Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Author Topic: Eating pikeminnows  (Read 7440 times)

Darko

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 664
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #15 on: April 05, 2022, 09:37:46 PM »

Next up a Bass catch and cook! Bass imo are delicious. Had them when I was out working in Ontario.
agreed, I've had both smallmouth and largemouth and they are both tasty.
Logged
if you ain't fishin, you ain't livin

psd1179

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 745
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #16 on: April 06, 2022, 07:51:48 AM »

Now that we've determined even Chilliwack locals like them, maybe there'll be a pikeminnow balls stand popping up beside Kev's at On the Way...?

How long did it take to dice / chop the fillet? Can you still feel the tiny bones
Logged

dennisK

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1396
  • sheep rise up.
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #17 on: April 06, 2022, 09:59:07 AM »

I like herring on the grill. I've never had pike minnow. Would the bones be similar or are pike minnow even worse bonewise?
Logged

Rodney

  • Administrator
  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14816
  • Where's my strike indicator?
    • Fishing with Rod
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #18 on: April 06, 2022, 11:47:08 AM »

Your expression after inadvertently adding sugar is priceless ;D

That reaction was as genuine as it gets.. I was actually so shocked because I've never done that before, and that was all the meat I had for the video so I thought I was screwed. ;D

How long did it take to dice / chop the fillet? Can you still feel the tiny bones

Not super long actually, way shorter than I thought. Using my hands to mash them up some more after dicing really helped. I think the dicing and grinding part actually took less time than the gutting and filleting, which was a pain.

I felt a couple of bones from this batch when eating the balls but overall it was fine. I could have grind the meat up more I think.

I like herring on the grill. I've never had pike minnow. Would the bones be similar or are pike minnow even worse bonewise?

The bones in the pikeminnows are definitely not the same as the herring, I find them really unforgiving. They are so fine yet sharp, I hate to get even one in my mouth.

Arkatek

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #19 on: April 06, 2022, 07:11:48 PM »

Nice to see someone doing this. I've had the same idea for about a year now but never got out to cultus to catch them. One tip to get better texture is to use sweet potato or tapioca starch, it really helps make them bouncier or more Q.
Logged

Phronesis

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 250
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #20 on: April 06, 2022, 08:06:16 PM »

I've tried pikeminnow, pan fried, they are not bad but too many bones is just not worth for me to take them home.
I have tried peamouth chub too, they dont taste good, mushy texture.
For some reason I dont like hatchery trout from lakes, but from river they taste a lot better.

Logged

Roderick

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 207
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #21 on: April 06, 2022, 10:24:28 PM »

Pan fry in butter and pick them apart with a fork.  Pretty good.  Way better then whitefish. But only the smallish ones. 
« Last Edit: April 06, 2022, 10:26:54 PM by Roderick »
Logged
You shoulda been here yesterday.

243Pete

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 281
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #22 on: April 07, 2022, 01:13:30 AM »

One way to get through all those tiny bones is to use a spoon and gently scrape the meat off the fillets, basically fillet like normal, get a plain spoon and slowly scrape down from the top (collar) to the end of the tail. Don't push to hard but with enough pressure to scrape it off the skin.
We did this with some of the more boney fish like lady fish in Florida, soft meat, tasty but boney AF.
Logged

clarki

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 2050
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #23 on: April 08, 2022, 10:45:06 AM »

I really enjoyed that, Rod.

A little tongue in cheek (or bone in cheek, as the case may be :)), but I also appreciated your comments at the end.

Admittedly, my attitude toward NPM has changed over the years. From kill 'em all to live and let live, with just the occasional one winding up as eagle food.
Logged

RalphH

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5070
    • Initating Salmon Fry
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #24 on: April 08, 2022, 02:10:10 PM »

are sculpins next? ;D They were commonly eaten by FNs, at least those from saltwater. We used to kill all the sculpins (bullheads) we caught and they were thought to be a symptom of an increase in water pollution. Turns out they have a lower tolerance for contamination than trout, or so I have heard. I don't encounter sculpins  very often these days. I have eaten most of the common local coarse fish, carp, chub, brown bullhead, crappie, sucker and pike minnow. None were unpalatable. Also had largemouth and smallmouth bass. I preferred the SMBs. Also pike and walleye. Walleye are the best non-salmonid freshwater fish I have ever eatern & compare favourably to halibut and black cod etc.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2022, 06:23:26 PM by RalphH »
Logged
"The hate of men will pass and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people!" ...Charlie Chaplin, from his film The Great Dictator.

Rodney

  • Administrator
  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14816
  • Where's my strike indicator?
    • Fishing with Rod
Re: Eating pikeminnows
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2022, 04:19:20 PM »

Thanks again for watching everyone. I plan to do another video on cooking these pikeminnows again, but it'll be with my friend Pailin who hosts Hot Thai Kitchen on YouTube. She'd do a much better job than me. ;D

I will also be trying smallmouth bass this spring.

All this depends on how distracted I get by Interior lake trout in the next couple of months of course... ;D