Y-Bone removal on Northern Pike

Here's a good way to remove the Y-Bones. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lB9hetEFG0

Lyubo, I just have a copy of this printed out and follow it for the couple times a year I fillet a northern. Hope this helps it works good for me. http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/documents/publications/northernpikefillet.pdf

I like this method http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM3wAgBmeNU

i recommend three to four trips to canada and volunteer to clean fish for shore lunch. practice makes perfect. worked for me, but i think i need a refresher course.

I've used the Buckshot method on a few hammer handles that got the hook into their gills and weren't going to make it anyways. But, I never tried it on one as big as 22" I think 19-20" was the max. Nice to know that you can go that big and still fry-out the bones. I have a number of lakes up north that need a few of the smaller ones taken out of the system. I might have to make a few next weekend.

Thanks for the YouTube address! Saw that it links to several other good pike filleting videos as well. I clean pike by first taking a fillet off the back, from head to dorsal fin (you get 2 long strips from that). Then you can see the line of Y-bones on either side of the spine and cut around them. Simple and not too wasteful... Good piking!

You also can use the Buckshot(Anderson) method where you don't have to remove the y bones at all. This only works on northerns 22" smaller. Fillet, remove the ribs,and score the fillets front to back about 1/4 TO 1/2 inch apart. Frying in hot oil dissolves the bones, this won't work for baking the fish. Very easy,

Go to youtube and punch in "Northern filleting"and you see several sites that show how to do that way and also one were a guy gets 5 good fillets out the Northern by bypassing the bones completely.

Been doing it that way for years. Just not with an electric. Works great but I still prefer the feel of a rapala fillet knife.