Bit of success!

[jrs]

Heres a few pics from my past few trips (took pics twice out of four, pretty good for me). Last weekend i managed 9 burbs, today i got 10 and three pike as well. The picture with the three is from last weekend, the big one was pushing 40''. The two were todays, i got my third keeper as i was packing up, almost getting too picky again.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP0372.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP0364.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP0368.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP0371.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP0357.jpg

[nube]

Good stuff. I imagine it was Gull? I was out there the other day and caught a dozen of them in 4 hours. I don't know what they weighed but I would have thought the 5 biggest were about 8 pounds. Huge fish and the line would cut my fingers pulling them up. Never noticed till I got home and it hurt. No Pike though. I had my baits right on the bottom laying on the sand so not sure if a pike could get at it or not.

[jrs]

Gull is correct, i lost many fish during the battle today and had many bites that didn't result in hook ups. Two of the pike did suck it right off the bottom, the other hit it while i was trying to adjust the depth. I will be out again tomorrow if the weather cooperates, it got miserable at about 5:30 today and i headed home. They were really small today and mostly males, i may try to move around a bit to find some bigger girls. Was fun anyway, one of these times i may target something else in there as well.

[Prdtrgttr]

Great pics JRS, thanks for sharing. What depths do you fish burbs at? Do you go shallower as it gets closer to dark? Do you recommend still sets? I've fished lots of whites, perch, and pike, sounds like fun trying for some burbs. My boys will like them too I bet! I am going to try hit some of the local reservoirs here before the season closes.

[Alberta Bigbore]

nice pics. wish i was fishin and not workin, lol:D

[jrs]

"Do you go shallower as it gets closer to dark? Do you recommend still sets?"

I just started catching them this year. I'm fishing a 1/4 oz white jig head with chunks of smelts about 1-4'' off bottom. I have a small treble tied on as a stinger as well (using heavy dacron). I've been fishing 14-18 feet of water where depth changes the quickest (good drop offs). So far its worked okay, i have noticed tip ups are poor for burbot as many of them will sit there and chew for 15 minutes, led to a few badly gut hooked fish earlier this winter for me. I haven't been able to find the burbot as the day progresses, i tried moving a bit shallower today when the bite died off with no luck. It peaked at about 11 am where i was, I'd assume they're shallower in the evening but i haven't caught them consistently after about 4:00.
I've caught more on still sets than jigging so far as well, they seem to be coming in a bit hungrier now though. Fun to target new species, have to try new things until it works out.
edit. i use a spinning rod with a bell as a still set, often it will jingle once then i wait till the line starts to go sideways before setting the hook.

[SNAPFisher]

Way to go!!! Yours and other reports from Gull are making me excited to fish there. Thanks for the report.

[nube]

Funny you mention the gut hooked ones because I opened up the guts of one and it had a hook and leader inside the stomache. I fished in 12 feet of water and caught mine near a drop off and all afternoon long.

[pecker]

thanks for the tips anglers--- still have to catch one of those burbs .:wave:

[Lethalconnection]

Great lookin fish you got, by the looks of them they are all spawned out. Was there last week and they were still all fat, a few looked to be spawned out though.

[jrs]

Not spawned out lethal, gutted as soon as i retain them, i only caught one skinny fish today and one yesterday. They are all thick and i don't think they're spawning yet as the eggs are still not flowing with a bit of pressure on the belly. Now that i look they do seem kind of skinny :lol:


I may finally be burbed out.....

28'' Pike, released
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP0378.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP0379.jpg

Caught a total of 13 burbs, released all but my three :lol: I recaptured one particular fish for the third time today, its missing a fin and has a funny looking growth on its belly, kind of cool when a person starts recognizing individual fish.
This is the first winter I've kept numerous limits of anything but stocked trout, guys at work all really want to try burbot and there's a few senior citizens down south i haven't shared any fish with this year yet so that my plan. Let some bigger ones go today, settled with two males and a female for supper and sharing. The fact they're easy to fillet is my favorite part of these fish, sure beats trying to remove the y-bones on pike.
Anyway, here's a few release photos and the end of day bounty, the one turned around and tried to come back up on release, made for a poor photo :) .

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP0380.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP0376.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/edsicom/IMGP0382.jpg

Actually had my license checked today, good to see them out and about, luckily he gave me and my gear a ride back to the car as i was just walking out with the auger and stuff when he pulled up. Nice guy, gave me a few tips for perch so now i have something else to target in there. He seemed really surprised i didn't keep any pike, guess i know what most guys like to keep for supper in there.

[Lethalconnection]

Ahh that would explain the extreme slenderness on them. Looks like you had another good haul today. Congrats