can follow. Once the cheek is free except for the front edge, I make a straight cut across the front, if its a big PICKEREL (see I'm getting the hang of it already) I'll angle the cut forwards under the eye socket a little just to get that extra bit of meat.
Just me, but I cant see any reason to bother with an extra tool, any half decent fillet knife works just fine.
MooseRiverTrapper
05-10-2020, 03:57 PM
Take the butterfly out and fry up with your cheeks. The pectoral fine and muscle between.
OL_JR
05-10-2020, 04:49 PM
I never used to call them Pickerel, but whenever I read posts like this I get the urge to start. Old habits die hard, but I'm sure I could learn to call them Pickerel.
As for the cheeks, I start at the rear of the cheek, stick the point of my fillet knife in, and cut a semi circle towards the eye on the top and somewhere under it on the bottom. There's sort of a ridge in the gill cover you can follow. Once the cheek is free except for the front edge, I make a straight cut across the front, if its a big PICKEREL (see I'm getting the hang of it already) I'll angle the cut forwards under the eye socket a little just to get that extra bit of meat.
Just me, but I cant see any reason to bother with an extra tool, any half decent fillet knife works just fine.
Basically how I do it, it's pretty much drawn out on the cheek where to cut. Only difference in my way I guess is I'll cut the majority of it out and leave a bit of the front un cut with the skin attached. That way you can dig your finger in and scoop the cheek out and peel it from the skin in the same motion.
SamSteele
05-10-2020, 08:43 PM
Basically how I do it, it's pretty much drawn out on the cheek where to cut. Only difference in my way I guess is I'll cut the majority of it out and leave a bit of the front un cut with the skin attached. That way you can dig your finger in and scoop the cheek out and peel it from the skin in the same motion.
Same way I do.
It took me a while to do “walleye wings” (pectoral fins) but they are actually really good.
Bushleague
05-11-2020, 08:32 AM
Basically how I do it, it's pretty much drawn out on the cheek where to cut. Only difference in my way I guess is I'll cut the majority of it out and leave a bit of the front un cut with the skin attached. That way you can dig your finger in and scoop the cheek out and peel it from the skin in the same motion.
Sounds good, I have never seen the point to peeling the skin on the cheek. On their cheek pickerel are like a trout, very fine scaled. One can fry them up, skin on, with no ill effect on how they eat IMO.
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