# Rare Catch Perch Fishing



## woodworker2001 (Jan 23, 2006)

Went out Sunday 11/29 for one last fishing trip. 1.5 miles straight out from Lorain Lighthouse. Caught 53 nice perch before the anchor cut loose.

Also caught this fish.


A freshwater Burbot. I had never seen one or heard of one. It was about 26-30" and probably in the 8-10+lbs. It was a good rush netting a fish just because you had no idea what it was. She was released for another angler to enjoy.


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## RStock521 (Jul 17, 2008)

2 years ago my dad caught one of these while perch fishing! Its sweet seeing one in person, I was told they're referred to as "freshwater lobster", but we didn't eat it cause we didn't know what the heck it was. Its sweet catching something weird that you have never seen before while out on the lake! Kinda like ocean bottom fishing! Kinda...haha


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

I'll bet that was a blast to catch on a light perch set up.
Can't say I've ever heard of one, let alone catch one.


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## jshbuckeye (Feb 27, 2005)

Caught one in the channel going out of gem beach it was cool had no idea what it was for 10 to 12 yrs truthfully, found out 2 yrs ago from this site.


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## spinningwheel (Aug 6, 2007)

My wife caught one from shore at the Eastlake power plant about 8 years ago and we released it after all the oohs, ahhs and what the heck is it's from the other anglers that were there at the time. I couldn't remember the correct name ( Freshwater Burbot ) but knew it as a 'lawyer' from fishing the lake in the 50's with my dad.
Their population took a nosedive when the lake became a cesspool and almost dissapeared from the lake; it's good to see that they are still around and, from the looks of that one, appear to be making a little headway in their development.

spinner


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

I want to catch a burbot so bad. what a cool looking fish


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## slaughtereyez (Jul 13, 2009)

wow what a neat looking fish....has a lot of character to it, nice looking color...would be nice if they made a little comeback so others could enjoy catching them on a consistent basis.....

wonder if they are much of a harm to the other species?...probably no more then all the other junk fish out there I'd guess


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## Stars-n-Stripers (Nov 15, 2007)

What a great catch. I've heard of, however have not seen one, thanks for posting, if you have other pics, please add them.
Tommy


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## FINSEEKER II (Aug 19, 2009)

I caught one while fishing for catfish in the Sandusky bay in the early 90's. I was told by an older guy that it was known as a lawyer. All I can say is that with the lake clearing up as much as it has, a blue pike may be the next rarely seen fish to come to the net.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

Nice catch man, I just did some reading on them, the one you caught is a tank! based on what I just read. Pretty neat catch just might be once in a lifetime I do know other OGFer's have caught them as I remember seeing posts, I do believe some guys fish for them around Fairport in the winter months in shallow water as they come in to spawn on Wiki it says their are alot of them in Erie but they roam open cold waters during the summer so we don't see them often. I guess now would be the time to catch em


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## Fish-Crazy (Dec 1, 2006)

Nice catch! It's always special when you have a rare catch.

I saw a school of gars about 10 years ago, about this time of year at E.72. They were slowly swimming on top, inside the small horse shoe. I was walking from the big horse shoe after a night of casting. I thought they were eyes and I stumbled onto the "motherload", there were hundreds of them. 

After casting for a few minuted with no takers, I netted some. That's when I realized what they were. They were 24" to 36" long. Threw them all back. Kept an eye out for them, but never seen them since.


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## just perchy (Jan 16, 2005)

about 7 or 8 yrs. ago my buddy and i were perchin at the 72nd light in dec.. my buddy caught 2 burbot and missed another at the boat. the 2 he caught were 32 and 27 inches long, not sure on the weight but looked comparable to walleye of that size. he took them home skinned them like a catfish and cooked them up. he said it was some of the best eating fish he's had. burbot are a freshwater member of the cod family.


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## Cull'in (Nov 21, 2005)

Here's a cool article I found on the Erie Burbot...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08027/852559-358.stm


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## Hardwork (Aug 10, 2004)

Last time i saw any Burbot was in Nov 2004 . I was out on the Smith Brothers net boat .We pulled 16 nets within a 3 mile radius out in front of Wildwood Park . Out of the 16 nets i remember them releasing about 8 to 10 Burbot 5 or 6 Walleye and a few White Bass . They also had to release any perch under 8 inches ( if i remember right ) but out of the 16 nets they had about 7500 pounds of perch.


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## Iowa Dave (Sep 27, 2009)

I have never personally seen one but I have heard they are Fantastic to eat. Big catch in Minnesotta during Ice fishing. Said to be the best eating fish there is in freshwater. 

