[#000000][size 2]Last week's Marsh Creek trip wasn't satisfying enough. We were pretty sure we could find more and bigger burbot further uplake, so we headed up to Firehole Canyon. The water temps at Firehole were 38F, about 10F colder than Marsh Creek. Some ice is forming in the backs of the little coves, so maybe we'll have some hard deck to fish soon.
We fished along some cliffs where we found some rocky bottom. Most of the bites were light, but a select few hit the bait hard. The three of us ended up using a different lure, all of which proved successful: a Buckshot spoon, a 4" Yamamoto grub on a 3/8 oz jighead, and a Rapala Jigging Shad Rap all in glow-n-the-dark and tipped with sucker/chub meat. Constantly recharging the "glow" seems to be the most important. We fished in 20-30ft of water, similar to last week's report. The difference was the size of the fish. Average length was about 20" with a couple pushing 24", making it much easier to remove a fillet. A couple of the fish were small (thanks to my skills), measuring around 12". Three of us totaled 18 burbot and one
rainbow trout in about 4 hours of fishing. A few other burbot were lost at the boat.
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[/size][/#000000][#000000][size 2]It was cold out there and we had ice on the deck of the boat after the first few fish. Wearing the appropriate gear made the night almost comfortable when the wind laid down. Air temps were 28F when we pulled the boat. Hope it helps, Ryno
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Thanks for the good report. I plan to make a trip up there as soon as the ice is on.
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Ryan,
Nice report and thanks for all the good info. I've never caught a Burbot and just wondering how you dress those out. Are they like any other fish, where you can fillet or skin them out, do they have a spine? The questions sound a little wierd but then the Burbot looks a little wierd.
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]That is one fine report I tell you what. Definitley made my day reading about how the ice is starting to form. Well, now I can hardly wait another two days to hit the Gorge. I was planning on the Firehole area for a coulpe nights fishing. [/#000000][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]Do you think that little bay beside the ramp would be good? Also, did the burbot mostly prefer the lure moving or more like deadsticking? I was thinking of using one pole for jigging and another rigged with sucker for double action.[/#000000][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]That is very good that the water is 38F. Did you fish for lakers up there? I don't know the good spots at Firehole[/#000000][/font].
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I cant wait to pull some from the ice
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Burbot have a really wide rib cage, and there's hardly any meat on it. There also isn't much meat at the tail, especially with smaller fish.
Skinning them first, and then filleting them, seems to be the best method for getting the most meat. My buddy uses this method, cutting the skin around the body just behind the gills and peeling the skin off towards the tail with pliers. Then he fillets the fish just like any other.
I use an electric fillet knife cutting like I would to fillet a catfish. I cut down just behind the gills, hold the knife at a 45 degree angle so it rides the spine and ribs, and cut towards the tail dropping the knife flat at the end of the rib cage. I continue to the tail, stopping just before, flip the meat over and then run the knife back down to seperate the flesh from the skin. You tend to lose some meat near the ribs using this method, but when you have 20-30 fish you won't notice the difference.
Hopefully that makes some sense. Ryno
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We didn't fish that bay, so I'm not sure. I would fish the cliffs just above or below the Firehole ramp on the eastside, or the cliffs about a 1/4 mile upstream from the ramp on the westside of the reservoir (see pic). Look for rocky stucture and try to feel/find some hard bottom. That seems to be the habitat they prefer, probably because it harbors more crayfish.
Most of the bites came while deadsticking or light jigging. We did catch a couple on the drop though after casting towards shore.
I've caught lakers up there under the ice in December and January. I'm not sure if there are any in there right now. It can be pretty poor water quality up there in late summer and fall, which may keep the macks further downlake. You might hook into some while fishing for burbot though.
Good luck this weekend, Ryno
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Great report.
So were you fishing mornings or evenings. I'm looking to get my son up there for a boat trip before hard top.
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]I appreciate that map. Looks like a few places to move around and get into good action. [fishin][/#000000][/font]
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Night. We started catching fish around 5:30pm and ended around 9:00pm.
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Thanks, maybe we can get out next weekend.
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Ryno, is there any chance that Utah and Wyoming will declare total war on these suckers and do something drastic like set deep water traps and nets to try and eliminate them !! The damage that they are going to do or have done to the fishery at the Gorge warrants drastic measures in my opinion.
Always looking for opportunities to remove burbot. Angling is obviously an efficient method, but it's mostly limited to the ice period. The regulations have been adjusted (illegal to release in Utah, 6 poles or tip-ups through the ice in UT and WY, etc) which should promote more harvest. Biological controls are being attempted, using hybrid sterile tiger trout which were stocked into the Gorge this summer. Mechanically removing them has been discussed using nets, electrofishing, etc. Those methods are really time consuming and very expensive, but not out of the question. Right now there aren't any immediate plans or funding to get into a burbot netting/removal program. Ryno
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