tips for burbot

[crawad]

been catching lots of burbot but a lot of small ones....I've tried flats in 8:-16' water with weedy bottom, tried side slopes in anywhere from 6-18' and it seems to be the same everywhere just tinkers(lb or so)
anyone have any useful tips.....ghost is my closest la:sign0176:ke

[SKSniper]

I'm not sure there are any ways to specifically target the big ones other than using bigger baits maybe. I have caught some nice ones this winter using a full smelt on a jig head.

[Icouldeatababydeer]

I'm not sure there are any ways to specifically target the big ones other than using bigger baits maybe. I have caught some nice ones this winter using a full smelt on a jig head.

And you just lay your jig head and smelt on bottom of the lake with the line tight??

[bunnyhunter]

it also depends what lake.....a lot have reduced population due to the discovery of how deliciuos they are. 10 years ago they were trash fish.
usually a good fresh bait-smelt , minnow even strip of beef liver on bottom near and after sundown works if theres a good population

[stubblejumper01]

Up at Slave I catch lots on the same jig and minnow combos I use for walleye.
I just jig normally about a foot of bottom and catch both species along with the odd pike. Usually in about 30' of water.

[SKSniper]

And you just lay your jig head and smelt on bottom of the lake with the line tight??

Ya, I usually have it sitting just an inch or two off the bottom. I have had them take it while I was jigging my rod and also while I had a bobber on just sitting still. They have poor eyesight and they don't seem to notice wire leaders but I still prefer 40lb mono leader.

[waterninja]

If your catching lots of smaller ones, your allready doing everything right. Just have to keep releasing the little ones and hope a bigger one gets a chance at your hook.

[polar_rmk]

Dont get what you guys do with that fish.
catch burbot is a very easy task.
Leave a big double hook with a bite on bottom for overnight, in the morning go and collect the trophy. I used many different bites, herring from Superstore, small piece of sucker or whitefish. I even tried chicken guts ... it works. That guy eats everything.
Actually, I will tell yo one secret, dont use ordinary fishing line, because burbot carefully tasting bite before swallowing it. So, line has to be soft.

[Mitchthefisher]

Jig and a smelt right off the bottom, cant keep them off my hook at gull doing that.

[timsesink]

Dont get what you guys do with that fish.
catch burbot is a very easy task.
Leave a big double hook with a bite on bottom for overnight, in the morning go and collect the trophy. I used many different bites, herring from Superstore, small piece of sucker or whitefish. I even tried chicken guts ... it works. That guy eats everything.

This is illegal, read the regs on distance from set lines.

[polar_rmk]

I am not a big fan to catch a burbot. So, I am not doing it anymore.
Do you mean it is illegal to leave bait on the bottom? Burbot is a bottom feeder.

[timsesink]

You can only be a certain distance away from your set line at anytime. So leaving it overnight or while you go somewhere else is against the law. I'm not telling you the distance so you'll go read the regs :)

[Fishslayer99]

It is illegal to leave the line unattended.

[calgarygringo]

I'm not telling you the distance so you'll go read the regs

[polar_rmk]

Well I was staying overnight in tent just 5 meters away.

[Macdrizzle]

Not to mention that using whitefish flesh as bait is illegal.

[polar_rmk]

When grab any frozen fish flesh from superstore, lol

[polar_rmk]

Personally I am against burbot fishing, catching him very easy no any skills required, however getting rid of burbots we are losing important bottom cleaner. Remember when something decaying on a bottom of lakes it takes oxygen and producing h2s, that means less fish.
that's especially important for lakes with no current

[cube]

Personally I am against burbot fishing, catching him very easy no any skills required, however getting rid of burbots we are losing important bottom cleaner. Remember when something decaying on a bottom of lakes it takes oxygen and producing h2s, that means less fish.
that's especially important for lakes with no current


Pretty sure when the burbot eats the stuff off the bottom it uses Oxygen to digest and utilize that energy so no difference in the long run there. It does however keep those neutrients away from the Cyano-bacteria but then again burbot are not the only bottom feeders out there.

[Icouldeatababydeer]

Personally I am against burbot fishing, catching him very easy no any skills required, however getting rid of burbots we are losing important bottom cleaner. Remember when something decaying on a bottom of lakes it takes oxygen and producing h2s, that means less fish.
that's especially important for lakes with no current

Dead fish produce h2s? They didnt tell me that in the h2s alive course...

[polar_rmk]

Dead fish produce h2s? They didnt tell me that in the h2s alive course...

The same **** that comes from wells are sometimes on bottoms of our lakes and even seas.
That gas builds up from decaying any organic materials, it might be dead fish or even fisherman body .... :-). Oxygen being consumed during process of decaying and many poisoned gases including h2s are out.
Black Sea has a lot of that stuff, everything below 200-300m is dead.
In fact H2S that comes from wells are also has been built for some millions years from past organic materials.
Anyway any dead fish on bottom of our lakes doesnt make lakes better in anyway, lets keep bottom feeders alive, and they will do the job.
BTW, burbot is the only one known Cod family fish that lives in fresh waters.

