This may sound controversial (who me?) but I don't like keeping small pike and much rather keep bigger ones.

If you don't like eating pike you are missing it........big time. But here's the rub........avoid the little fellars like the plague.

First off......little pike are a pain in the rear to clean. Oh sure it can be done but it's a pain in the keister. Plus you end up with small stringy strips off the back that doesn't do justice to the firm and fine nature of pike meat. The bones are small and fine and it is easy to cut through them making for a mess and a mouthful of bones  .

I like a pike at least 30" in length and if there are a few guys around one about 36" is even better. If it's a fat one your really in for a treat. Those top strips are now nice and meaty........You will start to get an appreciation of just how firm and sweet pike meat really is once a bigger fish is put into the pan. Plus......with thicker, fatter bones Mr Pike is easy to clean. I will clean a small one in a pinch but usually won't bother. Learn to clean pike, get a decent one and try it out........the local walleye population will thank you and so will your canoeing partners. 

When my brother and I were kids, our grandparents took us up to Canada a couple of times.  We fished all day, every day of those trips with my brother and I catching a lot of small pike.  Being boys and not knowing any better, of course we wanted to keep and eat as many as we could.  Grandpa would clean just enough for supper, but no more.  We ate pike every day for both shore lunch and supper back at camp.  Looking back on it, I not only can't thank my grandpa enough for cleaning those fish for us, but I feel kind of sorry for him!  Lol!  But man, were those ever the good ole days.

It helps if I remember to add the link.

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That was a pretty good video. He makes it look pretty easy!

Jax.......

Hold your pike upright......go from the back downward until you hit the tops of the Y bones.........strip off to the dorsal fin.

These are the best pieces of fish in freshwater other than perch (sacrilege!!). I will definitely disagree with Prouboy here.......the bigger pike will render the fattest tenderloin strips. Now they can strut their stuff. There is no other freshwater fish that I know of with such firmness. Canadian Walleyes have a little better taste but if you like it less flaky the pike strips are the treat.

And like db I take the two pieces from the dorsal to the tail on either side. This is all fast and easy and yes everything needs to eat so that is all I bother with on a smaller pike..........but, on a bigger pike it is not that tough to proceed to put a little time in and work around the Y bones. The bones are now fully developed and not so bad to work around with a sharp knife.

I put a death sentence on a 14lb pike on Isle Royale (blood flowing from its gills). It fed 7 people and was absolutely a wonderful eating fish as far as taste was concerned. I do strongly suggest releasing such fish though as they are spawners but bigger pike taste great IMO.