Giant burbot

[albertadeer]

Got off today....9" hole was waaay to small for his head to get through. I was using 6lb test and had him to the bottom of the hole. Came up perfect, head first. But when he got to the hole i realized there was nooo way he was coming through it. I would have estimated his weight at well over 20lbs...could have touched 30lbs. After a few minutes of struggling he spit my barbless 1/4 oz jig head.

This was an unreal sight to see. When he got off he just slowly swam to the bottom. This was a true monster fish, that would have smashed the AB record, and im sure it would have topped the list for 6lb test....I know exactly where i will be at 7am tomorrow morning...

Any one pull any big burbot through the ice this year?

[FishingFrenzy]

Lake X?? Sounds crazy!!!!!!! Hope someone gets that bad boy through a hole!

tight lines!

[deanmc]

Wow that is a huge one. Sounds like "Burbot Hunter"!

[KegRiver]

We used to catch the odd one over twenty pounds in the Peace River years ago. Back then we used set lines, lines that were left out overnight which are illegal now. So I haven't see anything big caught in the river for years.

We didn't have a scale back then so I don't know how much they really weighed, but I do know that it was believed that they were over twenty pounds. I believe that estimate was based largely on feel, based on year and years of lifting known weights such as sacks of flour, hogs for market ext.

I also know that we have weighed a considerable number of fish since then and 25lb + fish are not uncommon in that river.
As I recall a 26lb Dolly was caught off the boat launch in the town of Peace River in the mid sixties. It was reported in the Record Gazette. So I have no trouble believing that Ling, which is what we called them, could be well over 20 lbs.

[Kokanee9]

What size was the hole?

[alodar]

Originally Posted by Kokanee9

What size was the hole?

9 inch 4 ish words into the story

[Nerdapres']

Originally Posted by Kokanee9

What size was the hole?

Reading comprehension fail.

[Crusty]

good luck to you

[Dust1n]

thats one huge burbot and the other ones pretty big too congratz.

[KegRiver]

I wonder how many big fish from the past never saw any public exposure.
I know I have seen quiet a few monsters that were never weighed and never photographed.
I have no doubt that a lot of other folks have seen more then I have.

What some folks don't realize is that trophy hunting and fishing is something that is relatively new to a lot of northern folk.
Burbot, (Ling) were often thrown in the bush by folks I knew when I was growing up. We eat them, but most of our neighbours would not.
Also, when I was young a lot of folks used nets in the river, those nets caught some real monsters. Back then no one I know ever thought in terms of trophy fish or deer. Fishing in hunting was all about food.
There are some old photos around showing a very few of these, but most were
never recorded in any way.

I'll look around to see what I can find. but I may not find anything. It has been a lot of years since I went through some of those old photos, I'm not sure what I have left.

[Fishfinder]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I wonder how many big fish from the past never saw any public exposure.
I know I have seen quiet a few monsters that were never weighed and never photographed.
I have no doubt that a lot of other folks have seen more then I have.

What some folks don't realize is that trophy hunting and fishing is something that is relatively new to a lot of northern folk.
Burbot, (Ling) were often thrown in the bush by folks I knew when I was growing up. We eat them, but most of our neighbours would not.
Also, when I was young a lot of folks used nets in the river, those nets caught some real monsters. Back then no one I know ever thought in terms of trophy fish or deer. Fishing in hunting was all about food.
There are some old photos around showing a very few of these, but most were
never recorded in any way.

I'll look around to see what I can find. but I may not find anything. It has been a lot of years since I went through some of those old photos, I'm not sure what I have left.

Good points. I look at some of the current AB records and can't help but think larger fish have been caught (in some species categories anyways) just never recorded/documented/photographed yadayada. I've also tried to find exact locations and lures/baits used to catch some of these records. Very tough info to find. Which is a good thing
GL finding that huge ling 'albertadeer', she's a waiting for ya, now you know where she resides
Cheers!

[Gust]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I wonder how many big fish from the past never saw any public exposure.
I know I have seen quiet a few monsters that were never weighed and never photographed.
I have no doubt that a lot of other folks have seen more then I have.

What some folks don't realize is that trophy hunting and fishing is something that is relatively new to a lot of northern folk.
Burbot, (Ling) were often thrown in the bush by folks I knew when I was growing up. We eat them, but most of our neighbours would not.
Also, when I was young a lot of folks used nets in the river, those nets caught some real monsters. Back then no one I know ever thought in terms of trophy fish or deer. Fishing in hunting was all about food.
There are some old photos around showing a very few of these, but most were
never recorded in any way.

I'll look around to see what I can find. but I may not find anything. It has been a lot of years since I went through some of those old photos, I'm not sure what I have left.

I completely agree. We used to night target BIG BURB's/Ling at Lake MacGregor when others would toss em on the bank for the birds and coyotes. Gorgeous fish, fantastic taste, glad they've some protection now.

I'm going to go dig through old photographs as I know there is one with 3, 25lb + burbs in it.

Going off thread,,,
As for the rigging, my Dads friend (R.I.P) had a bait hook that would set quickly and not get gulped deep. That's another job too, going through the old lures.

Do you ever go through old lures and then sit and reminisce on every lunker and fish the lure caught? We're thinking of framing some. My neice who was learning how to fish, was reaching for one of the oldies and I had to take it away from her. She argued that it looked old and I probably wouldn't mind if she lost it to a branch. That's what new lures are for m'dear.

My Dad (he's up there in age), wants to be buried with 2 specific rods,, one looks like a piece of crrap but is seriously the best rod of the rack, it's 60 years old and has caught everything from moster pike thru Tyee and everything in between.

[Dust1n]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I wonder how many big fish from the past never saw any public exposure.
I know I have seen quiet a few monsters that were never weighed and never photographed.
I have no doubt that a lot of other folks have seen more then I have.

What some folks don't realize is that trophy hunting and fishing is something that is relatively new to a lot of northern folk.
Burbot, (Ling) were often thrown in the bush by folks I knew when I was growing up. We eat them, but most of our neighbours would not.
Also, when I was young a lot of folks used nets in the river, those nets caught some real monsters. Back then no one I know ever thought in terms of trophy fish or deer. Fishing in hunting was all about food.
There are some old photos around showing a very few of these, but most were
never recorded in any way.

I'll look around to see what I can find. but I may not find anything. It has been a lot of years since I went through some of those old photos, I'm not sure what I have left.

Going off thread...
i seen a massive pike bottomed out a 40lb scale i belive or 35lb but the thing was massive it was about 5 feet long and very thick i said he could have got a recored he said he wass gonna eat it...

[Dust1n]

he gave us a few of his lures including the one he caught it with he just bassicly threw em at us LOL