After watching this, would you eat a pikeminnow? Be sure to subscribe and comment below. To get the latest updates: ► Instagram: instagram.com/fishing_with_rod ► Facebook: facebook.com/fishingwithrod
I am definitely open to trying it out. But, instead of a big clean lake, I'll be trying to fish for these in the Fraser River (Vancouver or Richmond). Was always told that these Northern Pikeminnow (and Peamouth Chub) caught in the Fraser River should not be eaten due to pollution or contaminants?
@@ricknelson576 yes, that long pause, with that look - half of disappointment, and half of hanging on to some hope that there is a way to reverse time.
Hi Steven, Northern pikeminnow and peamouth chub move around quite a bit. In the winter time, they usually retreat to tributaries away from the Fraser. Overall they're pretty safe to eat. The quality of the Fraser River water has improved in the past century, but that said getting these fish from lakes like Cultus is more ideal for sure.
I filmed that cooking segment at 2am and was actually so shocked when I realized what I had done. I was even thinking about how I could scoop the sugar out.
I have this same conversation with people down here concerning drum, carp, white bass and other less popular species. All are tasty if you know how to prepare them. Thank you for highlighting the potential of otherwise maligned species. There are no trash fish.
this is exactly it ...every time you go out fishing you learn something new! I release 90% of the fish i catch anyways so, I find fishing for pike minnows actually pretty fun, they bite even during the winter months.
I remembered this video today when I was teaching the children in a class how to make wedding bands. We talked how you Made them. I will try this ,this summer 😊 Oh try stove top and make into fish cakes.add celery n chopped chives.fryvthem yummy for salmon.
That looked great actually. I kill and eat pikeminnows and they're fantastic...and no bones! Fillet the fish leaving the skin on. Lay the fillet skin side down and slice through the flesh (back to belly) without going through the skin across the length of the fish. Squeeze fresh lemon juice or lime and season with Vegeta seasoning or salt, pepper, garlic. Shake in seasoned flour and deep fry. The flour getting in all the slits cut into the fish will disintegrate the bones when fried...and they're a delicious whitefish.
Wicked video man! I hope one day more people learn to love the hobby AND the fish like you and Nick here, it's refreshing seeing skilled anglers like you guys with a lot of experience speak a little higher of this species because they aren't a total write off, sure they're "gamier" tasting than a nice juicy rainbow and no they don't necessarily tail-walk the surface when you play them like a bass but they're a staple in the summertime catch here. it's basically just bass and pikeminnow in this summer heat, the rainbows are pretty shy when the sun is beating down on us at 40c so there's not a lot left for me to target in this heat anyway haha Living in the Okanagan and dealing with this weather each summer, it's nice to know that there's some 4-5lb monster pikeminnow lurking in the warm shallows of the local lakes to slam my lipless crank or spinner when the trout are too hot to strike. A fish is a fish is a fish and it's fun catching anything on light tackle, a 3+lb minnow on 4lb flouro and an ultralight rod can feel like a laker and they can have some bursts of strength and make some runs from time to time. I should add that I understand there are pockets of water where these fish have become and issue, and are even the targets of bounties in some fisheries, but here where I live this fish is a natural part of our ecosystem that is balanced quite well and people seem to have carried that American mentality over here to Canada. This is refreshing breath of air in this hobby, It's always shocked me how some people get when pikeminnow are mentioned, the internet has done some nasty stuff to the brains of the more illiterate fishermen out there where I live, They hear that these fish are invasive and trash fish, they read on the first page of google that it's "Kill on sight" for this nasty dirty fish and to leave on the shore so they act like if you catch one and release it you're a lesser being haha. But this really couldn't be further from the truth, to my knowledge (and I'm not the fish authority) these fish were only a problem in some select locations along the Columbia river basin due to a large number of new dam projects that allowed the population of pikeminnow to explode in those areas, here in the majority of British Columbia they are a native species that end up being the victim of some pretty gnarly mishandling, like leaving them on the beach to rot and wasting the meat that many hungry people would be happy to have, and its kinda' just straight disrespectful to discard a living creature in that kind of manner IMO especially because as far as I know it's not invasive here, that's like leaving a brooktrout on the beach because you don't like it's colour. I genuinely cannot express how many hundreds of people I've ran into with this almost elitist mentality online, They assume the meat is as gross as the fish's reputation in the columbia river, so the thought of eating it is taboo to most haha I usually let them go but I've kept 2 or 3 that were absolute monsters so I could try to salvage the meat and it wasn't horrible, I'd give it a solid 7/10 and with the right seasoning and all, pretty much anything can be a 10 haha I've watched children post pictures with GIANT pikeminnow they caught and huge smiles on their faces beaming from excitement, just to be eaten alive in the comments by angry rednecks and keyboard warriors leaving puke emojis, endlessly mocking the people that are just trying to enjoy themselves on the water. Many local facebook groups are full of that kind of thing these days, and people are just trying to have fun and enjoy the hobby. I Love seeing videos like this, they might point people in a more positive direction with these kinds of fish here in BC. You don't have to love them or eat them but I hate seeing that cliche of them being thrown around for "birdfood" for no reason here. It's just a waste you know!
