By Chris Marcolin
This month I would like to remind folks to take advantage of our burbot fishery, A fish also known as freshwater lingcod. This fishery is sometimes overlooked because of the time of year and cold temperatures. With some of our lakes becoming safe for ice fishing this can be one of the most productive ice fishing times during February’s full moon period which is also called the Snow Moon. Every year I look forward to fishing these evenings prior to the Snow Moon with anticipation of catching burbot. The three key points I will emphasize for anyone wanting to catch burbot are timing, location and technique.
Get Your Timing Right
Timing has a lot to do with being successful and making your effort as productive as possible. During this next month we know that the burbot will be in a pre-spawn mode and will be feeding heavier under the ice with preparation for the late March and early April spawn. Some lakes in the region may only be accessible by boat or not accessible at all due to unsafe ice conditions. As an ice fishermen, this emphasizes the need to find burbot areas that can be safely ice fished the week prior to the Snow Moon. On a year like we experienced in Eastern Washington in 2024 we were very limited to a shorter period of safe ice or no ice at all during February. This fishery will remain active continuing into March as long as ice conditions support it.
Pro Tip: Plan to locate ice fishing spots prior to sundown and fish into the night period until 8:30 or 9 PM. Burbot tend to move into feeding areas around sundown during a 2-4 hour timeframe and then continue moving on flats and structure areas feeding. If I’m not successful, either I’ll move to a new location or plan to come out on another night.
Find the Best Location
Location is key when winter fishing for burbot. They can be caught feeding in deep areas or shallow benches near deeper basin areas. Over time I have learned some differences in burbot feeding areas and patterns that put more fish topside Ice. It is safe to say that where you have found burbot in the past will be your best potential to continue to be productive.
Each water body is different in that some lakes will produce fish between 15-40 feet deep while other lakes in the region may produce in deeper waters between 40-90 feet deep. I will usually focus on transition areas and topographic pinch points to greaten the chance of catching more moving fish. These would be intersections of points, benches/flats, and drop offs. With most burbot fishing you will be working within 5 feet on the bottom. This may change in the summer months when burbot have been known to feed suspended mid water column during the day. Techniques will come into play when burbot respond differently from lake to lake.
Pro Tip: Identify multiple spots on known burbot lakes prior to trip. Local knowledge is always beneficial to get you into the game.
Gear Up for Success
Getting geared up for burbot ice fishing can be very simple and inexpensive. Some of the techniques used to catch burbot are focused on creating vibrations, thumping the bottom, and developing a jigging sequence to intrigue fish to bite. The two lures I use exclusively for burbot are the mid-smaller sized Sonic BaitFish and the SD Drift Jig in Glo.
Pro Tip: I do tend to use the SD drift more because it has the ideal weight for thumping the bottom along with the smiley blade action that produce a crawfish or wounded minnow vibration. Because Burbot have barbels to probe for food I usually tip these jigs with bait to increase scent.
Burbot have strong jaws and hard mouth’s. Sharp hooks are key to retaining these fish all the way through hole. There’s nothing more discouraging than having a larger burbot on at the hole and once the burbot feels the cold air it opens its mouth and the lure is released. For this reason I fish with medium to heavy action poles using 12-17 pound line and set hook a second time during initial strike.
Technique: Jigging Sequence
Burbot are bottom-dwellers, so focus on pounding the bottom with your jig to create noise and stir up sediment.
While jigging for burbot, plan to include a quick sharp lift of 3 feet producing vibration, multiple drops to bottom producing thumps, and a slow jigging motion within 2 feet of bottom.
About every minute repeat sequence with a recess near bottom to allow burbot to pinpoint lure. A pause often triggers strikes.
Aggressive burbot will also hit a falling jig so be aware of where the bottom should be.
PRO TIP: Utilize glow-in-the-dark lures, as burbot are often most active in low-light conditions.
I hope this helps for providing input on how to catch burbot. If this is one on your “Bucket List”, Good luck to you and feel free to reach out to one of our ice fishing staff at Mack's Lure. We enjoy answering your questions and helping you catch more fish.
Additional Tips
- Use heavier tackle to handle the fighting power of burbot. A medium-heavy rod with 10-15 lb test line is recommended.
- Tip your jigs with cut bait or minnows to add scent and attraction.
- Consider adding scent to your lures, such as Mack's SBF Pro Gel in Garlic Crawfish.
- Fish areas with rocky structure, deep basins, and steep drop-offs.
- Use electronics or an underwater camera to locate burbot, as they often hug the bottom and may not show up clearly on sonar.