Really?

[reeldiel]

Do people really eat pickerel and sheepshead??

[Paul Czarnecki]

People can eat anything that doesn't kill them. I personally have tried sheepshead and, although bony, was not only edible but actually quite good. I've never had pickerel but a musky taken in early May was excellent.

People can eat anything---they eat catfish for gods sake!

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[Rich D]

Have been told pickerel is very very good, you just need to fillet them properly. Someday I will try it.

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[shakenbake114]

Pickerel is very good. We save all our big pickerel and make patties out of them. We grind them up and turn them into fish cakes.

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[dukhnter8]

Never ate pickerel but have eaten many pike and they are good just need to fillet the y bone out. There are videos on youtube that show how.

[reeldiel]

Fish cakes actually sounds good!

[devoknevo]

pikefreak and I are throwing a Sheepshead and dogfish BBQ this summer.

.......details to follow.

[monkeyman2269]

I have heard people just take the scallop type thing out the sheephead and throw the rest away. You could not pay me to eat dogfish I have cut one open for a school project. Plus they stink

[Tim Bromund]

Never ate pickerel but have eaten many pike and they are good just need to fillet the y bone out. There are videos on youtube that show how.

Yeah, what he said. Pike are delicious.

 

I've tried sheepshead and personally wasn't impressed.  Maybe there are better ways to prepare them than what we tried.

 

Tim

[guff]

Pike are excellent eating. We get around bones by cutting fillet in half length wise. Bottom half has no bones. We then cut the top half lengthwise but only deep enough to reach bones. With a fork and fingers separate 2 halves . Only one will have bones which can be pulled out easily. Works on decent size pickeral also

[jimski2]

The way this country is going, soon you will be eating sheep heads.

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[rolmops]

Pike,carp,pickerel and sheepshead can be left over night in water with vinegar. The acid will soften the small bones. In Canada they call walleye pickerel.

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[Erskin]

Why not have some possum and make it a surf and turf.  

Edited May 19, 2015 by Erskin

[salmonboy41]

Can't be any worse then trying to eat a lake trout.

[rolmops]

Can't be any worse then trying to eat a lake trout.

You had better not post that in the fingerlakes section

[fatboyjack1]

 _{Sheephead (drum) are great eating. We catch a ton of them walleye fishing in lake Erie, and we always keep a couple of the smaller ones for the grill. I am not fully sure that I understand why people call them trash fish, and why people intentionally kill them ?? They can be a nuisance when walleye fishing......and perch fishing, but the fight is great. I hooked my oldest uncle onto a 10+ pounder last year and it gave him a real run for his money. Those guys hit bottom and keep on digging.}

 

_{My approach to sheephead : Leave fish whole, trim tail and fins. Remove guts. Heavily salt the inside of the fish. Make 3-4 slits per side on the fish (angled), about 1/4" deep. Season outside. Heat CHARCOL grill to med high heat. Once the temp is in the 400 degree(ish) range, place fish over direct heat to SEAR. Only sear for 1-2 min's. Turn fish. Repeat sear on opposing side. Once seared, place fish over indirect heat and close vents to get around 300 degrees. Add alder wood for light smoke. Cook/light smoke fish to about 40 minutes until internal temp reaches 135 min (I like 145 min). Let cool, remove skin.......eat up !}

 

_{The meat on a sheaphead is fairly dense, so don't expect it to fall apart like Tilapia.}

 

_{However, in my experience.....it isn't very good deep fried.}

 

  

[traveling man]

I have made pickerel patties in the early season. they are very good. I have never tried them after the water warms.

[W.W.IV.]

I've eaten heads along with smallmouth and couldn't tell the difference.

My self,I don't like tilapia,its to mushy and tastless,but then there are a ton of people out there that think its wonderfull.

[W.W.IV.]

pikefreak and I are throwing a Sheepshead and dogfish BBQ this summer.

.......details to follow.

I'm in.

[Skidplate]

Can't be any worse then trying to eat a lake trout.

What do you like eating?

[Sk8man]

Large Pickerel are absolutely delicious and are much like walleye in my opinion (which is my ultimate favorite freshwater fish to eat).  There are ways of filleting them that get rid of the bones too but I haven't taken the time to master it.....my son has a handle on it though and your kids should always be encouraged in their efforts to practice

[salmonboy41]

What do you like eating?

I've had pickerel and it isn't bad, never tried Sheephead though.

personally I prefer Walleyes, pan fish, trout and salmon minus Lake trout as I've never had one that tasted very good even the smaller ones from the AKD's.  I think the greatest tasting fish I've ever had was splake.

[bigblue]

Pickerel and pike are great pickled in a brine along with onions.

[hairbone]

Why not have some possum and make it a surf and turf.

If you are going that far...you might include some road kill skunk, arse hole and all

[TileMan Dan]

What is a "splake". Never heard of that species before.

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