[SCOTTD]

Never once in my life after eating burbot have I ever said, "Man I need to go catch a bunch more of these"

Panfish, Steelhead, Lake Trout, Salmon, Perch, Walleye, Smelt yes, and some salt water Halibut, Lin Cod, Rock fish for sure......Burbot no, but too each their own. It is nice to have choices of what we can catch and eat

Just curious Josh, what does Burbot taste like? My son wants to catch one so bad so we can try it. I’m hesitant to try them because the way they look. My son did talk me into keeping a smallmouth, I said it’s a bass and bass aren’t good eating. I was pleasantly surprised how good smallmouth tasted compared to largemouth bass. With that being said, this gives my son some ammunition to sling my way if we catch a burbot and keeping it to try. I really don’t want to keep one of those prehistoric things!!

 

[Forest Meister]

Just curious Josh, what does Burbot taste like? My son wants to catch one so bad so we can try it. I’m hesitant to try them because the way they look. My son did talk me into keeping a smallmouth, I said it’s a bass and bass aren’t good eating. I was pleasantly surprised how good smallmouth tasted compared to largemouth bass. With that being said, this gives my son some ammunition to sling my way if we catch a burbot and keeping it to try. I really don’t want to keep one of those prehistoric things!!

When someone else cleans them, they taste better! FM

 

[Aquaholic101]

Just curious Josh, what does Burbot taste like? My son wants to catch one so bad so we can try it. I’m hesitant to try them because the way they look. My son did talk me into keeping a smallmouth, I said it’s a bass and bass aren’t good eating. I was pleasantly surprised how good smallmouth tasted compared to largemouth bass. With that being said, this gives my son some ammunition to sling my way if we catch a burbot and keeping it to try. I really don’t want to keep one of those prehistoric things!!

I really enjoy burbot,,I'd have to say they taste like whatever you season them with,, they are such a mild fish, the flesh is almost tasteless,, fry them up just like walleye & everyone iv ever shared meals with has nothing but compliments about burbot,,, white as can be ,texture of a crappie moreless, give them a shot

 

[Aquaholic101]

I really enjoy burbot,,I'd have to say they taste like whatever you season them with,, they are such a mild fish, the flesh is almost tasteless,, fry them up just like walleye & everyone iv ever shared meals with has nothing but compliments about burbot,,, white as can be ,texture of a crappie moreless, give them a shot

Little firmer when boiled in sprite& dipped in salty butter,definitely worth a shot either way

 

[andyotto]

We probably caught and released over a hundred burbot before ever trying to eat one. Could never bring myself to do it. Reaching down into an ice fishing hole after dark expecting to feel the rough skin of a walleye but instead feeling the soft cold clammy skin of an eelpout with its tail wrapped half way around your arm is enough to make the manliest of men squeal in fear like a little school girl. My youngest son finally convinced me to take one home on the condition he would clean , prep and cook it. He’s the amateur gourmet chef of the family. He simply pan fried it in butter. Lo and behold it tasted like fried butter. I enjoyed the taste but they are a little soft. Kinda reminds me of catfish in a way. Id eat it again but I definitely prefer other firmer fish. Never tried the boil though so that could change the equation a bit.
These are a collection of burbot and a few others from 22 out of Tawas Bay.

 

[SCOTTD]

When someone else cleans them, they taste better! FM

You’re probably right. I’ve never caught one let a lone clean one. I’d probably botch it up.

 

[bkilla13]

Just curious Josh, what does Burbot taste like? My son wants to catch one so bad so we can try it. I’m hesitant to try them because the way they look. My son did talk me into keeping a smallmouth, I said it’s a bass and bass aren’t good eating. I was pleasantly surprised how good smallmouth tasted compared to largemouth bass. With that being said, this gives my son some ammunition to sling my way if we catch a burbot and keeping it to try. I really don’t want to keep one of those prehistoric things!!

Yeah, I'm not so sure about the Burbot thing. Probably fun to catch, and I'd try some if someone else cleaned them, but to me they look a lot like the dogfish we catch in the dirty rivers around here. The last thing I think of is food when I see those things...

 

[Grinnell]

PHUCK YEAH!!!!!!
[/QUOTE

Yeah, I'm not so sure about the Burbot thing. Probably fun to catch, and I'd try some if someone else cleaned them, but to me they look a lot like the dogfish we catch in the dirty rivers around here. The last thing I think of is food when I see those things...

