# Burbot Bash



## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Anyone planning to hit the bash this coming weekend? (2/4-2/6) I saw that KSL Outdoors did a segment on the Gorge and they were tagging burbot for the bash.


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## Brookie (Oct 26, 2008)

I hope they didn't release the tag fished. Should of just killed them


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

I assume they use the tags to collect data since they are PIT and radio tags. But maybe I'm being too optimistic? I just doubt the Rec Area and fish agencies aren't using every opportunity to better understand the impact of that invasive fish.

I'd love to make it up there sometime in the future but I'd need to build a team to just offset gas cost. I might have to wait and few years and train my daughter to love ice fishing.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

backcountry said:


> I assume they use the tags to collect data since they are PIT and radio tags. But maybe I'm being too optimistic? I just doubt the Rec Area and fish agencies aren't using every opportunity to better understand the impact of that invasive fish.
> 
> I'd love to make it up there sometime in the future but I'd need to build a team to just offset gas cost. I might have to wait and few years and train my daughter to love ice fishing.


Between the fuel and a room, its an expensive trip for sure. The best part I feel, is the liberal limit on the Macs. 24 is the possession limit under 28" (I think) and all those burbot that are great eating. I love the small lakers on the bar-b-q with bacon and sliced lemon and LOTS of butter, pepper and wrapped in tinfoil.


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

Me and my boys are going. This will be our third time up there. Still trying to figure out the Burbot thing, but we catch quite a few Macs. Good times. I just actually bought a in bed camper for my truck. We'll have to see how that goes camping near the lake. My boys keep trying to get me to sleep on the ice, but I just can't bring myself to that yet. not quite equipped for that yet. Either way, it's going to be a good time!


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Jealous. I had hoped my parents would get here sooner but they got delayed by road weather and Omicron. I'd love to get my dad on the ice for that many days as he's not getting any younger.

Sleeping on ice is a tough sell. I've done it a few times on glaciers and it's just though to not eventually feel cold, even with a heater. The feet are eventually what get me as they are slow to get cold at first but when they do they are really slow to warm up.

Have fun y'all and best of luck!


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Saw a couple groups of Burbot Bashers in the parking lot of SW on 7200 this morning. Trailers were loaded with sleds and a couple track sleds as well. I talked to one group and they were all excited about the bash. Looked as if they had purchased every tube jig, hook, cut bait and whatever else they had in the big green bag. 

Best of luck to all heading up and stay safe and warm. I'm thinking with folks heading north, I'll head to fish lake.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Hope you have better luck than we did. Fished Mon. & yesterday. 7 pups between 3 guys is all we could come up with. Going to be a lot of people crammed into a small area of ice.


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## ns450f (Aug 28, 2018)

I am going to do this one year. Not this year but one year.....


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

gdog said:


> Hope you have better luck than we did. Fished Mon. & yesterday. 7 pups between 3 guys is all we could come up with. Going to be a lot of people crammed into a small area of ice.


One of the guys in the group I talked with said they were up last week and there wasn't even ice at Buckboard. It will be packed! Lost Dog will be slammed.


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

I've gone the past 3 years but didn't go this year due to lack of ice/crowding. I think too much activity on the ice spooks the fish. Anyway, it's an absolute blast! I especially appreciate how the organizers go out of their way to acknowledge kids - swag bags for every one of them. Lots of prizes and generous pay outs. My brother won for smallest fish 2 years ago and snagged $600 for that 7" fish.

I've never had a problem staying warm on the ice over night. But staying awake? Well, that's a challenge in itself. And even if you don't catch a single fish, you can still go home with all the burbot you could possibly want because most of the fish get tossed after weigh-in.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

*And even if you don't catch a single fish, you can still go home with all the burbot you could possibly want because most of the fish get tossed after weigh-in.*

I didn't know that.  I've never participated in the tournament, but, have iced my share of Burbot and they are very good table fair. I found that filleting them like you would a catfish (cutting along the ribcage) was not a great idea. Now I just take the meat from behind the ribs and down the tail. Beer batter, deep fry and a lemon, butter and garlic dip was my favorite. Fried Okra, rice and a slaw for sides.


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

Pliers and a really sharp knife.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

Brookie said:


> I hope they didn't release the tag fished. Should of just killed them


There are a lot of reasons to release tagged fish.

I know in Steamboat Springs (Stagecoach), they tag Pike to track their movements from the lake into the Yampa river. They would shock the river to try and collect as many pike as they could and kill them there to try and get an idea of how many escape out of the the lake into the river. If it became problematic to the point they needed a project (dam upgrade) to stop the pike, then they had the data to justify the costs. They also asked you when you called in with the tag number to the location of the fish caught to get an idea of the fish movement. 

I know the fontenelle Ding the Ling this year had a map of burbot hot spots on the lake, which can be a result of tagged fish turned in by anglers. In addition, having prizes for tagged fish also incentivizes people to go fishing in these tournaments. There are the same teams that either win these contests or come close to winning these contests every year and having a lottery prize makes it so you stay on the ice longer even if the fishing is subpar. By having this data, you can increase the harvest of burbot during non tournament times as well. 



I know some lakes have use the tracking system to study the movements of burbot. 




You can gain valuable data by releasing fish with tags and incentivize people to fish with tags. You make a handful of fish turn into hundreds of fish harvested. It is like fishing Bitcoin


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

hunting777 said:


> Me and my boys are going. This will be our third time up there. Still trying to figure out the Burbot thing, but we catch quite a few Macs. Good times. I just actually bought a in bed camper for my truck. We'll have to see how that goes camping near the lake. My boys keep trying to get me to sleep on the ice, but I just can't bring myself to that yet. not quite equipped for that yet. Either way, it's going to be a good time!


It is not too bad to camp out on the ice. It is actually quite fun. 

Here is a video on the 101 of it


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

I wish I could afford some of those items. I am working on it piece by piece. So this weekend was a pretty slow one. anyone else have any luck at the bash?


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

hunting777 said:


> I wish I could afford some of those items. I am working on it piece by piece. So this weekend was a pretty slow one. anyone else have any luck at the bash?


It would be great to hear more on the bash. In fact, its been very quiet on the site about ice fishing anywhere this year. Folks must be doing good and keeping it a secret.


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

We ended up going into Lost Dog from road 11. We are still trying to learn this place. We always fish the Utah side in the summer. We picked a spot that looked promising and close to our camper. Caught 3 burbot right off during the day. Caught 2 more the same night. Ran into a few guys that said from their fishing app. That fishing was supposed to suck that night. they said according to the app fishing were supposed to pick up. Never really trusted those apps, but we stayed in the same place for the second night. Only to be Skunked. Still yet to get into catching the qty that I would like. But Saturday night did end well. Someone up river to us was setting off quite the firework show. My boys really enjoyed that. All in all, we ate fantastic. Nothing like cooking on the ice. My good friend was able to pull his first fish through the ice. Other pic is my son's fish .


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Love the home made "jaw jackers", I built a bunch of them for the family. I used a better trigger release I found online that works a bit better than the wire trigger (can set a much finer release). But they all work, and cheap!

-DallanC


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

Can you share the release you use? Definitely need to improve that. Thanks


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

hunting777 said:


> Can you share the release you use? Definitely need to improve that. Thanks


Ya sure thing, we use these:









Amazon.com : Ice Fishing Tip up Quickset Automatic Hook Setter 3 for $10 : Fishing Hooks : Sports & Outdoors


Amazon.com : Ice Fishing Tip up Quickset Automatic Hook Setter 3 for $10 : Fishing Hooks : Sports & Outdoors



www.amazon.com





3 for $10. You can really set them to a hair trigger release, or a longer pull to trip it depending on your needs. I got tired of messing with the bent wire release... trying to fine tune it. Then it would work for one pole but not another etc etc. These are "adjustable" so its best of all worlds IMO.

-DallanC


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I made a couple a few years ago and they worked very well. The stupid 3-6" suckers at Schofield kept tripping them and only 50% were hooked. I like the idea of how they work, just don't like having to stress the eye tip on a rod.


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