Burbot Fishing

[pacscrumhalf]

Hello everyone-this is my first posting and am new to Michigan having come out for law school. Given that I will be here for a few years, I thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of the awesome fishing you guys have out here. I did quite well on the Grand targeting pike and walleye over the summer, but now I would like to turn my attention to the upcoming icefishing season-SO, Does anyone target burbot (ling, lawyer, pout, etc)? If so, where are good places to drop a line and when?

[JJ Mac]

Lawyers fishing for lawyers. HMMM... Just kidding.

Welcome to Michigan and to this site.

As you are probably aware, lawyers tend to live in deeper, cold water lakes. My two most favorite lakes are Torch Lake in Antrim Co. and Little Bay De Noc. I have also caught my biggest (9lb scary lookin' thing) on Lake Charlevoix.

Burbot are active primarily at night, but do bite during the day on occasion. Most use some type of glow in the dark rig, with eggs or minnows. Some swear by dead (the smellier the better) minnows.

I've had some of my best success targeting the bottom edge of steep drop-offs, and water 35 ft or deeper.

[pacscrumhalf]

Thanks for the advice. Are there any groups or clubs that have group burbot trips out that you are aware of? When is the best time of year to fish for them? I understand that they spawn in February some time, are any other months productive? Lots of questions, but my wife is telling me to get my butt out there and bring some home-she loves lobster and this is the next best thing I hear. How close to the truth is that?

The lawyer fishing for lawyer comment was pretty good, I hadn't considered that-quite ironic. Joke:

3 surgeons are sitting around the break room discussing who are the easiest to work on. The first says, "I find that plumbers are the easiest to operate on. You open them up and everything is is at right angles and straight sections. Real easy to work on." The second surgeon says," I disagree, electricians are the easiest to work on. Open them up and everything is color coded and you always find a schematic chart to guide you. Real easy to follow." The last says, "You are all wrong, attorneys are the easiest to work on. Open them up and they're full of lips and backsides and those are interchangeable!"

Thanks for the advice-Pacs

[pacscrumhalf]

Is anyone interested in setting up a burbot trip for the upcoming ice season, perhaps this February?

[unclecbass]

What law school are you attending? I am an ATTORNEY in Northern Michigan. I do alot of Lake trout fishing in Antrim County. I catch quite a few burbott on accident. I can show you how I catch them if you are in the area this winter. Elk lake and Torch Lake have quite a few burbott but I wouldnt even try catching them in the day time. They are nocturnal from what I have seen. Tipups with glow sticks set two to four inches off bottom in deep water seem to produce. Lake trout and burbott will take the same setups so you neve know what you have.

[pacscrumhalf]

I am attending Thomas Cooley and am currently in my 3rd term. If you have a time in mind, I will make the time to head up on there. I was just up in Traverse City this past month for a rugby match and my wife is dying to see the area. Let me know.

Jeff

[javelin]

From my experience burbot are almost always caught at night. As the others have said, glow in the dark jigs with dead minnows works great. Also, if you catch any fish you are going to keep during the day it's not a bad idea to chum your holes with the fish guts just prior to sundown, this brings the hogs in. One night we chummed in and landed a 14lb lake trout at 11:30pm!!! I've rarely seen trout caught at that time of night, just proves chumming works. My experince catching ling has never been in water shallower than 60ft deep.

I would be interrested in a trout(day)/ling(night) trip!!!

[pacscrumhalf]

I'm game and I have a couple of school mates who are also up for something like that-a day trip for trout and a night trip for ling. Would you be up for some time in late January or February? If so, let's hammer out some details.

[Whit1]

Is anyone interested in setting up a burbot trip for the upcoming ice season, perhaps this February?

A couple of years ago we had a MS outing on Crystal Lake in Benzie County and a few burbot were brought to ice. My buddy Toto from the site used to live in Beulah and was what I called "The Burbot Master".

They are ugly, but certainly good eating.

Keep an eye on this forum and the Outings Forum for any news of outings. I know there will be one on White Lake north of Muskegon for northern pike in February and I'd urge you to go.

[schaaed1]

Keep an eye on this forum and the Outings Forum for any news of outings. I know there will be one on White Lake north of Muskegon for northern pike in February and I'd urge you to go.
Whit - I thought we were BANNED from fishing in Oceana Co. :lol: :lol: Good thinking on the name change though ... Pike outing ... maybe this year we will catch some steel and/or 'eyes. :dizzy: :dizzy:

See ya' there, ;)
Ed

[pacscrumhalf]

I just didn't want the post to get lost. That said, anyone interested in heading north for a burbot trip-maybe a day/night-trout/burbot outing?

[Whit1]

Wait until Crystal Lake freezes over and then set up an outing.

[MPT]

Has anyone netted some burbot thru the ice. Didn't get my permit this year, the 600 miles makes it tough to check nert everyday.

[Matt]

A couple of years ago we had a MS outing on Crystal Lake in Benzie County and a few burbot were brought to ice. My buddy Toto from the site used to live in Beulah and was what I called "The Burbot Master".

They are ugly, but certainly good eating.

Keep an eye on this forum and the Outings Forum for any news of outings. I know there will be one on White Lake north of Muskegon for northern pike in February and I'd urge you to go.

I too have heard there is good burbot fishing on Crystal- I've seen a few on the ice in smelt/perch areas, and tried my best to find some last year, but to no avail. I live in Beulah, and if Crystal freezes over, I'll be happy to join an outing (although we've got a baby due March 5)

Here's my thought for a delicious trip to Crystal: Target whitefish by day, burbot and smelt at night. I'm drooling.

Linda Gallagher (I think that's the right name) from this site wrote a nice article on burbot last year- Probably still a link on this site.