Burbot Fishing

WhOOOOOOOOPS thought they said 'Bourbon'.........  heh heh.....  I'm gone!

  Five and a little more years ago I fished Burbot off the South Pier. We fished a couple times a year for three years. We averaged two a night and maxed with five one night. We never fished after 12 mainly because they seemed to quit biting. We packed the hooks with minnows as Chili Pepper suggested. One night we had a couple shad that we were given from the East Street bait shop which we cut up and threaded on the hook ( worked great). That may have been our 5 fish night, and was at least a good night. I only tried smelt once and had no luck, others seemed to favor them.
   It was a good time and never over crowded. The last time I asked about it I was told the run was not good, and very few were being caught. I would like to try again but I live in Franklin and with the drive its a long night. It would be nice to know there is a run before making the trip.
   Pick an evening with light or no wind. Heavy currant makes it difficult and your only chance is around the corner on shore side if pier. Some nights the mud puppies wouldn't leave your bait alone and we ended up killing some because they swallowed the hook.

Met a driver out of Michigan while laying over in the 'Windy City' one weekend. Many hours spent over cup(s) of coffee ratchet jawing about ice fishing, thereafter.

On occasion Burbot fishing was the main discussion as was, the fish for dinner.

Truthfully, had I not experienced ice fishing and/or or used the cleaning methods described, I would have doubted the fish even existed.

To catch the fish through the ice, two methods were used. 1. A 'trout line' having an average of 8 ounces of weight and 8-10' leader was sent to the bottom than tied to a stick, laid across the hole through the ice. Snow was then piled over the opening, the location marked, than checked within 24 hrs. 'Fish on' or not required new bait and recover the opening til the next day. 2. Made use of a long pole (depending on DOW) to which leader and bait were affixed. The line end of the pole was pushed through the opening taking every thing to the bottom. Once again, snow was piled over the entire set-up and rechecked the next day.

Use of the heavy weight or pole is to keep the bait on the bottom as Burbot are bottom feeders.

Last I knew, PA. does not allow use of 'unattended' rigs for fish but, a heavy weight on heavy line and light leader sent to the bottom off of a 'tip-up(s)' might be worth a try.

As treesparrow says "they taste good if, your not the one cleaning them".
Cleaning requires the same methods used for cat fish.

Chili Pepper I gotta stick with the bourbon. Tried irish whiskey one time and by the end of the day........... I was taking back stuff I never stole.

Ya wanna be careful with the Burbot; it may take you to court.

aka: 'The Lawyer Fish' (lol)

Nothing like enjoying good stories and a cup of java with Captain Morgan, while your on the ice.  Although, I do rely on Seagrams in the event of a 'snake bite'.

Hey guys, I really appreciate your replies.  My bucket list is not too long...Punxsutawney on Feb. 2 and a burbot or two, sometime in the undetermined future.  I grew up in Erie and spent the first 30 years of my life there, fishing as soon as I was able to use the tackle.  The big complication for me is that I live in the southern tier of NY...Supposedly, burbot are in the upper Allegheny River watershed (I live about a mile from the river), but nobody that I have talked to knows anything about them...It just kills me that there's a good-eating fish out there that I haven't caught...One more question:  What's going on with the fishing reports?
 

jstone, I don't think anything is going on with the reports other than 1) people aren't posting their steelhead outcomes any longer thinking that will reduce the numbers of people in the tribs.  2) the creeks have been iced up off and on since the beginning of the year anyway, plus the nasty storms that are keeping people from traveling.  3) guys just getting out now to ice fish so we should start seeing some ice fishing reports.

Burpits seem to be the name thief of fresh water species.  What I know of cobia, is not even close to burbots.  Ling, not lingcod, seem similar to burbot.  I am sure it is a regional slang for them.  I've heard eel pout as well.  

The fish is also called an eelpout or ling, and is allied to the codfish. The Lota vulgaris is a common European species. An American species
({Lota maculosa) is found in New England, the Great Lakes, and farther north.

LOL.... Chili I know the feeling................  I'm on the forum right now because I'm doing the "no you can't go fishing" pout![font="%value"]

Hey, I wanted to thank you guys who have replied to my question on burbot fishing...nice to know that the Forum has a little traffic, even though the reports are non-existent...I live in Olean, NY, and have since 1983...When I left Erie, walleye fishing was bumping willow leaf crawler rigs on the bottom, and always within sight of shore due to the basic 16 ft. deep rowboat with the 25 horse engine...How things have changed over the years!!  I usually manage a  couple of outings a year for perch or yellows with Happy Jack, in case any of you know him...He's out there on the water every day possible...and when the water gets hard, he's out there ice fishing....My grandfather had a boathouse at the foot of Cherry St./Liberty St., west of the filtration plant and east of the sand docks at the foot of Cranberry...His place was one of nine or ten in a row....like townhouses with corrugated steel siding...Do any of you guys know where I mean??  One of my earliest childhood memories is watching my grandfather and my great uncle build his boat...I remember seeing the ribs...It was a 23 footer with a 160hp inboard engine...It was, until the last ten years or so, in continuous service in the Erie area....Sorry about dropping my reminiscences on you guys, but I guess I felt like typing...Have a great day...
 

There was a road that went along the bay from the United Oil tanks at foot of Cranberry to State. It was so bad I only went down it once. It was like the moon. Full of craters. It is so much nicer now. Liberty Park is the best music venue I know of. Just a beautiful place to look at the bay and the sunsets.

Oh...I have not been to Liberty Park...sounds like you love it...I will check it out the next time I'm in Erie..