Burbot fishing: how, where and what to catch burbot

Burbot lives in many flowing and stagnant reservoirs of our country, however, few anglers are purposefully engaged in catching it. This is due to the specific behavior of the bottom predator, which requires a special approach to the choice of gear, baits and artificial lures.

Potential predator sites

Burbot fishing will be successful only if the fisherman knows where to catch this bottom predator. When looking for potential sites for its parking, one should always take into account the type of reservoir, as well as seasonal and temporal factors.

On the lake

If burbot fishing is carried out on a lake or reservoir, attention should be paid to the following areas:

• snarled zones;
• places with complex bottom relief;
• local holes;
• riverbed sections of rivers flowing into a lake or reservoir;
• shoals with a hard bottom, located on large stretches.

You should not look for this fish in heavily overgrown areas with a silty bottom. In very small coastal zones, it is also unlikely to be able to catch it.

On the river

On rivers of large and medium sizes, this freshwater representative of the cod family can be found:

• in the area of ​​the channel edge;
• on snarled pits;
• in deep coastal whirlpools;
• in river bays with a solid bottom;
• on flat plateaus with rocky or clay soil;
• where the main jet converges with calmer water.

Sometimes burbot enters small tributaries of medium-sized rivers, but it is extremely rare to catch it there with amateur gear. This predator is not found in ponds and shallow lakes with muddy ground.

Photo: www. izhevsk.ru

Depending on the season and time of day, this fish can feed at different depths.

Spring

In early spring, when there is active ice melting and fresh water inflow, it often comes out on sandy and rocky shoals. In April, it is more often possible to catch it at a depth of 3–6 m.

In May, when the water begins to warm up quickly, burbot hunts at a depth of at least five meters.

Summer

In summer, it stands in the deepest places, trying to stick to areas where cold springs beat from the bottom of the reservoir.

Autumn

With the onset of autumn and the gradual cooling of the water, the bottom predator leaves deep pits. It begins to peck in the same places where it was caught in April – the first half of May.

Winter

In winter, burbot is more evenly distributed over the reservoir, but stands in local areas. If large individuals usually feed at depths of 5–12 m, then small specimens often go to the shallows, where there is no more than 1–1,5 m of water under the ice.

In the daytime, the predator usually sticks to deep areas and rarely goes to the shallows. At night, he often hunts in relatively small places, characterized by an abundance of food supply.

The best time for fishing

The level of food activity of burbot at different times of the year is very different. This is mainly due to the change in water temperature.

In summer, the cold-loving predator practically stops eating, and if it goes out to feed, then only at night. At this time of the year, his captures are random. With prolonged heat, he falls into a state similar to suspended animation and ceases to show any activity.

Photo: www. rybalka2.ru

In the first autumn month, the feeding activity of this fish is also at a low level. Stable biting resumes only in October and continues until spawning, which occurs in January. During spawning, he practically does not react to the baits offered to him.

In February, burbot biting resumes, but the search for fish is complicated by the large thickness of the ice shell. On the last ice, his fishing is very successful.

After the ice has melted, the burbot does not bite for some time, which is due to the cloudiness of the water. At the end of the flood, its activity resumes, and interesting fishing continues until the water temperature reaches 10 ° C.

Used natural baits

When fishing burbot, the success of fishing largely depends on what to catch the bottom predator. Often changing the nozzle leads to a significant increase in the number of bites. That is why it is advisable to take several different bait options on the pond.

When fishing from ice and in open water, natural baits of animal origin are successfully used to catch burbot:

• live or dead fish;
• chicken or beef liver;
• a bunch of dung worms;
• crawling worm;
• tulk;
• chicken offal;
• bed.

Small live fish 10-12 cm long – one of the best lures for burbot fishing. Hooked, it moves actively, quickly attracting the attention of a predator. As a live bait it is better to use:

• roach;
• crucian carp;
• sandblaster;
• dace.

It is these species that retain mobility longer, being impaled on a hook. In combination with this bait, singles or doubles are usually used, the stings of which are stuck under the dorsal fin or into the nostril opening of the fish.

Photo: www. activefisher.net

When the predator is passive and collects food objects from the bottom, it is better to use not live roach or crucian carp, but crushed ruff as a bait. Such a nozzle exudes a smell that lures burbot well and provokes it to bite.

A crushed ruff can be mounted on both a double and a tee. The main thing is that the hook is well hidden in the body of the fish – this will not allow the predator to prick on the stings until he swallows the bait.

The nozzle can also serve as chicken or beef liver. This is a rather gentle bait, so it is better to use it when fishing on standing types of reservoirs. The main advantage of this bait is a specific smell, which the burbot really likes.

When fishing for the liver, triple hooks are usually used. On them, a delicate nozzle holds much better than on doubles or singles.

