Where to find burbot.

[Battery]

Well i am sure everyone else here is as excited for ice fishing as me, i usually just go out to dickson trout pond because my family has a stall at carefree on glennifer, but this year id like to target some burbot as i hear they are pretty tasty. So is there any good lakes around the red deer area, preferably on the south side or within 40km's north so it isn't too far of a drive. Thanks guys.

[Alberta Bigbore]

Gull Lake, real good for burbs

[FisherPotch]

GULL! I like glowing jig with minow dead sticked about 2 inches off botom.





Not from gull but cant wait for some burbosity!! I find the fishing for them starts getting good in late January and then better from there. The big guy was 9lbs 10 oz's and 30 inches. Tight lines!

[Drano]

Good looking fish, thanks for sharing them. Must be nice to go out and hook some biggies.

Thx. again 4 sharing...

[Battery]

do they like deep water? and man they're ugly aha. Are they full of bones? and are they as good to eat as everyone says? what fish do they taste like. thanks for the info guys

[bunnyhunter]

they have very few bones! and firm, solid sweet flesh...skinning is the toughest part, real slimy. they do like deep water, but I think they swim shallower after dark, but its been ages since I went fishing for them....caught one by accident on a pike rig last year
jenn

[Huntar]

These fish are the best tasting fish in alberta and are easy to clean. Just cut the skin around the neck then grab it with some pillers and pull. No need to gut them after they are skinned just cut off your fillets. Cook them just like any ocean cod or throw them in boiling water till cooked and dip in garlic butter mmmm poor man lobster. good luck i have best luck at gull also.

Ps i have heard some people will nail there head to a 2b4 so you can keep a good grip when pulling the shin off. Its sad alot of people leave them on the ice thinking there like a sucker fish.

[skykomish sunrise]

in addition if you cut under the ribcage up to the head and back to tha rear the belly meat is very tasty

[fluxcore]

I caught this monster while fishing for perch on Gull, wow the look on my daughters face when it came through the hole priceless. It was a little tough to clean (slimy) it was great eating, not as good as perch but close although pearch is my fave mmmmmmmmmmm I cant wait to get out this year

[munyee4321]

How about down south south here near Lethbridge? Anyone know a good burbot lake? Hooked a whopper at St.Mary's last year but lost him at the hole.

[g1987man]

McGregor lake.... there is some good burbot. not so close to Lethbrige... just thought it might be useful....

[moosehunter3-0]

heres a decent one I got last year (eyes a little sore from bright snow all day lol), looking forward to more fillets this year.

[moosehunter3-0]

mmmmmmmmmmmm burbot yummy

[Battery]

i just cant understand how something so ugly can taste good ahaha

[eric2381]

We used to catch lot's of burbot in Buffalo lake, near Stettler. Since I moved south to Medicine Hat I haven't been able to catch any. I'd like to, as they really do taste as good as everybody says. Has anybody ever caught burbot in Rattlesnake dam, or Forty Mile? Eric

Originally Posted by eric2381

We used to catch lot's of burbot in Buffalo lake, near Stettler. Since I moved south to Medicine Hat I haven't been able to catch any. I'd like to, as they really do taste as good as everybody says. Has anybody ever caught burbot in Rattlesnake dam, or Forty Mile? Eric

Really? What part of the lake did you use to fish?

[eric2381]

Down the South shore. In front of the last house by the shore from the boat launch. I think the house is blue, but it's been quite sometime since I was there last. Eric

Originally Posted by eric2381

Down the South shore. In front of the last house by the shore from the boat launch. I think the house is blue, but it's been quite sometime since I was there last. Eric

That gives me a good start, Thanks Eric!!!

Down south in the big reservoirs they can be tough to find. I spent many many years trying to catch them and caught many big pike and whitefish during the effort. I never did get one in 100's of trips, my buddy got one while jigging for pike one evening we stayed out all night (stafford i believe), i was targeting them fishing close to the bottom but nothing but stinky old pike . There's got to be lots of them in a few of those lakes, i know there's lots in Travers yet all i ever caught was pike. I hear Pine Coulee Reservoir is the best of the best for southern burbot now. I've seen them in most lakes though, Sherburn, Stafford, CPR, Keho, Badger, Littlebow, anything connected by irrigation.
When i moved to Red Deer and tried the same tactics i used down south i hammered them, just a matter of finding the silly things. I like them as i don't even consider keeping a pike now unless its badly hooked, pike do add to the experience of burbot fishing though, i must have caught 20-30 last winter with my burbot rigs, of which the majority were large (70cm-90cm) only had to keep one, not nearly as good as burbot .