Great video. There is way too much elitism when it comes to food fish, especially in BC where we have enjoyed an abundance of highly popular fish like Salmon, Halibut, Lingcod and Sablefish. Now as their numbers dwindle, I think it’s responsible to find food fisheries that are at a lower risk of overfishing. Good job Rod for trying to help get rid of the stigma around so-called “trash fish”. Hopefully you’ll inspire other local fishing content creators to take the catch and cook challenge, and spread awareness that a bit of creativity can make a healthy meal out of a species most fishermen erroneously consider a nuisance
Brad that seems too generic. I'm sure there are waterbodies where you can catch and eat pikeminnows safely down there. The consumption safety of fish is more location dependent than species dependent. If the lake or river is polluted, then it's definitely not safe to eat them, but if the fish are coming from a clean waterbody, then it should be fine.
I have to double check and confirm with the biologist here but I am almost certain that for non-game fish species, there in fact isn't a daily quota. I will follow up.
Love the video! I catch and release a large amount of these bad boys every year when the shallows are too warm for trout in Adams Lake, and on ultra light gear it's pretty fun, and the kids love it! I've yet to eat some, but I might have to try some fish balls now. Sight fishing off a paddleboard is an absolute blast for these guys, highly recommend it, toss a ned rig and drag it along the bottom and you'll have more pikeminnow then you'll know what to do with.
It works well for fine bones found in pikeminnow, and you have to grind it down really fine, preferrably in a food processor. You certainly can't do this to all fish species, if the bones are big and solid then they are not going to break down.
I loved this video!! I always throw pike minnows back to swim another day, but I need to try cooking them I think! Of course now I won’t be able to catch any🤔🎣🍜
good stuff 👍 the first time I’ve caught a northern pike minnow i thought it was a white fish so went home cooked it up and almost threw up after taking a bite lol
Great video rod ! These fish balls would also taste good in Chinese hotpot or fried fish cakes western style. Adding chopped green onion or leeks would also add to the flavour I also heard that local pike minnow were full of parasites . Is that something we should be worried about if we consumed these ?
Thanks! All the fish I filleted had beautiful fillets and no signs of parasites. I think that's probably mostly a myth attached to the species. Perhaps in the summer time when water is warmer you'd find more parasitic worms etc attached to the fish. And yeah the fish balls would be great in hot pot for sure! Ramen soup, Vietnamese pho, Thai curry... so many options!
I have some decent underwater footage of pike minnows if you need some B-roll for your upcoming video. Check out the two minute mark of this video for example: th-cam.com/video/Urpudz-AYnk/w-d-xo.html I have a soft spot for these fish. I guess I just hate the senseless killing of a species that's lived here since the ice age at least. In B.C. it's illegal to waste the fish you catch, the regs specifically state that if your fish is not suitable for eating, it must be released unharmed.
Thanks petr! I actually have quite a bit of underwater footage of pikeminnows already. Got some right before you filmed these, feeding aggressively in a lake. :)
It's a lot of work prepping them for sure though, but it was worth as everyone enjoyed them. I might do it once awhile, the rest of the time I'll release them as always. :)
In Hong Kong there is a signature dish called curry fish balls. Basically it’s skewers of fish balls in curry gravy/soup. This would be a good fish for it. 🙂
Why not hey. It sounds so good to me. You definitely dont know if you dont try. Will have to try it next time I catch them. Many different fish and many different ways to cook them up. 🙂
Yeah definitely. I'm always interested in exploring and experimenting with new recipes, it's quite exciting. Thanks for checking the video out Shelley!
Best episode yet. Especially the sugar mistake haha. I've know people to catch and cook PM for fish cakes. I've never had PM yet but if someone cooked em I would try. Carp I've had and it tasted like carp. But anything can taste good if prepared correctly. Good on ya. Looks like more and more people are catching and enjoying these fish. Too bad they fight so poorly.
We were fishing right on the bottom. Whenever you're fishing in water that deep (for lakes anyway), whether you're bait fishing, trolling, jigging, etc, you'd want to be on the bottom five feet of the water column. That's where pretty much all the fish are feeding. If you are looking for pikeminnows, I also just put out a video last week on fishing for them in the Fraser River right now, something for the kids to do if they want to go fishing in the winter.
Hey Rod great video, I might have to buck up and try it one of these days, I usually just put em back but maybe one day soon I'll try it or test it out on the old man.
Dude this was a riot. I loved that you made fish balls with them; haven't had that in years. Enjoying your content too, your helping me learn how to catch a coho!
@@FishingwithRod Yeah dude. I'd say thanks to you and a few other helpful folks I was able to put it together and finally catch one. It was an awesome experience. Thanks for sharing and happy fishing Rod.
We have to diversify our food fish. Because some species we are eating into extinction. My daughter has started eating mole crabs (sand crabs) and has created a couple tastey dishes. I'll fish for pike minnow this summer and it to the menu.
Theres no such thing as TRASH fish imo theres only people with TRASH taste.... or TRASH cooking abilities lol Way to go Rod showing respect to every species!
Even of your not a fan of them. They make great dog food. Mix them in with the scraps from salmon season and whatever else. Along with veggies and brown rice. Nothing better for the doggos.
Interesting video Rod 👍. Come to Hawewood lk, I catch 4lb+ pikeminows. The reason I dislike them is , they eat everything. Trout eggs, Trout fry, minnows. They are taking over the lk. As they are becoming the dominant species on the lks.
The "problem" with waterbodies like Haywood Lake is that once it is dammed, it creates a much more favourable environment for species like pikeminnows, so that balance will never be changed unless the dam is removed. Same scenario can be found on the Columbia. The problem doesn't really like on the fish species itself, but more the altered ecosystem done by us. They also thrive because the environment is no longer ideal for trout and char, which in fact prey on pikeminnow fry in the spring.
Hey rod have you heard of mill lake bass in abbotsford? I have some pictures of a kid with a 9 pound large mouth from the dock there and I think targeting them could make a great video, even though it technically shouldn’t be there as they are invasive. Cheers for the recipe!
Yep, Mill Lake indeed has had largemouth bass for many years now and due to the productivity of the lake, it has the potential to yield pretty large specimens. If you look in the shallows, quite often you'd see schools of small largemouth bass swimming by. I do have some filming plans for largemouth bass in the near future. Thanks!
As soon as you mentioned you were boiling them I thought it was a spoof video and you were actually making boilies for carp fishing but then I realized they might be a bit big for carp... I'd try them..!
I guess the seasoning you’re missing is ginger and green onion😄chop them up, mix with 2-3 tbsp of water, marinade for 5mins, only take the water and add to the fish paste.
Yep you know it! That's actually what I'll be adding next time. I've done lots of meat/fish balls etc in the past, and usually I'd have onions/spring onions in them. This time I just wanted to try without it and I'd give it a 7 out of 10 for now. There's room for improvement.
I usually used them for soup to add taste to the soup but the tiny bones make it hard to eat them. Grinding it to make fish ball is a good idea. I used chum meat for fish ball. But chum will likely be closed for retention. So will try to use pike minnow. Is the fish ball bouncy like chum?
Will the bouncy texture in fish balls can be achieved with any fish species I think. That texture comes from the use of corn or potato starch. I've actually tried doing this with chum salmon before with mediocre results so far. I knew the white flesh of pikeminnows would work well before I started it and I'm glad it turned out well. This gives people another sustainable option. Actually, my original idea was to make these fish balls, and also use the rest of the fish for soup (which I've done many years ago), and serve the fish balls in the soup. Next time!
Maybe also try filleting and covering in cornstarch. Deep fry low and long and the bones will be edible. Works on flatfish in Japan. Add some ponzu on the side and you're golden!
Nigel I'm going to let you try that first and let me know lol. I find the bones in pikeminnows are really unforgiving, almost scary. How's the family settling in over here now? :)
Try to eat the smaller one like the ones we kept in this video. These fish actually live for a long time, the bigger specimens are 10 to 20 year olds or more, and I personally like to eat fish that have not lived for that long, for health reasons. :)
Not sure if you watch outdoor chef life but he has a series called deliciously invasive and he did an episode making pike minnow fish balls and they looked really good !
I haven't done a dogfish catch and cook yet but I really should. It's in fact the most exported fish from here. It's used in fish and chips in many countries, and actually tastes really good.
These are fun to catch but the only recipe I found online for these guys was 15 steps long. Step 15 - Throw it in the trash. All joking aside...great to see you using this resource. Thanks Rod.
Also straight comedy when you dumped the sugar instead of the salt. You went from taiwanese to shanghainese style fish balls. Kudos to Nick for trying them and liking them! Crossing cultural boundaries with fishing.
Haha yeah the style of fish balls changed in a couple of seconds... And yes I'm glad Nick was willing to try them. I recently found out that he enjoys pho and that made me pretty excited. 😆
I'd like to know the nutritional value of these fish. I heard the meat was good tasting, just boney. If they're low in mercury and other contaminants, that would probably give people more incentive to eat them. Last summer a heron perched up next to me at shore, he enjoyed his pikeminnow I gave him.
I wouldn't know the nutritional value of them, but I think getting these fish from a deep cold undisturbed lake like Cultus can definitely be a sustainable, healthy source for anyone who enjoys eating fish.
Yeah, Pikeminnows usually start showing up in the tidal portion of the Fraser River around late April. Usually they are mostly small in the spring and first part of summer, but by July until early September, you can catch some really big and silver ones simply be casting and retrieving lures. Here is a video I did on those opportunities almost ten years ago. th-cam.com/video/R4-3lKmroo8/w-d-xo.html
@@FishingwithRod Yeah I fish for them on the north side of the fraser in the sloughs around agassiz. The pump stations that turn on to drain water always hold lots of big pikeminnow, my biggest so far is 21". I use ultralight for them, they can put up a decent fight on light tackle. I caught a few decent ones earlier this year already in the main stem near chilliwack fishing for whitefish, which was surprising becuase I never caught them before in February.
@@FishingwithRod The trick with dogfish is to immediately SKIN it QUICKLY, as soon as you catch it, and that will stop the ammonia from getting into the meat.
Most Asian cooking recipes like this one do involve a bit of sugar in them, but adding three teaspoons... could have been a bit too much lol. Thankfully it didn't seem to affect the taste, probably because I had so much meat in the bowl.
@@FishingwithRod Excellent point. I catch and release carp in the San Joaquin river. They are good-sized and excellent fighters, but the water quality is abysmal. I would never eat any fish out of that river.
I was reading a report on water quality in the US the other day and it summarizes how majority of the waterways are considered too polluted for human use. That's quite a scary reality since it is the most vital natural resource which we depend on.
There isn't a limit for Northern pikeminnow as it is a non-game fish species, in freshwater. In saltwater, non-game fish species has a daily quota of 20.
There is a widespread misnomer that NPM are destructive to the more desired fish like trout and salmon. Yes, they are one of many predators of salmon and trout fry, but in fact it's changes to the environment that have caused some bodies of water to become more favorable to NPM. Killing these fish won't brink back the natural balance, so killing them is just killing, not conservation.
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I am definitely open to trying it out. But, instead of a big clean lake, I'll be trying to fish for these in the Fraser River (Vancouver or Richmond). Was always told that these Northern Pikeminnow (and Peamouth Chub) caught in the Fraser River should not be eaten due to pollution or contaminants?
I laugh my butt off, when you realize you added sugar an not salt. Great video Rod.
@@ricknelson576 yes, that long pause, with that look - half of disappointment, and half of hanging on to some hope that there is a way to reverse time.
Hi Steven, Northern pikeminnow and peamouth chub move around quite a bit. In the winter time, they usually retreat to tributaries away from the Fraser. Overall they're pretty safe to eat. The quality of the Fraser River water has improved in the past century, but that said getting these fish from lakes like Cultus is more ideal for sure.
I filmed that cooking segment at 2am and was actually so shocked when I realized what I had done. I was even thinking about how I could scoop the sugar out.
NICK NEEDS TO BE ON MORE EPISODE'S ROD!!!!!!
Yeah for sure. He's so knowledgable and tells great stories too. It's always a treat to have him in the videos, I will try to get him to do more. :)
I have this same conversation with people down here concerning drum, carp, white bass and other less popular species. All are tasty if you know how to prepare them. Thank you for highlighting the potential of otherwise maligned species. There are no trash fish.
Thanks Tim! In general I just like to see people enjoying fishing, but not abusing fish.
I hope all is well down South. :)
We have ate them! And we quite enjoy catching them. Pikeminnow are not a trash fish #endthestigma!
End the stigma is right! Thanks for watching Joe & Kaitlin and family. 🙂
I caught some big ones at Davie Lake near Prince George. Ate one, they are alright, just a lot of work to get the bones out.
this is exactly it ...every time you go out fishing you learn something new! I release 90% of the fish i catch anyways so, I find fishing for pike minnows actually pretty fun, they bite even during the winter months.
I remembered this video today when I was teaching the children in a class how to make wedding bands. We talked how you Made them. I will try this ,this summer 😊
Oh try stove top and make into fish cakes.add celery n chopped chives.fryvthem yummy for salmon.
That is awesome! 😊
Squawfish stew is yummy!
Good stuff! Do you have an idea of what Pike tastes like?Another fish like Bass or something? We have never eaten Pike. CHEERS
Pike tastes amazing! Some of the best eating fish I've ever had. Check out this video we did in the Yukon:
th-cam.com/video/nbOUEtzQebI/w-d-xo.html
great vid!
Thanks John!
Hey. That’s what Taku from outdoor chef life did too lol
I have to take a look. Is his recipe Japanese? Mine is more Chinese. They'd be very similar but taste a bit different.
........Oh well. LOL. Your videos are great!. Keep them coming :)
That cooking segment was filmed at 2am and it was the first time I've ever done that, I was so shocked. 😆 Thanks for watching!
@@FishingwithRod Us older guys call 2am the best part of the day :). Hopefully we can say hi in passing one of these days. Take care!
I missed it, but he is right they are nice looking fish. Wish they had a little less bone structure. I love how he thinks! True fisherman!
I catch them for $$ each summer in Washington state. Seen my share of them. If you find a plastic grub inside, its mine I'd like it back please!
That looked great actually. I kill and eat pikeminnows and they're fantastic...and no bones! Fillet the fish leaving the skin on. Lay the fillet skin side down and slice through the flesh (back to belly) without going through the skin across the length of the fish. Squeeze fresh lemon juice or lime and season with Vegeta seasoning or salt, pepper, garlic. Shake in seasoned flour and deep fry. The flour getting in all the slits cut into the fish will disintegrate the bones when fried...and they're a delicious whitefish.
