im not a big fan of the taste of unskinned pike either. i always skin it and to deal with the bones you cut it into fish sticks. take the fillet with the skin on it and then cut it like a piano keyboard, about 1/2 inch wide keys. then move the skin and the bones will fry right out. this method works with pike up to 25 or so inches. beyond that, the Y bones are too thick and dont dissolve in the grease. i wouldnt eat a pike over that size anyway.