Congrats on a great catch and glad to see them alive and well in Erie.


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## woodworker2001 (Jan 23, 2006)

I was definately a once in a lifetime thing I would guess....... I was amazing to pull something out of the lake that I didnt even know existed.... In the research I have done they fish for them in Canada and even in the northern Canadian waters of Lake Erie. They are a very rare catch as they are bottom feeders which rarely populate the sothern waters.....*accroding the the ODNR Biologist* He also said this was a tank of a fish... I wish I would have weighed and measured this fish, but not knowing what it was I didnt want to harm the fish. I talked to a friend of mine who runs charters for the last 15 years and his dad who has fished the lake probably 40 years neither has ever seen one. That made the trip without a doubt worth it.


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## All Eyes (Jul 28, 2004)

How cool. Thanks for posting the picture.


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

in march 07' i saw a guy at 7 eleven getting ice to keep his "snakehead" alive. one look in the bucket and I knew what it was. but he was sooo excited I didnt say anything. he said he caught it on a worm on the bottom by edgewater. and I remember it was nasty out


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## DonVittorio (Apr 1, 2008)

The coldest nastiest weather is when we pick them up in the channel from the South Pier coming into Presque isle Bay. They are good eating and you fish for them like catfish. Cut shad works well.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I always thought burbot were the same as a bowfin. I guess not. 
Do the burbot have teeth like a bowfin?


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## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

Cool catch! We tried for them off the short wall at Fairport in December of '05 and '06. Never got one. Lots of windy cold nights we spent fishing there. Was more brutal than being on the ice.


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

You dont see much out there but barn fish and eyes. Gar,Burbot,muskie,pike and Flat heads are like ghost fish. Thanks for sharin!


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## lskater (Mar 19, 2007)

A few years ago there were quite a few caught perching in the western basin. I haven't heard of any lately.That one is a dandy.


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## ErieAngler (Apr 15, 2006)

Dog fish......Nasty! 

I hate those things, half fish, half snake 

Never caught one out in the Lake, but have in the harbors.


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## backagainbaha (Dec 3, 2004)

ErieAngler said:


> Dog fish......Nasty!
> 
> I hate those things, half fish, half snake
> 
> Never caught one out in the Lake, but have in the harbors.


I believe you are reffering to Bowfin and not Burbot. Burbot generally like cooler waters and tend to spawn in March. These fish are generally active at night.
I have caught them up in Canada before and have caught Bowfin in shallow waters while Bass fishing.


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## dinkbuster1 (Oct 28, 2005)

the meat on those ugly boogers is some of the finest that will grace your lips! i used to fish for them in the pay-ponds here in SW ohio when they used to stock them. used really big live creek chubs and suckers to catch them so i guess they would enjoy perch as well. they feed like a flathead catfish but prefer really cold water. the colder the better!


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Got a beast of one years back at the old Medina Trout Hatchery.
Didn't know they were real good eating back then, threw it back!


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## ProAngler (Feb 23, 2009)

creekcrawler said:


> Got a beast of one years back at the old Medina Trout Hatchery.
> Didn't know they were real good eating back then, threw it back!


I did the same, caught one out of the far back ponds where the catfish hang out. Also threw it back in, the good old Medina trout hatchery.


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## woodworker2001 (Jan 23, 2006)

Lewzer said:


> I always thought burbot were the same as a bowfin. I guess not.
> Do the burbot have teeth like a bowfin?


The Burbot have a mouth like Catfish. Just like rough lips


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## walleyejigger (Sep 29, 2009)

some of the paylakes stock them in the winter months to keep there lakes open in the winter months


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## Offshore Limits (Dec 23, 2007)




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## Offshore Limits (Dec 23, 2007)

I fish for burbot specifically each year and usually catch 2 to 4 each time out.. Its nice to see one come out of my home port for a change...nice job


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## NorthSouthOhioFisherman (May 7, 2007)

Awesome catch

Good to see you posting again too!


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## Fisherman419 (Dec 2, 2006)

Wow I had no idea that those are in erie. Thats pretty awesome, Id love to catch something unexpected like that!!


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## Fisherman419 (Dec 2, 2006)

Offshore Limits said:


> I fish for burbot specifically each year and usually catch 2 to 4 each time out.. Its nice to see one come out of my home port for a change...nice job


What do you use to fish for them?


