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Written by Andy
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Thursday, 03 January 2008 |
Out for Eelpout
Posted on December 30, 2007
Anadramous Burbot lured a few roughfishers to a Lake Superior tributary
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Burbot. Lawyer. Eelpout, Pout, Maria Loch, Ling......People call this fish many different things, but I call them the best ice-fishing target of the season. I also call them darn tasty. A few of us met up at an establishment in a small northern town, where ordering a tall Old Style means you get about a gallon of beer in a frosty mug the size of most pitchers. Locals said the Pout were running, and we were eager to hit the ice.
We were after anadramous Burbot, fish that live out in the deep, frigid waters of Lake Superior and make a winter spawning run up tributary rivers. When good ice forms on the river, an angler can punch some holes and try to intercept them on their upstream journey. The key is setting up around the main channel, where strong current exists. These Burbot will smack a brightly glowing spoon tipped with minnow parts, and smack it hard. An average fish goes between 4 and 8 pounds, with real potential for a double-digit Pout. Adding to this incredible fishery are the occasional Lake Sturgeon These fish are protected and are making a serious comeback.
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 We got on the ice at 3:30 PM, thinking it would be a while before the Pout bite started. It is generally a dusk bite, lasting a couple of hours into the night. However, Fins n Feathers hooked up shortly after we arrived and landed this beautiful Burbot. It was his largest to date, and made his long trip worthwhile. We all started fishing in earnest after seeing this bruiser come up the hole!
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 I was jigging a large Buckshot spoon, slowly pounding bottom in typical Pout-fishing fashion. Large, fluffy snowflakes fell through the still air. Watching my Vexilar, I saw a large mark come through only 4 feet below the ice, and reeled my spoon up to it's level. The fish slammed it hard, and I was into a serious battle. Burbot fight you extremely hard on small ice-tackle, and really get your blood pumping. I won the battle this time, and iced a nice fish.
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 The next fish also belonged to me. A fish took right on the bottom, and steadily pulled. Catching a glimpse as it passed under the hole, I saw some whiskers and knew it wasn't a Burbot. After finally getting her head up the hole, I squeezed out a nice 35-40 inch Lake Sturgeon! This was my first-ever Sturgeon through the ice, and I was very happy.
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 After some great action while it was still daylight, I was anticipating a phenomenal evening bite. We fished hard, but as darkness fell no fish showed. More than an hour went by with nothing to show for our efforts other than a few bites. But, it was nice out, and John had brought some gourmet food out with him to share with the crew. It started with some home-smoked Lake Whitefish, one of my personal favorites, served with a glass of Bell's Two-hearted ale. Delicious. He then toasted some Halibut, bacon and cheddar sandwiches(HBC's), heating them up with his ice shack heater. Thanks again, John. I've never eaten better on the ice. JK lit a fine cigar, hoping it would change his luck, but it didn't help. He failed to connect with a Pout tonight. One more was iced by fins n feathers, and ended up being our last fish of the trip. While the bite did not live up to expectations, we still iced a few Pout and had a good time.
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It don't mean a thing if you ain't got no Ling.........burbotburbotburbotburbotburbot.
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Andrew Geving, Roughfisher-at-Large
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