Wicked video man! I hope one day more people learn to love the hobby AND the fish like you and Nick here, it's refreshing seeing skilled anglers like you guys with a lot of experience speak a little higher of this species because they aren't a total write off, sure they're "gamier" tasting than a nice juicy rainbow and no they don't necessarily tail-walk the surface when you play them like a bass but they're a staple in the summertime catch here. it's basically just bass and pikeminnow in this summer heat, the rainbows are pretty shy when the sun is beating down on us at 40c so there's not a lot left for me to target in this heat anyway haha Living in the Okanagan and dealing with this weather each summer, it's nice to know that there's some 4-5lb monster pikeminnow lurking in the warm shallows of the local lakes to slam my lipless crank or spinner when the trout are too hot to strike. A fish is a fish is a fish and it's fun catching anything on light tackle, a 3+lb minnow on 4lb flouro and an ultralight rod can feel like a laker and they can have some bursts of strength and make some runs from time to time.
I should add that I understand there are pockets of water where these fish have become and issue, and are even the targets of bounties in some fisheries, but here where I live this fish is a natural part of our ecosystem that is balanced quite well and people seem to have carried that American mentality over here to Canada.
This is refreshing breath of air in this hobby, It's always shocked me how some people get when pikeminnow are mentioned, the internet has done some nasty stuff to the brains of the more illiterate fishermen out there where I live, They hear that these fish are invasive and trash fish, they read on the first page of google that it's "Kill on sight" for this nasty dirty fish and to leave on the shore so they act like if you catch one and release it you're a lesser being haha. But this really couldn't be further from the truth, to my knowledge (and I'm not the fish authority) these fish were only a problem in some select locations along the Columbia river basin due to a large number of new dam projects that allowed the population of pikeminnow to explode in those areas, here in the majority of British Columbia they are a native species that end up being the victim of some pretty gnarly mishandling, like leaving them on the beach to rot and wasting the meat that many hungry people would be happy to have, and its kinda' just straight disrespectful to discard a living creature in that kind of manner IMO especially because as far as I know it's not invasive here, that's like leaving a brooktrout on the beach because you don't like it's colour. I genuinely cannot express how many hundreds of people I've ran into with this almost elitist mentality online, They assume the meat is as gross as the fish's reputation in the columbia river, so the thought of eating it is taboo to most haha I usually let them go but I've kept 2 or 3 that were absolute monsters so I could try to salvage the meat and it wasn't horrible, I'd give it a solid 7/10 and with the right seasoning and all, pretty much anything can be a 10 haha
I've watched children post pictures with GIANT pikeminnow they caught and huge smiles on their faces beaming from excitement, just to be eaten alive in the comments by angry rednecks and keyboard warriors leaving puke emojis, endlessly mocking the people that are just trying to enjoy themselves on the water. Many local facebook groups are full of that kind of thing these days, and people are just trying to have fun and enjoy the hobby. I Love seeing videos like this, they might point people in a more positive direction with these kinds of fish here in BC. You don't have to love them or eat them but I hate seeing that cliche of them being thrown around for "birdfood" for no reason here. It's just a waste you know!
Thanks for the positive comment. Well said!
Turning trash to treasure great video rod would like to see more recipes
Yep I'll keep thinking up more video recipes. 👍
I’ve caught a cooked a couple Pikeminnow, actually pretty tasty
Great video. There is way too much elitism when it comes to food fish, especially in BC where we have enjoyed an abundance of highly popular fish like Salmon, Halibut, Lingcod and Sablefish. Now as their numbers dwindle, I think it’s responsible to find food fisheries that are at a lower risk of overfishing. Good job Rod for trying to help get rid of the stigma around so-called “trash fish”. Hopefully you’ll inspire other local fishing content creators to take the catch and cook challenge, and spread awareness that a bit of creativity can make a healthy meal out of a species most fishermen erroneously consider a nuisance
Thanks A C. 👍
The government here in Washington state say these are unsafe to eat, I hope they're wrong.
Brad that seems too generic. I'm sure there are waterbodies where you can catch and eat pikeminnows safely down there. The consumption safety of fish is more location dependent than species dependent. If the lake or river is polluted, then it's definitely not safe to eat them, but if the fish are coming from a clean waterbody, then it should be fine.
love this episode rod, whats the limit for the pike minnows? i am guessing different limits for various water bodies?
I have to double check and confirm with the biologist here but I am almost certain that for non-game fish species, there in fact isn't a daily quota. I will follow up.
Love the video! I catch and release a large amount of these bad boys every year when the shallows are too warm for trout in Adams Lake, and on ultra light gear it's pretty fun, and the kids love it! I've yet to eat some, but I might have to try some fish balls now. Sight fishing off a paddleboard is an absolute blast for these guys, highly recommend it, toss a ned rig and drag it along the bottom and you'll have more pikeminnow then you'll know what to do with.
I have before out of okanagan lake. Not half bad. Key is to throw the filets in a food processor to get the bones out and make patties
What food processor do you use? The Kitchenaid has a grinder attachment available and I might get that and try this again with it.
@@FishingwithRod Just an old school cuisinart processor! Didn't feel any bones.
