Ling on Sak

[Flatrock]

I know it isn't popular at all to fish for ling but does anybody do it with success on Sak? I'd actually like to try it but am not sure if it's worth the time or not. I live in Bismarck so I'd mostly be fishing on the east end. When I grew up, we'd catch a few each winter on White Earth Bay on the upper end of the lake. If anybody has any advice for me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Sum1]

If your wondering, there is a reason they call it poor mans lobster and it’s not because they taste like lobster but rather you have to be awfully poor to eat something so disgusting.

To answer your question though I haven’t caught ling with any kind of consistency for probably 15 years. Not sure if there numbers are way down or what ever happened. I used to catch them at night pretty consistently off the wing walls or at night shore fishing the Missouri with floating jigs and minnow.

 

[honkerslayer]

I caught a decent sized one 2 weeks ago at Douglas bay

 

[Fly Carpin]

Let the people who say they’re bad to eat keep thinking that

 

[CatDaddy]

Yup, catfish too. Know how to prepare and cook....mmmmmmm

Let the people who say they’re bad to eat keep thinking that

 

[Sum1]

I like catfish but ling stunk up the whole house and tasted like sh#t. I literally thought I was eating sh#t.

 

[Fly Carpin]

 

[cooter00]

I caught more ling this winter then I have in years I caught at least one every time I went a few times I caught 5 or 6 biggest was 8lbs allot of small ones couple 4 lbers I don't eat them either I kept one 6 lber and cooked it and choked it down because my 4 yro daughter caught it and thought it was the coolest thing ever this on the west end of sak by the big tank in the middle of the lake they are spawned out now I didn't catch any the last 2 weekends they might be tough to catch now but earlier they were crazy

 

[Ericb]

I usually catch a few on the river around Bis as soon as ice is out every year. Usually 30+ feet of water. Its something different and enough butter and lemon(beer) I'm pretty sure I'll eat anything. My take on them is they are a semi bland fish just like all our others here they are just a bit firmer than the usuals.

 

[Big Iron]

So- people actually DO target pout?? Hmmm.

PS- pout is delicious. Tastes like cod.

 

[MSA]

I like catfish but ling stunk up the whole house and tasted like sh#t. I literally thought I was eating sh#t.

Cleaning them wrong, that tan part of the meat is shit, if you dont cut it all off it tastes n smells like shit.

- - - Updated - - -

15+ years ago I used to catch as many as 20 per trip. Then i went probly 10 years without catching a single one up until about 5 years ago....and gradually one here one there, i think my best day last year was 3. My favorite bait to use is smelt.

 

[lunkerslayer]

Msa is correct ling, burbout white meat has to have all the dark meat removed. Same way you prepare white bass is by removing the blood line out of the white fillet. Catfish I coudnt eat way to fishy oily tasting.

 

[MSA]

If i were to try and target them with any hopes of success on sakakawea, i would spread out tip ups with fresh smelt at white earth or similar areas of sakakawea. By fresh smelt i mean ones you caught and froze yourself. Store bought works, but fresh will outfish the grocery store shit 10 to 1.

The best spot would probly be the west side of the tailrace with fresh smelt on lindys.

Anyone ever hear what happened to the ling population 15 years ago? Something nearly wiped them out, virus or somethin.

 

[Brian Renville]

Like the others have said, don't catch nearly as many as we used to. As soon as the rivers here start running cold they show up but the only time I've caught any over a pound or so is through the ice. West of here around billings they run up the rivers and guys end up with stringers full of them.

 

[Flatrock]

If i were to try and target them with any hopes of success on sakakawea, i would spread out tip ups with fresh smelt at white earth or similar areas of sakakawea. By fresh smelt i mean ones you caught and froze yourself. Store bought works, but fresh will outfish the grocery store shit 10 to 1.

The best spot would probly be the west side of the tailrace with fresh smelt on lindys.

Anyone ever hear what happened to the ling population 15 years ago? Something nearly wiped them out, virus or somethin.

White Earth is where we used to occasionally catch them. We'd always have a few tip ups out in 30-40 feet for saugers and would usually catch 1 or 2 ling each time we were out. You would think there would be some on the east end of Sak with all the deep water there but maybe not. I wouldn't think they'd be out in 60-80 feet but who knows.

I did a quick Google search and saw something about a tailrace "Spring ling and and fling" or something like that. Not sure if they still do that but it sounded like some guys would get together and fish for them in the tailrace for a day. Wonder if they still do that? I've only eaten ling twice but it was F'n delicious both times.

Ironically, right after I put this post up yesterday, I saw a post on facebook by the Reel Fishing Guides and they had a few pics of a bunch of ling.

 

[Lungdeflator]

Used to fish them all the time in MN. Always keep em and fry them up. Fun to catch and taste great. They spawn under the ice so mid-late February is usually a good time to target them. I tried on Douglas last year, setup on a 30ft hump surrounded by deep water with tip ups and a jigging rod. Jigged for them until 1am with no bites.
I'd love to find a honeyhole on Sak for em.

 

[Reprobait]

Cool video: http://anglingbuzz.com/underwater-burbot-spawning/

 

[Captain Ahab]

That's an AWESOME video! I enjoy the burbot.

 

[NodakBuckeye]

Got my 1st one ever 1-28 this year SE of White Earth, big minnow on a slick jig. Fought good, tasted good.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Cool video: http://anglingbuzz.com/underwater-burbot-spawning/

That was a pretty neat video.