how to clean pike, how many ways do you know of, favourites

i know there are many many ways to clean a pike but i want to see if i can learn a better one any ideas

If you know cleaning tricks for other fish thats you like feel free to share that too

Here's a great youtube channel that has all kinds of tips and tricks for filleting different kinds of fish and how to fish specific species of fish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JkA68kceCw

That video there is specifically for pike, but if you look through the other videos, there is a lot of information to be had.

great vid I usually do mine in two filets following the y bones out then back in (really time consuming and tedious) the five filet way shown in the vid looks quick and easy, I'll have to try that next time.

There are a lot of different methods that people use so I won't comment on those, but I will say that when most people claim to have a boneless pike fillet, they still have bones in the tail section. I've heard of them as being refereed to as "L" bones. They aren't exactly a perfect L but they do have somewhat of a bend. They are associated with the anal fins and could be hard to see if you're unfamiliar with them. The best way to see them is to look for the white cartilage points like you see with the Y bones. If you still can't find them, lay the fillet beside the fish carcass, they are where the anal bones are located and run the length of the anal fin. The removal is similar to how the Y bone is removed but the cuts are more vertical which makes it easier.

great vid I usually do mine in two filets following the y bones out then back in (really time consuming and tedious) the five filet way shown in the vid looks quick and easy, I'll have to try that next time.

X2 definitely gotta try this 5 fillet method.

5 fillet method. Very easy and boneless!

Dave

This is by far the best and fastest method imo

This is by far the best and fastest method imo

The only problem is that there are still bones in the tail sections. Ivo freely admits that there are bones at the anal fins but his method will only remove about half of them.
Here are a couple of videos that show how to remove those bones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ5Hg3nE0Ys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O9o4lyInRw

I tried the 5 fillet method and i didn't like the back meat portion as it had little tips of bones on both sides, it was a larger pike so i'm not sure if it works better on smaller pikes but i'll keep to my way of just cutting out the Y bone off each fillet

5 filet method for me but if anyone watches the t.v. show "life below zero"
Chip Hailstones wife does the best method I've ever seen.

I do the five fillet method and never get bones, as far as the rear fillets go, just feel them with your fingers and cut them out. You should always do that filleting anything else anyway, just my 2 cents.

This is by far the best and fastest method imo

The only problem is that there are still bones in the tail sections. Ivo freely admits that there are bones at the anal fins but his method will only remove about half of them.
Here are a couple of videos that show how to remove those bones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ5Hg3nE0Ys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O9o4lyInRw

the second video is what my American friends call Pikerel and they find it funny when we call Walleye pikerel here in Canada.

I think i'll try the 5 fillet method again this summer, maybe i cut down too deep causing the back meat piece to have the tips of the y bone in it, not a choking hazard as they were very small just makes the texture a little off and the wife noticed it more then i did. Any body else have this issue?

I use the 5 fillet method. Works great, but there is some flesh waist.

I tried the 5 fillet method and got the tips of the y bones in the back strap. Also found quite a bit of flesh waste. It is very very fast but I would rather take slightly longer and fillet a Pike to not waste good fish.

I am intrigued though to try again as my instinct was the 5 fillet method wasted to much but I don’t have proof of that.

Next time I have 2 Pike the same size and weight I will try both to fillet and to 5 fillet each fish and weigh the meat results.