Zero dark burbot
Michael and I, along with my buddy Matt and his family, spent the weekend on a lake up north searching for the elusive Burbot (Lota lota). We were given some very good information, but it seems the timing was still a little off, or our location was a little off, or conditions was a little off.
Michael and I camped overnight on the ice. Even with the heater on full (3000 BTU), it was still a bit cold in the wee hours of the morning. Burbot fishing is best after dark so we were trying to maximize our opportunities, plus we were too thrifty to spend extra money on the hotel room :lol:
I was lucky enough to lost one and caught one. Otherwise, burbot fishing was slow to dead. The whitefish were also largely absent aside from one that came unbuttoned at the hole for Michael, and one that Matt landed.
There is a lot of narrative, as well as a couple of burbot cleaning tips on my blog. Otherwise here are some pictures.
http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot.ca/2014/03/zero-dark-burbot.html
~~~
Here are some more fishing pictures from my icefishing season. It started off very slow but progressively got better.
I'll be brief here. For the full story, you can read about it on my blog.
http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot.ca/2014/02/slow-start-to-season-but-heating-up-now.html
Compared this slow icefishing season with my trip to Florida, it was day and night. I caught some fish, but couldn't get out often enough...and when I do get out fishing, it always seems to be the slow day...
I did run into a massive school of Cisco one day. I love the chrome side and iridescent purple back. They remind me of Ladyfish a lot. Just as aggressive and they form big schools as well.
I made a new friend who was from France and he had never experienced icefishing. So we went out one Saturday and he caught his first fish icefishing. It is not the biggest pike in the world, but at least we got a rod bent.
In February, my luck finally turned and I got into a couple of great days. Most of the Lake Trout were small...but the action was fast and furious and the trout tasted great.
Most of them were around this size.
Some had brilliant reddish fins!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18069
Date Joined: 11/03/08
looks too damn cold for me to
looks too damn cold for me to go fishing. at least you got a feed of fish in the end .
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Ben Derecki
Posts: 1926
Date Joined: 10/10/07
Mate that does look cold.They
Mate that does look cold.
They look good smoked though, how do they taste?
KenTse
Posts: 139
Date Joined: 23/11/10
Burbot is good boiled and
Burbot is good boiled and then dipped in garlic butter (they call burbot the poor man's lobster). You can also bake it or pan fry it.
Whitefish and lake trout is good smoked, baked, pan fried or grilled.
Rainbow smelt is good pan fried or deep fried.
Northern pike can be pan fried, battered or baked.
crasny1
Posts: 7004
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Mate that first picture
in Austrlalia we say "freezing your tits off"
Considering I worked in a place called Karratha where the temp during summer hovers around the 40 degreeC mark or higher, and winters the minimum hardly ever get below 12degC that looks too cold for me.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
Walfootrot
Posts: 1385
Date Joined: 23/07/12
Great photos, and does look
Great photos, and does look like fun, even if it is a bit cool.
come on guys, you all know if you were there you would have to wet a line
More drum lines, kill the bloody sharks!
crasny1
Posts: 7004
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Yes
But I would erect a tent with a huge heater, and drill the hole in the centre of the shelter (I have seen this)
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
KenTse
Posts: 139
Date Joined: 23/11/10
We have shelters. It was warm
We have shelters. It was warm (ie. max 5C) during the day so we didn't use it. We have to use the shelter at night. That's the only way we can trap the heat from the heater.
uncle
Posts: 9503
Date Joined: 10/02/07
thats different
well done,can't say its on my bucket list
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
The markings on the pike look great
I like the markings on the pike, and what is that fish which looks like a bloody big cobbler.
KenTse
Posts: 139
Date Joined: 23/11/10
I've to look up what a
I've to look up what a cobbler looks like, haha! The fish that looks like a cobbler is the Burbot (Lota lota). Burbot gets bigger than that (10-20lb is possible), but mine is about average size.