Bundle of dung worms – an excellent bait for catching passive burbot in stagnant waters. Arthropods have not only a characteristic smell pleasant for a predator, but also actively move, being impaled on a hook, which attracts the attention of fish.

Dung worms are planted on a single hook as a whole, 5-8 pieces each. The main disadvantage of this bait is that ruffs and other small fish quickly eat it up, because of which you often have to pull out the tackle and renew the nozzle.

crawling worm It is large and holds well on the hook. This bait is often used for catching burbot on the river. One or two arthropods are planted on a single or double.

Over the past two decades, the kilka population has greatly increased in the reservoirs of the middle zone. This led to the fact that this type of fish has become the basis of the food supply for many predators, and burbot is no exception.

Photo: www. izhevsk.ru

Catching burbot on sprat is more often practiced in winter. Anglers use this bait for several reasons:

• it is habitual for a predator, and the fish willingly takes it even with low food activity;
• it can be stored frozen for a long time;
• the tulle keeps well on the hook.

Tulka is usually used not as an independent bait, but as a replanting on the hook of a lure, a “stukalka” or other artificial bait. For fishing, a dead fish is used.

Offal left after butchering a chicken can also serve as an effective natural bait. This bait has a smell that attracts a predator and sits securely on the hook, which allows it to be used for fishing not only in still water, but also in current. Poultry guts are best placed on a tee.

Many anglers catch burbot on shrimp. For bait, only the cleaned tail is used, planting it with a “stocking” on a single hook with a long forearm. The predator is better attracted not by boiled, but by a fresh product, as it has a stronger smell.

Burbot has an excellent sense of smell and responds well to smells. In the absence of a bite, natural baits are recommended to be processed with dips. For these purposes, it is better to use specialized purchased attractants focused on catching a bottom predator.

artificial lures

In addition to baits of natural origin, a variety of artificial baits are successfully used to catch burbot. In winter, use:

• vertical spinners;
• balancers;
• “knocker”.

For ice fishing of burbot, vertical flashy 8–10 cm long. The game with such a bait is as follows:

1. The spinner is lowered to the bottom;
2. Make 2-3 hits with the bait on the ground;
3. Raise the lure 5 cm above the bottom;
4. Make a sharp jerk with an amplitude of about 20 cm;
5. Return the tip of the rod to its original position;
6. Make a few more jerks;
7. The whole cycle is repeated.

If a tulka is planted on the hook, the game with the bait comes down to smooth swaying near the bottom and regular tapping of the lure on the ground.

Photo: www. fishingroup.ru

When fishing burbot, do not raise the lure higher than 10 cm from the bottom. In this case, she is more likely to be interested in zander or pike.

The color of the spinner is selected empirically. In this matter, much depends on the transparency of the water and the specific behavior of the predator at the time of fishing.

Balancers 6–10 cm long also work well for ice fishing for burbot. These lures are equipped with three hooks, so they are not recommended for snag fishing.

The feed scheme of the balancer is the same as that of the spinner. Differences in animation are only in a smoother execution of the jerk, in which the bait moves to the side. It has been noticed that burbot responds better to models equipped not with a colorless, but with a red plastic blade.

Burbot catches even slight fluctuations of the bottom soil from afar. It is on this feature of the predator that his catching “by knocking” is based. Artificial bait called “knocker“is a lead, brass or copper element of a cone shape, with a single hook soldered into it. Depending on the depth and strength of the current, its weight varies from 30 to 80 g.

When fishing burbot on a stalker, the game with bait is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. The “Stukalka” is lowered to the bottom and 8–10 hits are made with the bait on the ground;
2. The bait is smoothly raised by 10-15 cm from the bottom, while gently shaking the tip of the fishing rod;
3. The Stukalka is lowered to the bottom again;
4. The cycle is repeated with the bait hitting the ground and its smooth rise.

A single hook “stalker” is usually baited with a sprat, a bunch of dung worms or chicken giblets.

Photo: www. activefisher.net

In open water, burbot can be caught on spinners of the “pilker” class and various silicone lures 8–12 cm long. bottom (bite usually occurs at this very moment).

Catching a predator will be more effective if the twisters and vibrotails used are made of “edible rubber”, including flavors and flavors.

Tackle and fishing technique

Properly prepared gear and the ability to properly handle them largely determine the success of burbot fishing. Depending on seasonal characteristics, various fishing gear is used to fish the bottom predator.

For ice fishing

For ice fishing burbot, several types of fishing gear are used. These include:

• girders;
• settings;
• glitter rod.

Tackle complete with a main monofilament fishing line with a diameter of 0,4-0,45 mm, a single or double hook, as well as a fluorocarbon leader 0,35 mm thick.

When fishing on vents, the bait, as a rule, is a live or dead fish. Depending on the nature of the predator’s diet at the time of catching, the bait is placed on the bottom or raised 5-10 cm above the ground.

