burbot/ling......where and how?

[arnpriormike]

Hey guys,

I'm looking at doing something for the first time. I want to target burbot/ling. I have spent my entire life targeting trout and sometimes walleye. I thing a change from the ordinary is due here!

Where should I go for these slimy fish and what techniques do you suggest? Fish-Online lists several lakes, but I don't trust that website. I see way too many mistakes.

thanks!!

Mike

[RJ]

I find them most active at night but have seen some photos recently from daytime so they are somewhat of an unknown. Your absolute best bet would be slide over to Shirley"d Bay one night and fish well into the dark. They seem to pick them up there on a regular basis.

I fish them on a lake north of 7 but it's private access where I'm fishing so not much good to ya. They are a blast to catch!

RJ

[CCLad]

I find them most active at night but have seen some photos recently from daytime so they are somewhat of an unknown. Your absolute best bet would be slide over to Shirley"d Bay one night and fish well into the dark. They seem to pick them up there on a regular basis.

I fish them on a lake north of 7 but it's private access where I'm fishing so not much good to ya. They are a blast to catch!

RJ

RJ is bang on. The Ottawa river has a good population, at least in the lac Deschaine area (Shirleys Bay). Fish well into the night, use minnows and keep them within a foot of the bottom...........

Good luck,
CCLad.

[smitty55]

Yep, caught lots in Shirleys, usually after the Walleye bite has slowed right down. Not always though as I caught a 5 lb one night. Released it, 10 minutes later got another bite. Heavy fish, figured it was a Ling again so I wasn't even careful pulling it up and surprise, it was a 26" Walleye. 10 ft of water in the current over rock. Back then I didn't realize they were good eating or I would have kept some. Used live minnows on a two way spreader with the short leaders they come with replaced with a snelled hook.
You should have some similar areas up around the Prior.
Cheers

[zippyfx]

The next full moon should see a spawn and have them making there way shallow (in numbers and in size)... they should be in full pre-spawn mode in the next couple of weeks.

http://www.roughfish.com/burbot
http://www.outdoorcanada.ca/burbot-ice- ... mer-part-1
http://www.outdoorcanada.ca/burbot-ice- ... mer-part-2

[Lenny]

Shirley's is a good bet as access is easy, but you likely won't get more than a couple. For big numbers Bark Lake, Otter Lake and Pike Lake are your best bets.

[613wetline]

my friend caught one at shirleys last week on a minnow at night..

[zippyfx]

As an aside, you can also catch them just before the ice up and just after iceout from shore. I caught a couple at the end of November:

[Tip-up]

Ive caught some real dandies on the Ottawa after dark, some chunks too around 5lbs. Minnows on bottom worked best but they have no problems hitting a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow!