Burbot & Whitefish newbie, need help please

[Ice Fishing Rookie]

Hello everybody

I am new to ice fishing and need some information from experienced people to help me along.

I have done research on Keho lake and have decided that this is the lake I want to fish, but being an Ice Fishing Rookie, I am really unsure as to my best methods of fishing this lake.

I really want to target Burbot as my main fish of choice, but can not really find anything specific as to baits, times, methods and so on for this critter on Keho lake.

I have purchased all the gear I will need, but I am sadly lacking in knowledge and experience.

I also see that there are whitefish in this lake, and I am wondering if they are any good to eat, and if so do they need to be smoked first or is straight into the frying pan a good way to go ?

I have gone out to Keho to check it out and have spoken to people on the ice, but nobody could really help me out with what I was asking.

Pretty much everybody told me the same thing, "I fish for pike" with no interest in burbot or whitefish, they were nice about it, but could not help me out.

So I guess what I need is all the info I can get to help me catch burbot and whitefish as long as the white fish are good eating..

I also am a 100% barbless fisherman, regardless where I fish and what the regs state, I also only keep what I and my family can eat at one sitting.

Thank you in advance to everybody and anybody who passes along information to me, I really appreciate it

[dodgeboy1979]

for burbs i have always used a yellow mr twister with a smelt and had really good success. Whitefish you can use wire worms, small jig heads, flies etc... usually tipped with a maggot or meal worm.

[aulrich]

In general terms I have not fished Keho

I like whitefish, but I prefer to smoke it vs cook it. but it’s ok. It is boney but either eat around them or de-bone like you would a pike.

The best whitefish fishing is first ice of the year, 6ish feet of water wireworks flys , micro-jigs etc.

Supposedly March is another hot time they follow the burbot into the shallows where they spawn, I have not managed to time that one right yet..

Through the rest of the ice season first light and last light are when whites are back in the shallows feeding, but folks do move deeper and catch but I have not managed to do that and to be honest I am pike fishing those hours for the most part.

Burbs can bite through the day, but they are really a night fish. Glow tube jig and something stinky and bounce it off the bottom. I would start at 25’ and move up and down from there.

In Keho I would keep a big bait on a tip-up just in case a big pike swims by just for fun.

[binnzer32]

I fish 4-7ft for whites. Turn your hook sideways horizontal. I use 4or 6lb fluorocarbon and space my wire worms 1-1.5feet from one another and light jig constantly to make it look like a bug. Sometimes I rise as I jig and drop . For burbs jighead, yellow Berkley power bait and a smelt. If your keeping them I let them chew on it for a bit. Don't put a camera down if you want whites

[kevinhits]

Fish burbs at night...Drop smelt to the bottom

[rafhone]

nearing the end of Feb you might start seeing burbs going a bit shallower than 25. as shallow as 10 ft, depending on water temps.

[binnzer32]

I have seen burbs in 6 feet and never fish them deeper than 12-15. At gull or buffalo

[H380]

I've never fished Keho either and I've also been told there are big pike there , Alberta record holder if I remember correct . While fishing for whitefish today , we caught 3 burbot in 20-25 ft. of water at 1pm this afternoon , usually a night fish . The whites were biting wireworms baited with uncooked shrimp , 2 hooks , 1 a couple inches off bottom an the other 18 inches up . Didn't use the camera today but sometimes it helps on the light biters .

[winger7mm]

Where are you from??? I know a much better place to fish whites and burbs then keho

[Ice Fishing Rookie]

Originally Posted by winger7mm

Where are you from??? I know a much better place to fish whites and burbs then keho

Thanks to all of you who have responded to me, I do appreciate it.

I will take all the information so far, as well as any other info I get and apply it to try and catch some burbot.

I am from the pass (just got here) but willing to drive in any direction for 2 - 2 1/2 hours for some good fishing.

[Ice Fishing Rookie]

Originally Posted by dodgeboy1979

for burbs i have always used a yellow mr twister with a smelt and had really good success. Whitefish you can use wire worms, small jig heads, flies etc... usually tipped with a maggot or meal worm.

With the Mr Twister, are you dead sticking it or jigging it ?

[aulrich]

Bounce on the bottom and pause, usually just off the bottom.