# burbot



## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

where can i catch burbot has anyone ever cought one before r they easy to catch


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## lark101_1999 (Apr 12, 2004)

a what is that like a snipe


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I have never caught one but for Lark101_1999 I thought I would post a picture of one. 














Here is all the ODNR can tell us about targeting them. 

*FISHING METHODS:* Anglers catch burbot along piers and harbor mouths in the central basin of Lake Erie from mid-autumn through early spring. The best bait is minnows or nightcrawlers.


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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

Isn't that also called a lawyer fish? I think because it doesn't have a backbone.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

yes, it is also called a lawyer fish....I think it's a member of the cod family.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I second the cod family relationship. I believe some refer to it as a freshwater cod. I am interested to hear how many people have caught them and how often.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

I heard they are really good tasting


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

All the pay lakes in my area advertise that they stock burbot for the winter. They are cold water fish and bite good through the cold months. I'm unsure if there are any in public waters and I'm not a paylake fisherman so I've never caught one  

I do know my neighbor brings them home to eat from a few local pay ponds and he says they taste great. I've checked them out and they are strange looking! They are all head and a 24'' only weighs around 2.5 lbs. They have a channel cat like head and an eel looking (very skinny) body.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

where is this lake at. i would like to try to catch one and how much is it


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

They are in Chippawa Creek in Wayne County. Nightcrawlers work good for them.


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

i know they catch the burbot at fairport harbor a guy i work with caught 1 their and the times i have tried the old guys out their give me that "you should have been here yesterday" thing  but they can be caught in numbers their we put a couple burbot rods out when we go up their and smelt fish in late november- december they come in to spawn that time of year.................jim


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

I've tried a couple times at Fairport for them. Never got one. Like trying to catch the rarest fish in the lake at the coldest time of the year. There is one mounted at Grand River Tackle above the counter. Got a face like a monkey.


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## truck (Apr 12, 2004)

They stock them in paylakes around here also at times.My son got a bunch of them 2 yrs ago,He said they were good eating!


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

fishingful said:


> i know they catch the burbot at fairport harbor a guy i work with caught 1 their and the times i have tried the old guys out their give me that "you should have been here yesterday" thing  but they can be caught in numbers their we put a couple burbot rods out when we go up their and smelt fish in late november- december they come in to spawn that time of year.................jim


what do u do with the smelt. and is it a pay place that time of year


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## Parrothead Jim (Apr 7, 2004)

Hey Perch, you catch a five gallon pail of those smelt cut off their heads and gut them and roll them in some good breading and fry em` up. Good eating!! Fishingful and Steelhead1 fried some up at the first outing and it was like Lays potato chips you could not just eat one. The area is not a pay place . You just go to the fishing area and fish the wall......JIM


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

they are good it is a fun way to spend a night just like jim said chop off the head slit the gut and pull out the insides bread them and fry we catch them up at fairport they are attracted to light fun fish to catch and great eating we fish off the short wall for them they stop charging to park their at that time of year (december).........jim


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## steelhead1 (May 14, 2004)

OGF Smelt outing?  

The state record Burbot was caught off the short wall at Fairport. I used to Smelt fish at Edgewater, but last year while Burbot fishing I figured the Smelt were there at Fairport as well. PLUS the added bonus of not being concerned about being shot made Fairport an even better spot.

My first Burbot trip up at Fairport last year was great. It mostly I night thing. I set my Euro Carp gear up on the grand river side for Burbot (One rod for ful and one for me) and we Smelt fished the shallow side.

No Burbot, but did have a few screaming runs.

So I guess if your are going to try to catch a Burbot, you can fish for them and fill a bucket up with tastey Smelt while waiting. I have been waiting four years  Always juuuuust seem to miss them by a day (h*ll minute) or two. Maybe this year 

Parrot, looking forward to having you join us. Big daddy did last year, something just wrong about a guy that big catching Smelt ..LOL!


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## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

Fresh water cod, great eating, and I say we get a burbot outing for Erie going  , I wouldn't mind trying to get a few of these fish......... CATKING


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

How would the euro gear hold up for some steelie's?


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## steelhead1 (May 14, 2004)

Fine, though I have never used it for them.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

how big do the smelt get and what do u use .alos what time of day. same ?'s for the burbot to.


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

Smelt in the marinas at Edgewater, Wildwood, Fairport, Geneva, Conneaut. After dark in the winter, shine them up with a lantern or crappie light. I use two or three tiny #14 or #18 hooks on very short dropper lines above a small bass sinker or jig. I put two or three maggots on each hook. Ice flies also work. When there is no ice, I use an umbrella net. For myself, smelt were hard to find last winter.


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

smelt are from 4-6in long and about the diameter or a sharpie marker or a little bigger we use ice fishing floats and 2 pinmens i also take a roap and hang a lantern over the wall just above the water and attach the roap to a 5 gallon 1/2 full of water that i put the fish in we start fishing about dark till we get tired 12 or 1 am...................jim

p.s. a 1/2 full 5 gallon bucket full dosent seem like much but it is about 2 hr of cleaning for 2 people


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## Ichabod (Oct 12, 2004)

The easiest way i know of to clean smelt is to use a pair of scissors and cut the head off to just below the backbone (not completely off). Once this is done, just pull and the guts will come out. Finish cutting down to the pooper and it there are any guts left just rinse them out. Saves a lot of time. You should be able to clean 1 fish in about 5 seconds.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

what do u use for them and when do the smelt come in also would worms do good for the smelt to


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

fishingful said:


> i know they catch the burbot at fairport harbor a guy i work with caught 1 their and the times i have tried the old guys out their give me that "you should have been here yesterday" thing  but they can be caught in numbers their we put a couple burbot rods out when we go up their and smelt fish in late november- december they come in to spawn that time of year.................jim



worms would work for smelt but you would want a small piece we use 1 or 2 maggots on a hook ..................burbot i think we used worms and minnows i put a smelt on the hook to just to see what would happen and got 1 hit on it...........jim


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

that u caught was it a burbot. do u know what it was. and when do the smelt come in.


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## clevelandjohn (Sep 28, 2004)

funny this subject came up. Tuesday i caught one outside mentor lagoons while perch fishing I had no idea what it was till i showed it to a boat next to us and he told me. Thie fish was a easy 7 pounds and a hell of a fighter I thought for sure i was gonna bring up an eye


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