BURBOT???

[Western Basin Bob]

Hey, I saw a guy catch the strangest looking fish (HUGE head, one whisker square on it's chin, and a long body like that of an eel)while perch fishing. He called it a "cat lawyer", then said it was a burbot! I had never seen such a thing nor knew it existed in Lake Erie. Have I been white washed or is this true?

[James Morris]

Yep, that's a burbot (also known as eelpout). There's a section in the ice guide from in-fish on them and also Noel Vick has an article on them on the web somewhere.

James

[RANGER]

Hey WB Bob,

Here are all (?) the fish in Pa. Waters, including Lake Erie, which has the majority of them. When you open this click on the individual species and it will give you a synopsis on the fish. When the site opens click on "Fishing" (upper left) and then on "Gallery of Pa. fish", then click on the Burbot. Burbot is said to be very good eating, but I have never tried it.

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/

[Western Basin Bob]

Thanks, Ranger. Thats the fish I saw the guy with. Scary, prehistoric looking fish. Some of us will fish all of our lives and never catch one. This guy claimed he's caught one every year for the past 3 years while fall perch fishing! I guess I can't not believe him! And besides, fishermen never lie, right? Some guys search for it all their lives, and others are just born with it! :)

[RANGER]

You're welcome and your right - they are scary looking. I have never caught one but I have caught several Bowfin and a number of Gar during my years and they are butt-ugly, too!

[AquaMan]

Ya'll come over here to MN sometime this late winter and you will not be able to keep them off your hook.

There is a festival on Mill Lacs that attracts fisherman from far and wide. The Eelpout Festival in Garrison is a site to see, yes, sir, some call it poor man's lobster. But with enough butter anything might get close. :-)

I have eaten it before and it was not bad. Not sure how to clean the things though. They squirt right out of your hands.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It all begins and ends at the water's edge...

[Chuck Pederson MN]

They will keep you up all night if you stay in a shelter on Mille lacs in Mn. I especially like the way they wrap themselves around your arm when you try to get them off the hook.

[Schmitty]

Here on lake Winnebago we call them Lawyer's.

[King Pout]

Hey Aquaman - The Eelpout festival is actually held in Walker, MN on the shores of Leech Lake during the end of Feb.
Slime'em if you got'em....haha

[AquaMan]

Yeah, yeah...that's right. What is the festival on Mill Lacs? I was at that one too but obviously had too much of the liquid lunch. hahahah

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It all begins and ends at the water's edge...

[Boatnut]

The Burbot is a member of the freshwater cod family. Supposedly good eating but thats only a rumor. :)

[Airwave(OH)]

Ya Bob my Buddy 9 yr.old daughter 2 weeks ago caught one when we we fishing for perch just off Lorain. We released it. Maybe you got it..lol Hers was about 28" long. Nice fight !!!!

[The Great Guide]

Burbot are also good eating. They are in the Cod family. Filet them out and cook in spiced up butter on low heat and MMMMMMMMMgood.

[foreyes]

Yes- caught em' on the Castle Rock Flowage in WI. I have also heard that they are very good eating, but I don't know first hand- always let em' go.

[THUMPEr]

Great eating. The trick is to get them partially frozen and then fillet the back section out of them. A lot of the guys will cut the line and then throw them out in the snowbank when they catch them rather than try and get their hook back. I will always get the hook back because The foxes and other small creatures making a living out in the bush could possibly swallow the hook :-(

[S.F.]

burbot or more commonly called eelpout in minnesota, are actually a game fish in some states, including alaska. they can be prepared the same as a walleye or any way you want. they are fine eating, nice white flakey meat. the meat from right behind the head to the start of the fin that raps around the tail, along each side of the back bone is best. there are no ribs to deal with. just cut down along the back bone until you hit the entrails and then cut at right angles to the backbone on each end of the first cut and flop the meat over for skinning. the tail has very little meat on the average size 'pout. ugly...but good for eating but equally as good for the fishery. these guys eat more forage fish than any fish that swims, therefore a great fish for keeping things in balance. throw them back if you don't want to eat them since they are good for things, not at all as bad as they look. on big walleyes lakes such as leech, mille lacs, winnie and lake of the woods, these guys can be a big help toward the walleye bite on years when there is an over abundance of bait fish. interestingly, the liver has a higher content of oil than the saltwater cod and has been processed for the oil for many years at baudette, mn. s.f.

[BD]

Fried They're great. Also great eating if you cube the filets and boil them in salted water and serve them with drawn butter.

[Wild Bill]

You just need to hold your mouth right to catch one of those elusive marauders from the deep,WBB.

[Daveo]

Burbot are also known as freshwater cod. They are excellent eating. Clean them like a catfish. Boil the meat with some crab and shrimp boil (seasoning packet) and dip the meat in butter. Its also known as poor mans lobster. They are native to the Great Lakes although more common to the upper three than Lake Erie. They are a predatory fish in a similar nitch as lake trout / salmon / etc.

Some fun burbot facts: Some believe the burbot uses its lone wisker to lure prey fish in to eat. Burbot have been documented to wrap their long flexible bodies around masts and antenna of sunken boats to rest and perhaps wait for pery to happen by. They are generally a deep water fish.

Don't let their ugly appearence put you off, they are a neat fish. Burbot occur in inland lakes too.

[Western Basin Bob]

WOW! Hope that guy ate good! I think he mentioned smoking the fish. That should be good. WBB - Elusive marauders from the deep? I try to hold my mouth right, but those elusive marauders from the deep just don't like the color of my line.

[Ohio specifics]

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/news/toarc/mh122299.html

Discusses two state records caught in 1999 along with some Lake Erie specific info. Worth a read it you want to catch one in Ohio.

[Tom P]

Can anyone tell me how rare a Bowfin fish is? Can you tell me something about them? Thanks, Tom

[Rick]

Do you know why the name LAWYER?
(Slimey is just a guess)

[THUMPER]

I was always thought that lawyers and Ling as they are called here had a lot in common........They are both bottom feeders.

[Rick]

There is a TV show,..Allie McBeal,..I believe one of the lawyers is named Ling.

[Paul]

I live in northern Ontario - and we catch all kinds of these burbot - we also call them mud pout - they are excellent eating - in the spring - they get wormy after that - we usually can catch 100 - 500 in a night - really fun - using a big worm ball....

A bowfin is a relative of this - but much larger - and they have a no defined tail - there whole backside is a tail - pretty neat looking - similar to an eel.

Talk to ya later

[Pout Lover]

We have eelpout here in South Dakota also. Lake Oahe is good for them. Nite bite on the main lake points with glow jigging spoons.
I have fished the ellpout festival in Walker going on my 12th year. Wouldn't miss that for the world.

Pout-finaddict

[T-Mac]

In Montana ,guys drive hundreds of mile to catch "Ling" (Burbot, Eelpout, Lawyer, etc....same fish)! These folks think the "Ling" taste great! Of course, these folks are used to eating trout...!
They actually are pretty decent for eating. Folks fillet them, and just use the back straps and tail section. Fry 'em ...boil 'em , steam 'em, Broil 'em... all the usual.

All I know is everyone we catch through the ice has a perch or 2 or 3 in it. And some of those perch inside them are 8" long!

[THUMPER]

Some of the boys here in NW Ontario fillet their supper and dispose of the walleye remains down an unused hole.
A fishing buddy caught a large Ling on a big sucker minnow and when he hauled it up the tail of a fish was sticking out of the Lings mouth. Turns out the Ling were eating the remains of the Walleye being put down the hole. The Walleye was around 16in.