I need to try these I was always told they are a trash fish and to kill them and throw them back
i have smoked them and folks thought they were white fish
It's a hit! I'm impressed, especially for the first time! Way to think outside the box, Rod!
Thanks William!
They make great bait for lake trout.
does making it into fish paste help with dealing with the bones cause if so this is how i cook all my fish that i catch for now on
It works well for fine bones found in pikeminnow, and you have to grind it down really fine, preferrably in a food processor. You certainly can't do this to all fish species, if the bones are big and solid then they are not going to break down.
I have eaten this fish species and can testify that they're absolutely not worth it. They are just as fun to catch as trout though!
Maybe try the way I cooked it in this video next time. 🙂
I loved this video!! I always throw pike minnows back to swim another day, but I need to try cooking them I think! Of course now I won’t be able to catch any🤔🎣🍜
You're probably just end up catching all kokanee like when you wanted kokanee but caught rainbows. 😆
good stuff 👍 the first time I’ve caught a northern pike minnow i thought it was a white fish so went home cooked it up and almost threw up after taking a bite lol
😆 Time to try it again. 😆
Gotta get them when the water is still cold, before they've moved shallow for spawn...
Amazing video as always Rod!!!
Thanks Felipe!
Great video rod ! These fish balls would also taste good in Chinese hotpot or fried fish cakes western style. Adding chopped green onion or leeks would also add to the flavour
I also heard that local pike minnow were full of parasites . Is that something we should be worried about if we consumed these ?
Thanks! All the fish I filleted had beautiful fillets and no signs of parasites. I think that's probably mostly a myth attached to the species. Perhaps in the summer time when water is warmer you'd find more parasitic worms etc attached to the fish.
And yeah the fish balls would be great in hot pot for sure! Ramen soup, Vietnamese pho, Thai curry... so many options!
You need to post the current recipe and the improved one soon.
Working on it!
I have some decent underwater footage of pike minnows if you need some B-roll for your upcoming video. Check out the two minute mark of this video for example: th-cam.com/video/Urpudz-AYnk/w-d-xo.html
I have a soft spot for these fish. I guess I just hate the senseless killing of a species that's lived here since the ice age at least. In B.C. it's illegal to waste the fish you catch, the regs specifically state that if your fish is not suitable for eating, it must be released unharmed.
Thanks petr! I actually have quite a bit of underwater footage of pikeminnows already. Got some right before you filmed these, feeding aggressively in a lake. :)
I can't believe how much a sculpin looks like a mini lingcod.
Yep! Once awhile I'd hear people calling sculpins baby lingcod when they catch one in the Fraser or from seaside docks. 😆
@@FishingwithRod I'd be surprised if they weren't related in the not so recent past. Enjoyed the video, keep them coming! 😀
Interesting. I always just put them back, never thought about eating them
It's a lot of work prepping them for sure though, but it was worth as everyone enjoyed them. I might do it once awhile, the rest of the time I'll release them as always. :)
I would try that for sure. I like the idea of curry with them.
In Hong Kong there is a signature dish called curry fish balls. Basically it’s skewers of fish balls in curry gravy/soup. This would be a good fish for it. 🙂
Why not hey. It sounds so good to me. You definitely dont know if you dont try. Will have to try it next time I catch them. Many different fish and many different ways to cook them up. 🙂
Yeah definitely. I'm always interested in exploring and experimenting with new recipes, it's quite exciting. Thanks for checking the video out Shelley!
Best episode yet. Especially the sugar mistake haha. I've know people to catch and cook PM for fish cakes. I've never had PM yet but if someone cooked em I would try. Carp I've had and it tasted like carp. But anything can taste good if prepared correctly. Good on ya. Looks like more and more people are catching and enjoying these fish. Too bad they fight so poorly.
How deep did you set the bait in 100ft water? We trolled last summer and kids had so much fun. Thanks
We were fishing right on the bottom. Whenever you're fishing in water that deep (for lakes anyway), whether you're bait fishing, trolling, jigging, etc, you'd want to be on the bottom five feet of the water column. That's where pretty much all the fish are feeding. If you are looking for pikeminnows, I also just put out a video last week on fishing for them in the Fraser River right now, something for the kids to do if they want to go fishing in the winter.
@@FishingwithRod thanks! I saw the fraser river too and been looking at the map for shore access 😊😊
Gill Road Bar would be a good venue for this. Lots of quiet fishing space, especially now that the area is closed off to off-road vehicles.
Question, are pikeminnow invasive to alloute lake?
No.
@@FishingwithRod Thanks
I'm going to cook up some pikeminnow. Looks delicious! Cheers from the okanagan!
Hey Rod great video, I might have to buck up and try it one of these days, I usually just put em back but maybe one day soon I'll try it or test it out on the old man.
Test it out on him but tell him it's tuna. 😆
@@FishingwithRod lol I highly doubt he would trust anything I give him but I'm down to test it out on him.
😆
Dude this was a riot. I loved that you made fish balls with them; haven't had that in years. Enjoying your content too, your helping me learn how to catch a coho!