Photo: www. ribolovrus.ru

If, when fishing for pike or pike perch, they practice a search method of fishing, which involves frequent rearrangement of gear, then when fishing for burbot, they use a different strategy. Zherlitsy are installed in potential hunting grounds of a predator and wait for it to come out to feed.

In order for ice burbot fishing to be as effective as possible, you need to use 5-10 burbot gear at the same time. This approach allows you to catch a large water area and significantly increases the total weight of the catch.

Catching on settings usually practiced by anglers living near a body of water. This is due to the fact that this type of gear is stationary. They are installed at the very beginning of freeze-up, and removed only on the last ice.

Check supplies no more than once a day. To do this, another hole is drilled next to the installed tackle, a hook bent to the side is lowered into it and the main fishing line is hooked to it.

The burbot is equipped with a rather thick main fishing line 0,5 mm thick and a metal leash. The roughness of the tackle is due to the fact that the predator is not immediately pulled out and it is on the hook for a long time. When using a thinner monofilament and the absence of a leash, a pecking fish may well break the rig.

When fishing on a bait, a crushed ruff or other dead fish is usually used as bait, which is placed on the bottom along with a sinker. The predator, as a rule, cuts itself by deep swallowing the nozzle offered to it. Most of the bites take place at night. Fishing with this tackle will be successful only if the fisherman knows the reservoir well and the location of the areas where the burbot goes to feed.

Photo: www. chalkovo.ru

Fishing rod It turns out to be a very catchy tackle with a high feeding activity of the predator. It is used in combination with the following types of baits:

• vertical spinner;
• balancer;
• “with a tap”.

This tackle involves dynamic fishing with frequent changes of places and allows you to quickly find clusters of active predators. In the absence of bites, the fisherman usually does not stay on the hole for more than five minutes. The fishing rod is used both in daylight and at night on various types of reservoirs.

The winter fishing rod is equipped with a fluorocarbon monofilament with a diameter of 0,25–0,3 mm. When using a thicker fishing line, the game of the spinner or balancer will be disturbed, which will negatively affect the number of bites. A hard whip mounted on the rod allows you to control the game of the lure well, feel the bite better and carry out reliable hooking.

For open water

To catch burbot during the open water period, the following types of gear are used:

• a snack;
• donku;
• “gum”;
• feeder;
• spinning;
• float tackle.

Zakidushka – a rather primitive tackle, consisting of a rack, a reel, a thick monofilament fishing line with a diameter of about 0,4 mm, a load weighing 80-150 g and several leashes with single hooks. Despite its simplicity, it turns out to be very effective when fishing on small rivers, as well as in reservoirs where burbot parking lots are close to the shore.

Photo: www. lovisnami.ru

This simple tackle is used for fishing burbot from the shore. The process of catching a hook looks like this:

1. The rack is stuck into the ground near the water’s edge;
2. They lower the required amount of fishing line from the reel, carefully laying the monofilament on the shore in rings;
3. Fix the reel on the stand;
4. Bait hooks;
5. They take the main line with their hand above the leashes with hooks and pendulum casting, throw the tackle in the most promising place;
6. Pull the main monofilament;
7. Hang a bite signaling device in the form of a bell on the fishing line.

Burbot biting is quite aggressive and is clearly visible by the sharp movement of the bell in the direction of the abandoned rig. Having noticed such a change in the behavior of the signaling device, you need to make an immediate hook.

With a long absence of bites, you need to check the integrity of the bait and throw the tackle to another place that seems promising. To increase the efficiency of fishing, it is desirable to simultaneously use at least three throws placed at a distance of 1–2 m from one another.

Donka – the most popular tackle for fishing burbot in open water, successfully used in stagnant and flowing reservoirs. Since it is equipped with a spinning rod and a spinning reel, the angler can perform fairly long casts at a distance of up to 70 m.

Fishing for a donk is often more productive than fishing for a hook. This is due to several reasons:

• the ability to perform long-range casts;
• using thinner equipment;
• better gear sensitivity.

The donka is equipped with two leashes made of monofilament or fluorocarbon fishing line 0,25–0,3 mm thick, with hooks No. 2–2/0 tied to them. The use of a relatively thin leash monofilament and small-sized singles allows you to successfully catch fish with low food activity.

Photo: www. image.fhserv.ru

Fishing usually uses 2-3 donks. After baiting the hooks and casting the equipment to the selected place, the rods are mounted on racks equipped with electronic signaling devices that quickly notify the angler about the touch of the burbot on the bait.

Donka refers to mobile types of gear. If there are no bites in one part of the reservoir, the angler can quickly collect fishing gear and move to another promising place.

