bourbot fishing

[jamie7117]

has anyone targeted bourbot?
how do you go about catching these freshwater cod?
where?
technique?

[kingfisher2]

Jamie, I have caught a few in Traverse Bay. Both times we were catching whitefish, fishing a break down at 75'. We chummed the whitefish using corn. We filled a paper sack with two cans of corn, placed a rock in it and then lowered it to the bottom. A quick jerk and the bag broke, leaving the kernals below our boat. We then used a jigging Rapala on a short stiff rod with a power real.

I don't know if this happens frequently, but in the two times I went Whitefish fishing we caught a total of 3 fresh water cod. One was around 10 pounds!

Hope this helps!

[dortmand]

Hey Kingfisher2...what time of year were you fishing???

[FischInMich]

Jamie,

I have caught em' throught the ice in Tawas Bay. Damned things are ugly.....I mean scare you out of the shanty ugly! :eek:

I have heard them refered to as a "poor man's lobster" though.

[kingfisher2]

I believe it was May that we caught them. I also have heard them called poor man's lobster, as well as, a lawyer or a fresh water cod.

I agree with their looks too, have to be one of the ugliest fish I've seen. But can they fight!

[Craig M]

Great eating fish (definitly tase MUCH better than they look), got a few while jigging for lake trout up at Simco. Cook them under a broiler and serve with melted butter. You guy's have just given me the pointers of how and another reason to get out on the water.