Glad you enjoyed it! Also good to hear that the coho salmon content has been helpful. Thanks for watching!
@@FishingwithRod Yeah dude. I'd say thanks to you and a few other helpful folks I was able to put it together and finally catch one. It was an awesome experience. Thanks for sharing and happy fishing Rod.
Fantastic! Love it! 🤙😂
Thanks Clint!
OMG, I cannot believe it! 😱
Better believe it and watch it tonight. 😎
We have to diversify our food fish. Because some species we are eating into extinction. My daughter has started eating mole crabs (sand crabs) and has created a couple tastey dishes. I'll fish for pike minnow this summer and it to the menu.
Definitely. That’s really well said. 👍
Theres no such thing as TRASH fish imo theres only people with TRASH taste.... or TRASH cooking abilities lol Way to go Rod showing respect to every species!
Definitely. Thanks for checking it out!
Even of your not a fan of them. They make great dog food. Mix them in with the scraps from salmon season and whatever else. Along with veggies and brown rice. Nothing better for the doggos.
A few people have mentioned dog food, but I do wonder how the bones would not bother them when ingested.
Great video, I appreciate the fact that you don't demonize spiny ray species and pikeminnow, I will put more effort into them.😊
Thanks for watching Michael. 👍
Interesting video Rod 👍. Come to Hawewood lk, I catch 4lb+ pikeminows. The reason I dislike them is , they eat everything. Trout eggs, Trout fry, minnows. They are taking over the lk. As they are becoming the dominant species on the lks.
The "problem" with waterbodies like Haywood Lake is that once it is dammed, it creates a much more favourable environment for species like pikeminnows, so that balance will never be changed unless the dam is removed. Same scenario can be found on the Columbia. The problem doesn't really like on the fish species itself, but more the altered ecosystem done by us. They also thrive because the environment is no longer ideal for trout and char, which in fact prey on pikeminnow fry in the spring.
Hey rod have you heard of mill lake bass in abbotsford? I have some pictures of a kid with a 9 pound large mouth from the dock there and I think targeting them could make a great video, even though it technically shouldn’t be there as they are invasive. Cheers for the recipe!
Yep, Mill Lake indeed has had largemouth bass for many years now and due to the productivity of the lake, it has the potential to yield pretty large specimens. If you look in the shallows, quite often you'd see schools of small largemouth bass swimming by. I do have some filming plans for largemouth bass in the near future. Thanks!
As soon as you mentioned you were boiling them I thought it was a spoof video and you were actually making boilies for carp fishing but then I realized they might be a bit big for carp...
I'd try them..!
Well we have no shortage of them to try here. Someone will soon setup a pikeminnow balls stand at Cultus. 😆
I guess the seasoning you’re missing is ginger and green onion😄chop them up, mix with 2-3 tbsp of water, marinade for 5mins, only take the water and add to the fish paste.
Yep you know it! That's actually what I'll be adding next time. I've done lots of meat/fish balls etc in the past, and usually I'd have onions/spring onions in them. This time I just wanted to try without it and I'd give it a 7 out of 10 for now. There's room for improvement.
What was in their stomachs? What seems to be their food source this time of year.
I actually didn’t check, probably not a whole lot of stuff.
@@FishingwithRod So they just hybernate down there in a 100 fow.
Nice video. A lot of fun.👍🏻
I usually used them for soup to add taste to the soup but the tiny bones make it hard to eat them. Grinding it to make fish ball is a good idea. I used chum meat for fish ball. But chum will likely be closed for retention. So will try to use pike minnow. Is the fish ball bouncy like chum?
Will the bouncy texture in fish balls can be achieved with any fish species I think. That texture comes from the use of corn or potato starch. I've actually tried doing this with chum salmon before with mediocre results so far. I knew the white flesh of pikeminnows would work well before I started it and I'm glad it turned out well. This gives people another sustainable option. Actually, my original idea was to make these fish balls, and also use the rest of the fish for soup (which I've done many years ago), and serve the fish balls in the soup. Next time!
Maybe also try filleting and covering in cornstarch. Deep fry low and long and the bones will be edible. Works on flatfish in Japan. Add some ponzu on the side and you're golden!
Nigel I'm going to let you try that first and let me know lol. I find the bones in pikeminnows are really unforgiving, almost scary. How's the family settling in over here now? :)
@@FishingwithRod 9
Great video , I would think pikeminnow would be good done like pickled herring
Keep up the good work.
I guess there is only one way to find out. 😃
I love Pikeminnow is so good.
Thanks for the idea!
I’ve already told my fishin buddy we’re eating the next big piker we get 👌🏻
Try to eat the smaller one like the ones we kept in this video. These fish actually live for a long time, the bigger specimens are 10 to 20 year olds or more, and I personally like to eat fish that have not lived for that long, for health reasons. :)
Not sure if you watch outdoor chef life but he has a series called deliciously invasive and he did an episode making pike minnow fish balls and they looked really good !
Yep I’ve watched many of his videos. That’s a real chef, this one just mixes up salt and sugar. 😆
I would like to see you target goldfish on a line in dragon lake! Lol I can’t can’t get one and it’s frustrating!
