Caught between Scylla and Charybdis

[Hans]

Went fishing on a new-to-me local lake Sunday. The lake is infested/over-run with stunted northern pike. Caught and returned at least 20 of them over the course of the day, and had 7 bite-offs on my "lindy rigs" that I'm sure were northern.

At the DNR launch there is a hand-painted sign by the "Lake Association" pleading each fisherman to keep a limit of northern to help clear them out.

I'd like to be of service, but I'd never eat those small pike, so taking them home to be buried in the flower bed strikes me as "wanton waste". Comments?

Hans

PS: I also caught a 19" and a 23" walleye, and we had fillets for dinner! Not bad for first day (alone) on a brand-new lake.

[JasonMN]

LAST EDITED ON May-29-01 AT 10:46AM (CST)[p]I personally would have no problem with making fertilizer out of them. But yes, I think the DNR and the big man above would see this as "wanton waste".

Maybe it is time to try a new smoking or pickeling recipe just to help out your new found lake? I heard pickeling eats the Y bone out of smaller fish...is this true?

[CJHughes]

Hans maybe you could have a pike tournament , and donate them to a food pantry. We did this on a local lake here in Ohio that was infested with white bass .First place caught 365 lbs of whitebass from 7 am till 3 in the afternoon . It seem to work caught my limit of walleye's yesterday. I couldn't just kill them ( pike ) and not use them for something , any catfood company 's around . That kinda stuff wakes me up in the middle of the night.

[RANGER]

Hans,

Don't blow off those "slimers'" too fast, they are pretty good table fare up to about 24", honest! We never fillet their sides, as we do Walleyes, only their back, from just behind the head on back. After you "bleed" them when boated get the body cooled down (ice chest) as we do for Walleye. When you are ready to fillet them place the fillet knife (we use electrical ones) just behind the head while holding the "grass snake" upright (swimming position) on the board; cut down to the bone; turn knife to tail and cut right along the spinal column (backbone) to the tail. Leaving a piece of the skin on the body, flip the fillet up, over and back then use the knife to run "up" the back to remove the skin. If needed, do it for the sides as well. You end up with a nice, thick, boneless, tender fillet for your pallet. Rinse in cold water and store. Before cooking place the fillet(s) in salted water for at least 1 hour. They do taste very good (not like a Walleye, of course) but better than most, a lot better. Throw the rest of the pike in the garden. Try it. I think you'll like it!


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD!"

[Hans]

I agree (use your filleting method too), but these fish were waaaaaaaaay to small to fillet. The biggest I caught was perhaps 13 inches long, and no thicker than 2". Maybe they could be steak-cut and pickled like herring, but with a limit of 3, it ain't worth the effort.

Hans

[steve(IL)]

Local Raccoons, Oppossum, Skunks & Crows will thank you if you pitch them in the bushes. They will get utilized. Locally, we have a Drum/Sheephead over population. Any that get thrown up in the bushes are gone by the next morning. Picture a mother trying to feed her babies if that helps. I live on a pond and things can get out of balance easily. Over population isn't fun for the fish either.

[RANGER]

I heard ya, Hans. I thought that they were larger fish. Why, did I assume that - heck if I know.

One time, in Canada, we were TOTALLY skunked one day for Walleye. We just couldn't get them to hit (sever cold front). We wandered into a sheltered bay and started to slam hammerhandles with EVERY cast. That shore lunch was delicious!


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD!"

[Nofish]

Hey Hans,

I second the pickling idea. I loike pickled northern as much as pickled herring, if not a little more. Also they are fine when smoked.

Have fun.......R

[cisco]

Northerns are great pickled. At Byerly's the other day I noticed the pickled northern was $1 more than the pickled herring (same size jar).

And yes, it is true, pickling does dissolve the y-bones.

However, the ones described by Hans are, indeed, too small to warrant the effort. But, don't overlook northerns as a great food source -- baked, deep fried filets, broiled, or pickled. I've served fried walleye and northern at the same meal to folks without telling them, and both the walleye and northern got "this is great fish" reviews.