How to Fillet a Pike

The pesty "y-bone" that runs along the back of pike fish can make for a pretty frustrating filleting process. Use the steps listed here to make this a much easier process so that you can enjoy this sweet, flakey fish without the unpleasant bones.

Things You'll Need

• Fillet knife
• Fork

Instructions

1. Place the fish on its side and hold the knife over the area right before the front fins of the fish. The knife should now be extending from the top of the the fish to the bottom ready to make a vertical cut. Take the knife as deep as the fish's backbone but do not cut into or through the spine.

2. Use a smooth back and forth motion to cut into the fish. Cut the fish back towards the tail. Bring the knife out above the tail and cut off the remaining fin from the fillet. Flip the fish over and complete the original procedure to produce the second fillet.

3. Place your fork into the flesh side of a fillet in an area that will give you enough leverage to remove the ribcage. Bring your knife from the end of the fillet nearest the fork under the ribcage and to the opposite end of the fillet to remove the ribcage.

4. Locate the "y-bone" on one of the fillets; you can usually see the exposed bone but use your finger if you cant. Run your fillet knife along the top of the bone from one end to the other; do these more than once to ensure easy removal. Tilt your knife upwards when cutting along the "y-bone."

5. Run your knife along the the lower side of the bone using the same tilting technique to cut the "y-bone" out completely. Repeat the process on the other fillet to finish the bone removal process.

Tips & Warnings

• Removing the skin is not necessary, but this process can be done by using a gentle sawing motion and moving the knife down the length of the fish; cutting slowly helps your accuracy which helps you retain as much meat as possible.

Resources

• Youtube Video