Tackle “elastic» is also often used to catch burbot. It consists of a reel, a main line with a diameter of 0,4 mm, 4–5 leashes with hooks and a heavy load weighing 800–1200 g. However, the main element of this fishing gear is a shock absorber with a length of 10 to 40 m, which eliminates frequent recasting of equipment and ensuring the delivery of the nozzle to the same point.

“Elastic band” is used for fishing a predator in stagnant reservoirs and rivers with a slow current. To properly catch this tackle, you need to adhere to the following algorithm:

1. A rack with a reel attached to it is stuck into the ground next to the water’s edge;
2. The shock absorber and the required amount of fishing line are lowered from the reel, laying the monofilament rings on the shore;
3. They depart 2-3 m away from the place where the line is laid;
4. They take the load tied to the shock absorber by hand and throw it 10–15 m (depending on the length of the elastic band) further than the point chosen for catching;
5. Wind the remaining fishing line onto the reel;
6. Grasping the main monofilament, they pull hooks with leashes to the shore;
7. They hook the loop connecting the main fishing line with the shock absorber to the rack;
8. Bait hooks;
9. Remove the connecting loop from the rack;
10. The monofilament is carefully bled off until, under the influence of the shock absorber, the leashes with hooks reach the predetermined point;
11. They hang a bite signaling device in the form of a bell on the main fishing line.

Since several hooks are used in the equipment of the “elastic band”, the angler can simultaneously fish with different types of nozzles. This allows you to quickly determine the most effective bait option.

Photo: www. fffishing.com

If burbot feeds at a considerable distance from the shore, the tackle is brought to the fishing area by boat. In this case, the shock absorber should be several times longer than when throwing the load by hand from the shore.

Great for catching burbot on large rivers with a moderate current feeder tackle. It includes a powerful rod with a test up to 100-120 g, equipped with a large spinning reel and a braided line. The set also includes a sinker weighing 60–120 g and a long leash made of monofilament line, which ensures the active play of the bait in the current, which helps to quickly attract a predator.

Such a tackle allows you to throw a nozzle at a distance of more than 100 m and makes it possible to catch burbot feeding on points far from the coast that are inaccessible when fishing with a bottom or a hook. In this type of fishing, it is better to use 2 rods at the same time. The technique for catching a bottom predator on a feeder is quite simple:

1. A marker load is attached to the tackle and a long cast is performed;
2. Slowly drag the sinker along the bottom, studying the relief for the presence of holes, snags or sudden changes in depth;
3. Having found a promising point, fix the casting distance by fixing the cord in a clip located on the spool of the reel;
4. Exhaust tackle;
5. They put bait on the hook;
6. Throw the equipment to the previously planned point;
7. Lightly pull the cord, causing the tip of the feeder to bend slightly.

The bite is determined by jerks or sharp bending of the tip (quiver tip) of the feeder rod. If the fish is not active for a long time, you can make 1-2 slow turns with the reel handle. This action will cause the bait to move more actively, which will provoke the predator to attack.

Photo: www. activefisher.net

Catching burdock on spinning it can be very prey in late autumn, when this fish shows increased feeding activity. To catch him, a rather powerful tackle is used, consisting of a rod with a rigid blank, additionally equipped with a 4000-4500 series inertialess reel and a braided cord.

If catching other types of predators by spinning involves frequent movements around the water area, then the principle of angling burbot with this gear is based on a thorough study of two or three specific sections of the reservoir. Standing in a promising place, the fisherman slowly catches the chosen point, experimenting with types of wiring and different types of lures.

Among spinning baits for burbot, twisters, vibrotails and various creatures made of “edible” silicone are considered favorites. On some reservoirs, spinners of the “pilker” class work well. In the vast majority of cases, this predator responds better to the stepped bait wiring at the very bottom.

It is better to catch burbot with a spinning rod from a boat. The watercraft makes it possible to get to remote places of the predator’s parking, where the concentration of fish, as a rule, is significantly higher than in areas located in the coastal zone.

Not all anglers know how to catch burbot that lives in heavily snarled areas of the reservoir. For fishing in such conditions, you need to use match float tackle, which consists of a rod with a test of up to 30 g and a “spinning rod” of size 4000 with a sinking fishing line 0,25–0,28 mm thick wound around its spool. The package of this fishing gear also includes:

• a massive float of the “wagler” type in a sliding design;
• a sinker-olive freely moving along the main monofilament;
• a monofilament leash about 30 cm long with a hook No. 2–2/0 tied to it.

Thanks to the sliding installation of the float, after casting, the equipment falls to the bottom strictly vertically, which minimizes the likelihood of snags located nearby.

The descent of the float is adjusted in such a way that in the process of catching the olive load lies on the bottom – this will not allow the equipment to move from the selected point. Cutting should be done at the slightest sign of a bite, not giving the burbot the opportunity to go into snags.

A match float rod is only effective when fishing in still water. For fishing burbot in the current, it is better to use bottom types of gear.