How to Fillet the Y-Bones Out of Pike | Wild Things

How to Fillet the Y-Bones Out of Pike
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I love pike. They are one of my favourites both to fish and to eat, even though the big ones can scare the bejesus out of me. So I always find it strange that many people hate sloobs. When you ask said pike-hater, he or she usually says it’s because of the Y-bones. Which offers a simple solution. Fillet those Y-bones right out and change your catch from the dastardly yucky pyke to highly tasty pike.

There are a few methods for filleting the Y-bones out of pike including the Six Strip Method, the Two Fillet & Two Strip Method, the Whole Fillet Method, and the Five Fillet Method. If you’re using a skin-on method, work with the skin side down on newspaper to reduce slippage. And, drum roll please, here are two super easy methods for filleting boneless pike:

The Whole Fillet Method as described on WikiHow.Com. First fillet as you would pickerel up to taking the ribs out. Leave the skin on, then:

Look and feel for a ridge of white bones running down the fillet. It should be in the thickest part of the fillet.
Make your first cut above the white dots and cut down until you feel the bones. Cut with the curve of the bones, and don't cut through them.
Now concentrate on the centerline of the fillet. Cut [towards the spine side of the fillet] on a forty-five degree angle. Cut at this angle until you feel the Y-bones. Gently work your knife along the bones just past the vent you created while cutting on top of the Y-bones (in step 2).
Grab hold of the Y-bones. They will be held together with a thin line of flesh.
Pull on this line of flesh, and the whole line of Y-bones should come out in one clean piece. Use your knife to free them if need be.
Remove the fillet from the skin.
You now have a clean, boneless northern pike fillet. Enjoy!

The Six Strip Method

First fillet as you would pickerel or bass. Remove the skin.
Then cut along the centre line of the first fillet, slicing the fillet in half. The belly portion is bone free. The upper portion of the fillet contains the Y-bone strip.
You can fillet two more boneless strips of meat from this piece by filleting a strip above and another below the Y-bones (flip the fillet for each side). The skin side of this Y-bone fillet will be more of a flat cut, parallel to the table.
The inside portion will be an angled cut starting just past the visible tips of the Y-bones and angling down towards the spine side of the fillet.
As you work, follow the curvature of the bones, making sure not to cut through them.
Repeat with second fillet for a total of 6 strips per fish, 3 strips per fillet, of beautiful boneless pike.

I’ve gathered together a number of resources if you want to try a few different methods. Most articles are accompanied by good pics or diagrams. And there is a video listed for each method, as well.

Online Articles

2 Fillet & 2 Strip Method: Note that sometimes this is used as the beginner’s method for the whole fillet method. “How to Fillet Pike” and “Filleting Pike.”
Whole Fillet Method: “How to Fillet & Remove Y-bones Northern Pike” and “Boneless Northern Pike Fillets.”
Five Fillet Method: “How to Prepare Boneless Northern Pike Fillets.”

Videos

Six Strip Method: “Reipo Northern Pike III.”
2 Fillet & 2 Strip Method: “How to Fillet a Northern Pike and Debone the Fillets.”
Whole Fillet Method: “How to Fillet a Northern Pike.”
Five Fillet Method: “How to Prepare Boneless Northern Pike Fillets.”

Some Cool Pike Vids

This one is an amazing shot of a European pike eating a big trout

And for those of you who hate pike no matter what, here’s a Pike Eat Pike vid. He didn’t even debone it! We on the other hand can have our pike, and have it boneless too.

The many names of pike: Northern, sloob, wolf, Jack, Jackfish, shovel-nosed trout, mudfish, snake fish, and devil.

Photo Credit: Karin Lindstrom
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