How to Fillet and Prepare Boneless Northern Pike Fillets

This file has been reproduced courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Š1982.

Drawings and narrative originally created by Jerry Perkins, Fish Management Technician, Barron, Wisconsin.

Thanks to State Representative Jim Baumgart for permission to distribute as a public service.

1
Make vertical cut behind head, down to, but NOT through the backbone. Turn knife horizontally and cut backward along top of backbone. You should be able to feel the blade "clicking" along the top of the "Y" bones.
2
	There is a row of small bones down the center of this fillet. Remove them with a V-shaped, lengthwise cut along each side of the center bones.
3
	With the backbone exposed, a series of bones will be observed running parallel to it on either side. Make a cut down and slightly inward along the outer edge of these bones. Work down and over the ribs and remove the flank fillet. Repeat for other side.
4
Cut fillet free from each side of dorsal fin back to tail. There are no "Y" bones here. Skin each fillet. You now have five bone-free fillets.

How to Fillet Northern Pike to Remove "Y" Bones

Method and narrative for the following provided by Robert J. Becker, Assistant District Director, Spooner, Wisconsin.

Fillet the Northern Pike just as you would a walleye.

2

Place fillet on newspaper to keep it from slipping-with inside of fillet up.

3

Look for row of white "dots" which are the ends of the "Y" bones. (See Figure #1). These can be felt by running a finger over the fillet.

4

Using a sharp, short, flexible fillet knife, make cut along top of white "dots" as shown in Figures #2 and #3. Note that "Y" bones curve slightly, so try to follow curvature of "Y" bone. Cut entirely through the fillet.

5

Make second cut along bottom side of white "dots" as shown in Figure #2 and Figure #3 again following bone curvature as much as possible.

6

Make above two cuts toward the tail end of the fillet to the point where the "Y" bones stop. This is about to the vent of the fish.

7

Cut "Y" bone strip of flesh off and throw away.

Cook and eat the deboned fillet. It's finger-lickin' good.

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