Burbot

[Moose72]

Anyone have any hints as to what should be used to catch freshwater ling? Bait, lures, or whatever. Water depths?

[tomahawk]

When I lived in PG we used set lines, check to make sure they are still legal now, and bait attached and left them overnight.

[Big7]

You can catch them on a set line obviously but it's not as fun as jigging! Use large spoons/jigs etc (same as you would for spring char fishing) and you'll do ok if your in a good spot eg Ruby Eye, Wonder Lure, Tom Mack, One Eyed Wiggler etc. It takes awhile to find a good hole.

Some lakes you can use bait....salmon roe works awesome. Usually they are fairly deep - 80+ Bring them up slow, from that depth, they will puke their guts out when you bring them up fast and then there's no chance of release if it's small.

[Moose72]

When I lived in PG we used set lines, check to make sure they are still legal now, and bait attached and left them overnight.
Setlines are illegal here. As well as finned fish.

[Moose72]

Thanks, i'll have to try the roe.

[MIL720]

whole prawns work well also, on a tri hook, 10-12' leader, or just the Large spoon with hook attached, no leader.Both work well.80 lb test.this is what I use.Good Luck..

[Moose72]

whole prawns work well also, on a tri hook, 10-12" leader, Large spoon, 80lb test is what I use.....Good luckWell if it wasn't so dam cold, i would go out tonight and give it a whirl.

[goatdancer]

Ford doorhandle jig with nightcrawlers jigged a foot off the bottom.

[rocksteady]

I use a Blue Fox Tingler, with some stinky, rooten squid on the hook....

I fish in the shallows of where A STREAM EMPTIES INTO THE LAKE,
cause that is where they will spaWN. Fish them at night, as they are more active after dark............

Rotten meat, fish or something that you would not want to hold in your hand is best, put it about 6 to 12 inches off the bottom and wait it out....


Damn fine eating....If they are ovewr about 3 pnds......Anything less than that is all head and guts, with no meat....

Rotting chicken works well too....

[springpin]

get a crappy cut of meat and cut it into chunks...I've caught lots with this.

[springpin]

as for the Myth of fish them at night....I've caught ALL my ling early afternoon..ever been skunked.

[Chuck]

Factory made ling jigs can be bought or you can make your own. Someone mentioned the famous "Ford door handle". We used to make our own using a piece of chromed tubing sold in plumbing shops, then bent in an arc. Run a piece of stout copper wire through it with a loop on either end and fill with molten lead. Add a swivel on one end and a treble hook on the other. Add a piece of florescent plastic tape on the hook, and your good to go jigging.
This jig was about 7-8 inches long. We'd jig for Burbot in the lake's outflow over a gravel bar in about 30 to 50 feet of water. May was the best month, just when high water was in full swing. Note that this was a particular circumstance and might differ where you are.
So we'd use 12-15lb line, drop this "thing" to the bottom, bring it up 3 feet and then start to jig, slowly drifting toward the outflow. Time of day didn't seem to matter, but late morning was best. Burbot will move into shallower water at night to hunt, but we had no need to fish them at night.

[eaglesj]

I caught two 5 pounders ice fishing in about 10 feet of water with a white jig. I was jigging for walleye and fell asleep only to be woken up with a burbot on the line. The second one I woke up early enough that it didn't bite yet but even with trying to keep it off the line, it wouldn't let up so I caved in and let it bite the hook.

[Moose72]

Thanks for the info guys.

[DawgGone]

A set line is the ticket where they are allowed.
A "SUREFIRE" trick is to put out your set at dusk........ I use small fish heads on the required size hook and a haibut spreader bar. Break and attach to the spreader bar a yellow glow stick (they last 12 hours). (YES...IT IS COMPLETELY LEGAL:icon_frow ) Works everytime.......:wink: