+- Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum)
+-- Forum: Utah Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=386)
+--- Forum: Utah Fishing General (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=58)
+--- Thread: Flaming Gorge Dec 29-30 (/showthread.php?tid=1104209)
Flaming Gorge Dec 29-30 - joatmon - 01-01-2024
I hit Flaming Gorge on a solo overnight trip. I fished the Firehole area. Several 4 wheelers were out on the ice. Deepest water I found was 40 feet, which is at least 10 feet deeper than last December. Ice thickness was 8-9”. Marked several fish out in the main channel, but only had one feeble bite. I did catch one lake trout pup on a Jawjacker.
As the sun was setting, I got set up in my ice tent for the night. I fished four rods, two on each end, and alternated which set I jigged and which I left dead stick. I caught a couple of very small burbot Friday evening, then a 24” one at about 1:30 am. I did sleep for an hour or two several times. About 7 am, I saw a large red line appear on the flasher a couple of feet about my highest presentation, about 4 feet off the bottom. I slowly reeled up and jigged gently (jigging was the only thing that produced for me) and suddenly got I strong bite. I set the hook and the fight was on. The fish I hooked immediately starting pulling drag and I let it make several runs. I thought it might be a decent laker, but was not disappointed when a large burbot maw appeared in the hole. I was able to get my fingers under the gill plate and get it out of the hole. It ended up being a 30” burbot (see pic), the first fish I’ve pulled through the ice breaking the 30” mark. Wow, well worth the wait and the otherwise slow bite!
Saturday I fished a slightly different location at Firehole, marked a few fish, and had one tenuous bite. I finally gave up and headed home.
Of the 5 fish total I caught, all but one were hooked on a Gary Yamamoto luminous white curly tail grub on a 1/4 glow white jig head, tipped with a chunk of sucker meat. That setup has been our best producer on burbot over the years and has accounted for numerous lake trout as well.
Overall, a very rewarding trip and a great way to end the year!
![[Image: 90990-E24-E0-E3-4-F24-85-F1-1-CCEB5-B11809.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/8fsyMPYg/90990-E24-E0-E3-4-F24-85-F1-1-CCEB5-B11809.jpg)
RE: Flaming Gorge Dec 29-30 - Muskyon46 - 01-01-2024
Great solo trip and report. Congrats on breaking the 30 on the burbot. They can pull some drag at that size for sure. Amazing how the big boys show up at the Crack of dawn. My biggest have all come before coffee.
RE: Flaming Gorge Dec 29-30 - wiperhunter2 - 01-01-2024
Congrats on breaking the 30' mark. How much do you think that burbot weighed?
RE: Flaming Gorge Dec 29-30 - joatmon - 01-01-2024
(01-01-2024, 01:36 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: Congrats on breaking the 30' mark. How much do you think that burbot weighed?
Not sure, but after looking at some burbot bash results, I would guess around 5 pounds.
RE: Flaming Gorge Dec 29-30 - Cowboypirate - 01-01-2024
And the big question. How did he taste?
I love the taste but not the prep.
RE: Flaming Gorge Dec 29-30 - Troutster - 01-01-2024
Thanks for the report. Fished FG once thru the ice for lakers last year for the first time down in Utah in the Sheep Creek area. Skunked. Hope it freezes down lower this year. I bought all kinds of laker gear and Mother Nature isn’t cooperating. That drive home after a night on the lake can be pretty sleepy. Caffeine is my friend.
RE: Flaming Gorge Dec 29-30 - wiperhunter2 - 01-01-2024
(01-01-2024, 03:37 PM)Cowboypirate Wrote: And the big question. How did he taste?
I love the taste but not the prep.
I know the ones I've tried tasted pretty good but the smell during the prep was bad, the worst smelling fish ever.
RE: Flaming Gorge Dec 29-30 - hookngrinin - 01-02-2024
Sounds like a great weekend adventure. Good report and congrats on your first 30-incher through the ice.