Hilarious how grown ass men ( same dudes who routinely reach into a deer cavity with armfuls of intestines) cower and shudder when it comes to Lota Lota. They are FANTASTIC when poached. I use a mixture of white wine, a little vinegar, and old bay. The texture of the meat lends itself to poaching best. Haters gonna hate. But I got the eelpout fever

 

[Aquaholic101]

Hilarious how grown ass men ( same dudes who routinely reach into a deer cavity with armfuls of intestines) cower and shudder when it comes to Lota Lota. They are FANTASTIC when poached. I use a mixture of white wine, a little vinegar, and old bay. The texture of the meat lends itself to poaching best. Haters gonna hate. But I got the eelpout fever

Same with the dirty ass pigs I slaughter,,,yeah it's gross& all, but ain't nobody bitchin about the bacon🤣

 

[Grinnell]

You’re probably right. I’ve never caught one let a lone clean one. I’d probably botch it up.

Learning curve for sure. Incise the head shallow cut, like 2mm deep. Peel it like a sock. A slimy nasty sock! The skin even comes off of the fins- which then are transparent. Backstrap and belly meat then exposed. I like my smallest rapala knife for the surgery

 

[SCOTTD]

Learning curve for sure. Incise the head shallow cut, like 2mm deep. Peel it like a sock. A slimy nasty sock! The skin even comes off of the fins- which then are transparent. Backstrap and belly meat then exposed. I like my smallest rapala knife for the surgery

Sounds like YouTube instruction time.

 

[Aquaholic101]

Sounds like YouTube instruction time.

Visual definitely helps,,50 ways to skin a cat tho,, i prefer to use one of them cheap long thin razor knives ,trace out loins/tail/belly peice & use a smaller fillet to finish, Or,get a good electric knife out& get ready to laugh when you try to cut through the skin,that's what I did on the first one many moon ago😂

 

[cruiseplanner1]

Probably browns. Fishing was world class we didn't realize or appreciate it.

Agree. I would fish them before sunrise trolling just offshore. Kept my boat at Jerry's once Colliers closed and we would start at buoy 4 and kind of run the shore. Would catch between 3 and 6 browns each morning. It was a short bite once the sun started rising it was over in the shallows. So strange as I could see my inside Dipsy and first time thought no Brown will bite that close to the boat.

 

[gatorman841]

I would really like to try it up there this year on the ice! Cool pics loved the mixed bags

 

[Gordon Casey]

Never once in my life after eating burbot have I ever said, "Man I need to go catch a bunch more of these"

Panfish, Steelhead, Lake Trout, Salmon, Perch, Walleye, Smelt yes, and some salt water Halibut, Lin Cod, Rock fish for sure......Burbot no, but too each their own. It is nice to have choices of what we can catch and eat

I agree, those would be my first choices as well and I would add whitefish. Burbot is supposedly called the fresh water cod. Ate it a couple times, deep fried and tasted acceptable.
Anything can taste good if you apply heavy breading using a cajun seasoning then deep fried. A couple beers before eating can help as well.

 

[Gordon Casey]

When someone else cleans them, they taste better! FM

Same goes for northern pike. My wife seen all the slime when I was cleaning one and would not even think about eating one.

 

[Josh R]

I agree, those would be my first choices as well and I would add whitefish. Burbot is supposedly called the fresh water cod. Ate it a couple times, deep fried and tasted acceptable.
Anything can taste good if you apply heavy breading using a cajun seasoning then deep fried. A couple beers before eating can help as well.

I missed whitefish and pike, both exceptional take fare
Whitefish on tinfoil on the grill might be the best thing a person could ever eat😊

 

[Josh R]

I remember the very first Franks Frozen Frenzy, I was invited to the banquet at the VI in Linwood, they had a whitefish soup or chowder, it was the greatest thing I think I've ever had!!!

 

[bkilla13]

Hilarious how grown ass men ( same dudes who routinely reach into a deer cavity with armfuls of intestines) cower and shudder when it comes to Lota Lota. They are FANTASTIC when poached. I use a mixture of white wine, a little vinegar, and old bay. The texture of the meat lends itself to poaching best. Haters gonna hate. But I got the eelpout fever

Don't get me wrong, I try anything once. And if I don't like it I try it 3 or 4 more times just to be sure. I bet it's fantastic when you cook it. Hell, if I catch one I'll give it a shot. I just can't help but to think dogfish when I see it and those things are just plain ugly. Growing up it was always such a disappointment when hooking on to a big fish in the river just to pull one of them up. Now it has me wondering if maybe those weren't decent to eat...

 

[SJC]

Agree. I would fish them before sunrise trolling just offshore. Kept my boat at Jerry's once Colliers closed and we would start at buoy 4 and kind of run the shore. Would catch between 3 and 6 browns each morning. It was a short bite once the sun started rising it was over in the shallows. So strange as I could see my inside Dipsy and first time thought no Brown will bite that close to the boat.

We used to long line bombers anf t sticks off planers and catch lots of footballs all summer. Around bouy 2 was good for browns, steelhead and kings. If the salmon weren't around you could always count on the browns and a few walleye. One day me and some buddies went out in my dad's bluefin and caught so many fish the lid wouldn't shut on a 150 quart cooler. Those were the days!