[polar_rmk]

BTW, burbot is a huge fish growing up to 20kg and more, that fish very common in Russia and in all Siberian Lakes.

[fluxcore]

What a misconception a burbots main diet is live minnows / shiners and eggs during various spawns, sure they will pic up a dead minnow but so will a walleye, pike or perch heck guys were nailing pike with a strip of bacon lol. Catch and keep your burbot it was only a few years ago guys were piling them up dead to mark fishing spots lol. One of the least targeted game fish that could take some of the angling pressure off the pike, walleye and perch get after them guys!!

[fluxcore]

BTW, burbot is a huge fish growing up to 20kg and more, that fish very common in Russia and in all Siberian Lakes.

No 20 kg burbot in these parts or really anywhere the world record is 11.4 kg lololo

[marlin1]

caught a 4 pound burbot at ghost with an airplane jig and a smelt . Mind u that was 20 years ago or so . Best lure for me at gull more recently was a propeler type jig in green

[Evil69]

Flux hit the nail on the head. Burbot are NOT scavengers. the primary portion of their diet is minnows, small crustaceans and most detrimental to the sport fishery , eggs.

[Fishslayer99]

Dont get what you guys do with that fish.
catch burbot is a very easy task[/B].Leave a big double hook with a bite on bottom for overnight, in the morning go and collect the trophy. I used many different bites, herring from Superstore, small piece of sucker or whitefish. I even tried chicken guts ... it works. That guy eats everything.
Actually, I will tell yo one secret, dont use ordinary fishing line, because burbot carefully tasting bite before swallowing it. So, line has to be soft.

I am not a big fan to catch a burbot. So, I am not doing it anymore.Do you mean it is illegal to leave bait on the bottom? Burbot is a bottom feeder.

Personally I am against burbot fishing, catching him very easy no any skills required, however getting rid of burbots we are losing important bottom cleaner. Remember when something decaying on a bottom of lakes it takes oxygen and producing h2s, that means less fish.
that's especially important for lakes with no current

This seems somewhat contradictory to me? maybe I just don't know enough about fishing and burbot.:confused::confused::confused:

[polar_rmk]

I know nothing about burbot but hey leave good hook on bottom with some rotten fish or meat on it and you will see what I mean. I caught hundreds of burbots that way when had a job in a very remote arctic region of Russian Federation. I didn't even use a fishing line just rope lol. I hate how that fish tastes though, but did that fishing for co-workers, they were making dumplings from them. If you put enough spices meat doesn't stink so badly.

[polar_rmk]

Also forgot to mention burbots were abandon in these lakes where natives were dumping all their remains from hunting and fishing. Btw I saw how native ppl do burbot fishing. In fall when ice is thin and transparent they walk on shallow areas looking for fish. Burbot moves very slow. If they see they hit the ice with a big wooden hummer. Burbot then rises they make whole with another hummer to get it.

[polar_rmk]

If you think that burbots aren't scavengers dump guts from elk or dear into a lake. The next night all burbots from the whole lake will be there

[polar_rmk]

If you think that burbots aren't scavengers dump guts from elk or dear into a lake. The next night all burbots from the whole lake will be there

[Fishslayer99]

I know nothing about burbot but hey leave good hook on bottom with some rotten fish or meat on it and you will see what I mean. I caught hundreds of burbots that way when had a job in a very remote arctic region of Russian Federation. I didn't even use a fishing line just rope lol. I hate how that fish tastes though, but did that fishing for co-workers, they were making dumplings from them. If you put enough spices meat doesn't stink so badly.

Also forgot to mention burbots were abandon in these lakes where natives were dumping all their remains from hunting and fishing. Btw I saw how native ppl do burbot fishing. In fall when ice is thin and transparent they walk on shallow areas looking for fish. Burbot moves very slow. If they see they hit the ice with a big wooden hummer. Burbot then rises they make whole with another hummer to get it.

If you think that burbots aren't scavengers dump guts from elk or dear into a lake. The next night all burbots from the whole lake will be there


I am not saying you know nothing about burbot rmk, I think we can just agree to disagree. They are opportunistic like any predator fish, a pike or walleye will take advantage of discarded food as well but that does not mean that are bottom feeders... scavengers somewhat yes, like any predatory fish, but not suckers or bottom feeders at all. Is it possible we are not talking about the same fish? You mentioned you don't like the taste, we obviously have different ideas on what good fish tastes like, and I am sure most people would agree.
Burbot in my opinion is the best tasting freshwater fish we have in Canada, and the meat from the burbot around here certainly does not stink! everyone is entitled to their own opinions and I respect yours rmk...I am just slightly confused that's all:confused: