If you’re like many anglers, then you go fishing for Northern Pike both for the sport of it and for a great meal. They are one tasty fish when prepared correctly and they’re a lot of fun to catch. The Northern pike is found all through North America and they can grow to some pretty impressive sizes. Some of them can weigh up to fifty pounds and grow to over fifty inches long.

This species is considered a carnivorous fish that tends to eat whatever is convenient. However, they do have a predatory nature and will strike at anything that invades their territory. They are highly attracted to fresh, live bait but they will sometimes take dead bait as well.

Many people fish for Northern Pike for the sport of it and they end up releasing their catch back into the water even though they make a great meal. The reason for this is because filleting a Northern Pike is a little different from other types of fish. This species has “Y-bones”, which is an extra row of bones that need to be cut out.
Many anglers feel like this is too difficult to do and so they miss out on a tasty meal.

The good news is that once you learn how to fillet a Northern Pike, it will be a lot easier than you ever thought. Therefore, instead of releasing all of those fish back into the water, you can take a few of them home with you and enjoy a delicious meal.

Below are the proper steps for handling and filleting a Northern Pike:
* Use a sharp fillet knife to cut down to the spine without going through the bone. You need to start cutting just below the gill and you want the edge of knife to rest on the spine but not go through it.
* Slide the knife under the bones on the bottom of the fish pointing towards the tail and cut out the lower rib bones. Cut towards the tail but stop about an inch before you reach it.
* Now it’s time to remove the “Y-bones” by running the knife along the center line between the upper and lower parts of the fish at an angle facing the upper part of the fish. Stay under the bones the whole time and don’t cut through the skin.
* Flip the fillet over and you should now be able to feel the small ends of the bones sticking through the fillet along the top part of the meat. When you cut the sides you will be removing these from the backbone.
* Begin cutting the meat from the top part of the bones at an angle facing the top part of the fish. When you have finished the cut, you’ll be able to pick up the part you cut out (which is the “Y-bones) and throw them away.
* Hold the fish by the tail to skin the pike and you’ll be left with two strips of meat that’s ready to be cooked to perfection.

The cooking process can be made easier by cutting off the thin strips of meat that’s at the end of the tail and cooking them separate from the rest of the fish so you may want to try that.

You’ll want to fillet your northern pike as soon as possible because waiting can alter the taste of the fish and make it less appetizing. Don’t leave it in the live well for very long either because this can also affect the taste.
It’s best to fillet them as soon as you return home from the water. If you don’t want to cook them right away you can wrap them in an air-tight container and place in the freezer until you are ready.

Once you have your fillets ready to cook there are many different recipes available to provide you with different ways of preparing the fish to suit anyone’s taste. You can also try different recipes for variety to make meals more interesting.

Now that you know how to fillet a Northern Pike correctly, you can begin taking advantage of this tasty food source and see what all the fuss is about first hand. After tasting this fish, you’ll want to keep enough for a meal every time you go fishing.

Proper filleting techniques need to be followed in order to get the best taste and to ensure the fish you’re eating are free of bones. Even though all bones should be removed after following these directions, it’s still a good idea to feel through the fillets for any bones that could have been missed. It’s also recommended that you be careful when eating to check for bones especially the first few times you fillet them. It could take you a few times before you completely get the hang of it but once you do, it’ll be worth the effort it took to learn.