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## sploosh56 (Dec 31, 2008)

i have wanted to catch one of those for awhile. sweet catch


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## Offshore Limits (Dec 23, 2007)

Hey fisherman 419.....I fish for them in the same way you fish for big cats... either put a big minnow, cutbait or a group of smaller minnows on a modified crappie rig on the bottom with a fairly large octupus style live bait hook. They only come in close to the piers for a couple of weeks a year usually around christmas time. they are very aggressive feeders and I have yet to have one stop biting once one comes in , they bite and fight hard. typically they run between 28 ang 33 inches. I did see one come in last year that was 39 inches.. they bite best at night or low light conditions


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## ErieEye (Jul 16, 2007)

My dad and myself fish Eat and West harbors quite often for bullheads bluegills and bass. The last few years we have caught 2 or 3 of them each year. They put up a very good fight and they're good in the deepfryer. Only thing is their meat is kinda soft compaired to a walleye or perch. For the most part we have caught them on live bait but they will occationally nock the fire out of a spinnerbait. If you fish the harbors(east or west) enough you will eventually tie into one.


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## just perchy (Jan 16, 2005)

sounds to me like you guys are catching bowfin, they are numerous in east and west harbor, and being a shallow predatory fish they will nail a spinnerbait. never heard of burbot being caught on lure like that, as they are a cold deep water fish. unless you are catching them in december or january, i would guess bowfin.


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## harle96 (Aug 2, 2005)

Awesome catch. It is one of my lifetime goals to catch one.

Many years back my Brother caught one at the Medina Fish hatchery at the catfish pond and was like "what the *^%$ is that" 

He then took it to the bait shop and showed them. They said "It was a great catch you can't beat it with a stick"....My brother imediately said " I almost did I didn't know what the hell it was....Great memory.


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## YR bender (Dec 8, 2006)

I have caught lots of them in a pay pond which were also stocked with cats. They are an unusual looking fish to say the least. I think they are in the same family as cod and have wonderful white meat that tastes like cod. It certainly was a very large one and a great catch.


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## Offshore Limits (Dec 23, 2007)

Get ready harle, after this little stretch of cold we have coming it will be burbot time again...


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## sonar (Mar 20, 2005)

I don't know about a bowfin? Can't say its a burbot,either! bowfin are darker&leather-headed,at least the ones I've caught. And I've never caught a burbot that big,but, I would expect a good pull from that fish with that much dorsal fin! Nice surprise though! Good catch!--------sonar........


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## Kableguy (Apr 23, 2009)

Does anyone know how to fish for these? I live pretty close to Fairport/Geneva. Can you shore fish with success? What would be the best place to go? Is the fishing better at night or day? Any weather better than others? Lightweight tackle (perch) or something heavier? Any information is appreciated. It sounds like a challenging change of pace from the usual.


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## Offshore Limits (Dec 23, 2007)

Hey been awhile.. I fish for burbot with good success each year, They are not bowfin which love hot stagnant water. These are very cold water guys who in the next couple of weeks will come in close to certain piers of lake erie...Perch tackle seems a little light to me with everyone ive caught has been over 8 pounds. They are not a finesse fish and always eat hard when they come in...great eating as well


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## flathead10 (Dec 23, 2007)

Me,my dad,and brother used to catch them from the pay ponds during the winter all the time. They are very tasty fish with a delicate white flaky meat, that tastes great. They were always reffered to as the freshwater cod. We would fillet them and soak the fillets overnight in buttermilk, then rinse them off, dredge in batter and deep fry . YUMMY!!! The burbot did not freeze well, bieng mushy after rethawing, so we would do fish fry's the following day for the family and friends while they were still fresh and delicious! Everyone enjoyed eating them. They would normally be caught on minnows or a minnow tipped with nightcrawler, off the bottom. My personal favorite was to use a floating jig head in white or chart., suspending my bait 8 to 16 inches off the bottom. The floating jig head was the ticket! The fish fight quite well for the cold water they were coming from, usually spinning and rolling there bodies all the way in. They are notorious light biters, having to pay close attention for bites. It seemed to me as well that they liked the nasty weather and wind, the windier the better. During the spawn the females would be full of fresh roe sacks and the fish's fillets would turn rather milky and not quite as tasty, signaling to us that our season was nearing the end. Cudo's on a great catch and would wish for you to catch many more, give one a try on the dinner table some time, I am sure you would enjoy it!


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## Reef-eer (Jun 3, 2009)

The burbot is also known as the "lawyer" fish... I have a friend who works for the water dept. his job use to be to clean the filters bringing in water from the crib.. they would clean random fish from the filters all day long.. He said though that alot of ppl would always be looking for this one specific fish... lawyer fish... never knew what he was talking about... Then i saw this post and googled burbot fish and low and behold another name for it is lawyer fish.... good day guys keep on fishiiiin


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