From my experience (25 or so burbot targeting days last winter) timing is important, i won't try hard for burbot till early February this year, as thats when the action really picked up. We'd maybe get 1 per 10 hrs of fishing in January, somedays none. I'd say 90% of the burbs are caught in a three week period there, watch on here as pictures from the various good lakes start to show up then get out with some stinky smelts, anywhere from 10-25 ft of water. And remind guys burbot are not trash fish as they're kicking them around or playing football with one before release , i saw the worst anglers ethics in my life last winter when pike or whitefish guys would catch a burbot, sickening.

[dodger]

When you hit the right place that the Burbot are hanging around I find that they do not move away from that structure. There is a good sandy hump beside some deep water on Travers that the Burbot hang around all year. During ice season I use to set my mom in a lawn chair by this hump and she caught her favorite fish " Burb " all day long. No need for morning or evening as long as it was a little overcast she was set. I fished 15' away on a drop off and never picked up a Burb ever but this was my favorite Pike spot. So a great spot for both of us.
Dodger.

[FisherPotch]

For depths I found the fish were in deeper water in late jan and they generaly got more shallow as they came closer too spawn. I like about 9 feet of water in feb and march. Deadsticking a minnow with glowing jig caught me many last year best 2 were over 9lbs.

Fantastic eating fish, the backstraps are delicious. Like skyomish said the belly flap is worth taking too, better than waisting it. Personaly I don't bother with fish under 6lbs, not enough meet (skykomish agrees). I don't intend to keep anything much over 7.5 lbs this year. It'll be liek my own personal slot limit. Let the super hogs do their thing for the spawn. Just my 2 cents.

Cleaning is simple as described. I use a sling or rope connected to a carabiener (spelling?) on one end and a tree, truck, or anything solid on the other end. I hook the caribiener through the gills out the mouth. Then slice around the neck, pull out the pliers and peel the skin back right past the tail and off. Then cut the fillets out similar to backstraps off a deer. Tight lines

[Alberta Bigbore]

still looking for a fool proof method to cleaning them up for the table. Last year i tried. Opened the lid on the bucket and the stink was enough to gag a maggot. think they must remain frozen all the way home.

[FisherPotch]

I like to clean them on the lake, its a snap. But if it's -30 it isn't very practicle. I would imagine it would be frozen the whole way home then though.

[xtabo.media]

i have never tried burb... they are so f'ugly looking i cant imagine having it on the end of my fork. I'd much rather have a perch fry or walley cheeks!

[Ishpah]

Originally Posted by Battery

i just cant understand how something so ugly can taste good ahaha

I stepped into the gutter and there you were.

[Speckler]

Originally Posted by Alberta Bigbore

still looking for a fool proof method to cleaning them up for the table. Last year i tried. Opened the lid on the bucket and the stink was enough to gag a maggot. think they must remain frozen all the way home.

I can help you with this ABB. I and 2 friends limited often last year. Use a log, a large spike and nail it to the stump, cut only the skin in a ring around the fish behind the front fins, jam needle nose pliers in on both sides and pull the skin off like a sock. Have a friend hold the log.

I'd be happy to take you out. Let me know I'm getting burbot fever already.

[mickeyjim]

Originally Posted by eric2381

We used to catch lot's of burbot in Buffalo lake, near Stettler. Since I moved south to Medicine Hat I haven't been able to catch any. I'd like to, as they really do taste as good as everybody says. Has anybody ever caught burbot in Rattlesnake dam, or Forty Mile? Eric

I caught one burbot at 40 mile last year. Was a nice size one. Never caught any at Rattlesnake or Sherburne though.

[TROLLER]

Originally Posted by Speckler

I can help you with this ABB. I and 2 friends limited often last year. Use a log, a large spike and nail it to the stump, cut only the skin in a ring around the fish behind the front fins, jam needle nose pliers in on both sides and pull the skin off like a sock. Have a friend hold the log.

I'd be happy to take you out. Let me know I'm getting burbot fever already.

X2 Only way to clean a burb is to nail em to something firm and pull the skin off as noted

[schtann]

I heard most of the COMMERTIAL fisherman in SASKATCHEWAN not far across border from COLD LAKE will give their by-catch of BURBOT to you for FREE as there is no market for them. Too bad.

Fairly decent price for WALLEYE and PIKE and WHITEFISH. They are pulling nets any day now (today?) and apparently more fish than they can sell will be coming available.

[fluxcore]

Originally Posted by mickeyjim

I caught one burbot at 40 mile last year. Was a nice size one. Never caught any at Rattlesnake or Sherburne though.

Eric could of used this info 7 years ago lolol