ND Record Burbot

[sweeney]

Actually got a bunch in the 80-90s ice fishing beaver and Beulah bay biggest I remember was 8-10lbs. Would jig for them sometimes in the chutes by the tailrace, set the hook as soon as your 1.5 oz jig tipped with a smelt or sucker dropped on something that wasn’t hard, almost always a ling biggest ever got out of there was 10-12lb. We actually got a few off the farthest east wing wall too, back in the day where you would just shine a million candle power spotlight into the water and see hundreds of walleye eyeballs and then you could decide which set of chutes you wanted to fish.

 

[VDAWG]

I just took the handle of a net, tied a rope to it, threw a small rock in it and lowered it down. It works but I do wish it was a bit bigger. If I got anything real big I'd have a hard time. I've thought about making a much bigger basket out of chicken wire.

 

[guywhofishes]

Fishing off piers is a fairly big market worldwide.

Searching for "fishing pier drop net" results in a plethora of purchase and DIY options.

It seems like a glow in the dark net would be really handy (you could easily see the silhouette of the fish going into the basket).

 

[JayKay]

Would that be below Garrison? Always wanted to go fishing out that way. Montana boy here and been interested in fishing NoDak

Yessir. Well, the Town of Garrison is more or less on the north side of the lake. People call the dam, Garrison Dam. So, yes, in the tailrace right below the dam, on Sakakawea.

 

[JayKay]

Nowaday's I think I'd try a hoop net fabricated from this with drilled holes to allow water: A rock in the bottom tends to abrade the laundry net so without a better idea I'd soak a couple cheap baseballs at home. JSYK: ALL dropped fish from the wingwalls are DEAD. The hoop must be lowered. It's a pain in the ass and I'm speaking from experience.

The bike rim sinks but still needs the baseball etc in the bottom of the net. My above/below idea would save weight.

Try vertical jigging a 1/2oz swimbait off the pier in St. Augustine...the current either pulls it below your feet or pulls it away...

smart idea. Alternately, could make a square frame of whatever size you want, from say, 3/4" PVC. Could be collapsible. A rope coming up from each corner, meeting say, 3 ft above the frame. A mesh bag hanging from the frame. With a rock in the bottom.

Hmm, I'm gonna be rich!

JMTC.

Jaykay

 

[VDAWG]

smart idea. Alternately, could make a square frame of whatever size you want, from say, 3/4" PVC. Could be collapsible. A rope coming up from each corner, meeting say, 3 ft above the frame. A mesh bag hanging from the frame. With a rock in the bottom.

Hmm, I'm gonna be rich!

JMTC.

Jaykay

I think you are onto something here....

 

[svnmag]

smart idea. Alternately, could make a square frame of whatever size you want, from say, 3/4" PVC. Could be collapsible. A rope coming up from each corner, meeting say, 3 ft above the frame. A mesh bag hanging from the frame. With a rock in the bottom.

Hmm, I'm gonna be rich!

JMTC.

Jaykay

That makes a hell of a lot of sense! I worry the rock may end up bad news. A small sandbag would probably be better than the soaked baseball.

 

[svnmag]

I think you are onto something here....

And glow in the dark spray paint per GWF.

 

[svnmag]

 

[svnmag]

I hope somebody becomes the "Intrepid One Of the Wingwalls"...G/F could make a lot of jack by sinking an illuminated live cam in the "forbidden zone" below the dam. Vollmer could set up the site:

 

[CatDaddy]

"Fat Dirty 'Burbs" - Jay Siemens

 

[Vollmer]

Seriously. Catches of 20-50 burbot a day were not unusual through the ice and very early spring. In 92-94 the ice houses SE of Williston all had a pile of them on the ice going to waste as there really wasn't much in the way of wanton waste enforcement. I haven't fished that area through the ice in 5 or 6 years, so I don't know if they are still that easily found. Seemed like not many mentioned them those last few years I'd occasionally try for walleyes in that reach of Sak. They were a sure thing in the 80s if you were fishing deep and near an old channel.

Cool fish once you get past the "WTF" moment.

 

[riverview]

im pretty impressed how the burbot has gone from the most disgusting fish you could catch to a prized game fish. I remember fishing on the red river and a 5 lb burbot would clear the ice house squirming around on the floor. on lake of the woods they would be stacked up by permanent ice houses left to rot. My dad always wanted them brought home if we caught them on low. the ones we caught on the red were just gray brown not pretty at all. they are a good-looking fish out of clean waters.