[Godsdog]

I see guys, on TV, fishing for those great big long Muskies and always throw them back in. Are Muskies good to eat? How do they comapare to Small Mouths, Crappies and Walleyes? I can't stand a strong oily fishy flavored fish but I never see anybody doing recipes for Muskies on TV. Need some Muskie enlightenment. Godsdog.

 

[llg]

They are not as tasty as crappie, walleye, or bluegill. In KY muskie have to be 30" to keep. That is a big fish. They are similiar to pike in that they have lots of bones, but they are big bones on a fish that size. They are very slimey, and the flesh is greasy and sticky.
You would not think initially they would be very good, but I fillet them, roll pieces cut 1" x 1" x 6" in cornmeal, and fry in canola oil. Not that bad!!!

 

[Squeeze]

Muskies

Well, yes muskies can be decent table fare. But they have Y-bones,
as do all members of the "pike" family. So they have to be filleted with
a special technique to remove all of the bones. Also, like northern pike,
muskies can be, well, musty tasting when they come from warm summer
waters. With all of that said, eating a muskie, unless taken from waters
where management requires smaller muskies be harvested, is looked upon
as being a low life form, by avid musky anglers. Tourists will put some
in the frying pan, but for the most part, anglers release them until they
are trophy sized(>48"). here in Wisconsin. We have walleyes, crappies,
bluegills, and perch that most people fish for food. Some also add smallmouth,
and largemouth, bass to the list of food fish, but again the bass guys
make funny faces, and sharp comments, to those that do keep them.
But yes one can eat a musky, if they dare

Squeeze