Burbot Fishing

[Walleye Be Damn]

I am interested in fishing for Burbot in the Potholes. I know there are some in there but I don't have a clue where to look. I know they run deep. Does anybody out there have any tips on how to catch them and where I should be looking for them on the Potholes? Is there specific baits they like? I took a bunch of perch egg roe and cured them last fall and wonder if the cured eggs will be to their liking.

[Larry3215]

Ive been searching for info on Burbot fishing in general for the last year or so. There isnt much out there specific to Washington other than a couple of reports about Banks Lake burbot and a few from Roosevelt. Apparently, not many folks target them in Washington.

If you search for Burbot in Potholes reports or hot spots there is nothing.

There is one nice video on the WDFW site about Burbot fishing in the Spokane arm of Roosevelt. I would assume the techniques would be the same for Potholes.

Look under the "Other" tab on the left for the Burbot video. They have several interesting videos on different species.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/videos/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can also search the forum for Burbot. You will find several threads with some info.

[Larry3215]

Almost forgot - the Feb newsletter had an article on Burbot fishing.

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ReadArticle.aspx?id=621" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Walleye Be Damn]

Thank you Larry for the information, great video on the WDFW site.

[hlindsay]

I got one last year in May, we were north and west of the island in Lind Coulee. We were fishing for walleye with a slow death and crawler, got out deep (I think 50') making a turn. The next day a woman fishing the same area ask if I knew what kind of fish she had, and it was a burbot. So I would say worms on the bottom should work, and you could try Lind Coulee.

[gregsalmon]

We used to spank em in Lake Chelan at 40 fathoms with circle hooks and a set line. Fresh hunks of Whitefish was the hot bait.

[ifightnerdz]

From what I understand Burbot hang out in deep and dark (120 ft) areas during the day time. At night they come shallow and feeding increases. During the winter if you can find an ice fishing spot they will be active as well. From what I understand areas like the Kettle river that do freeze over are popular.