I'm not eating a goldfish though lol!
Thanks for sharing 👍!
loved the video and great fish recipe. I agree not to waste fish I go fishing once or twice a year and share with my community 👋🏽👍🏽
Thanks Mike!
@@FishingwithRod you’re welcome
Oh well!! LOL everything about this video is awesome.
Hehe thanks!
Great episode and lesson on sustainable consumption. Anything we great spices or sauce makes them edible.
Thank you!
Clever and entertaining cooking challenge! I'd love to try them myself.
Let me know how it goes when you try them. 🤪
I would try it again after seeing this. I would also try dogfish if you did an episode for that too ;)
I haven't done a dogfish catch and cook yet but I really should. It's in fact the most exported fish from here. It's used in fish and chips in many countries, and actually tastes really good.
Your face said it all on the taste lol Great video again tho Rod!!
I guess I'll have to make some for you to try now. 😆
These are fun to catch but the only recipe I found online for these guys was 15 steps long. Step 15 - Throw it in the trash. All joking aside...great to see you using this resource. Thanks Rod.
Also straight comedy when you dumped the sugar instead of the salt. You went from taiwanese to shanghainese style fish balls. Kudos to Nick for trying them and liking them! Crossing cultural boundaries with fishing.
Haha yeah the style of fish balls changed in a couple of seconds... And yes I'm glad Nick was willing to try them. I recently found out that he enjoys pho and that made me pretty excited. 😆
i literally threw over hundred of pms i caught there
Well, time to do it differently now. 🙂
lol
I'd like to know the nutritional value of these fish. I heard the meat was good tasting, just boney. If they're low in mercury and other contaminants, that would probably give people more incentive to eat them.
Last summer a heron perched up next to me at shore, he enjoyed his pikeminnow I gave him.
I wouldn't know the nutritional value of them, but I think getting these fish from a deep cold undisturbed lake like Cultus can definitely be a sustainable, healthy source for anyone who enjoys eating fish.
@@FishingwithRod thanks Rod, definitely agree with you there. I suppose the fraser would produce some good quality pikeminnow as well.
Yeah, Pikeminnows usually start showing up in the tidal portion of the Fraser River around late April. Usually they are mostly small in the spring and first part of summer, but by July until early September, you can catch some really big and silver ones simply be casting and retrieving lures. Here is a video I did on those opportunities almost ten years ago.
th-cam.com/video/R4-3lKmroo8/w-d-xo.html
@@FishingwithRod Yeah I fish for them on the north side of the fraser in the sloughs around agassiz. The pump stations that turn on to drain water always hold lots of big pikeminnow, my biggest so far is 21". I use ultralight for them, they can put up a decent fight on light tackle. I caught a few decent ones earlier this year already in the main stem near chilliwack fishing for whitefish, which was surprising becuase I never caught them before in February.
needs green onions in the fish paste.
Yes! 👍
Good start to my day when I see a new fishing with rod video
Hehe awesome!
Fun video! I'm still waiting for a dogfish catch and cook though 😄
I will one day!
@@FishingwithRod The trick with dogfish is to immediately SKIN it QUICKLY, as soon as you catch it, and that will stop the ammonia from getting into the meat.
What lake is that?
Cultus Lake.
Adding sugar never hurts 😁
Most Asian cooking recipes like this one do involve a bit of sugar in them, but adding three teaspoons... could have been a bit too much lol. Thankfully it didn't seem to affect the taste, probably because I had so much meat in the bowl.
Nice. 🎣
Thanks 👍
you do great videos Rod
Thank you David. 😊
That's awesome rod. Next you have to try carp lol
I actually grew up eating carp in Asia. 😆 If I am able to find carp in waterways that I consider as clean, then I'll try it for sure.
@@FishingwithRod Excellent point. I catch and release carp in the San Joaquin river. They are good-sized and excellent fighters, but the water quality is abysmal. I would never eat any fish out of that river.
I was reading a report on water quality in the US the other day and it summarizes how majority of the waterways are considered too polluted for human use. That's quite a scary reality since it is the most vital natural resource which we depend on.
yummy!!!
They’d probably be good in pho. 😜
Awesome
Thanks Martin!
what bait are you using?
Worms.
thanks!
Is there a limit
I think its 15 or something
Check for urself
There isn't a limit for Northern pikeminnow as it is a non-game fish species, in freshwater. In saltwater, non-game fish species has a daily quota of 20.
Why are guys (TH-camrs) always murdering these native BC (PNW) fish?
I’ve even send guys catch&release BASS and kill the Pike.
Even Jordan @ADDICTEDFISHING “dispatched” NPM cuz they eat salmon &steelhead. That’s the creators nature man.
There is a widespread misnomer that NPM are destructive to the more desired fish like trout and salmon. Yes, they are one of many predators of salmon and trout fry, but in fact it's changes to the environment that have caused some bodies of water to become more favorable to NPM. Killing these fish won't brink back the natural balance, so killing them is just killing, not conservation.