Features of catching burbot in February

February is the end of the winter season. Somewhere it also captures March, however, in central Russia, even in the North and the Far East, this month is the last in which it is entirely possible to catch from the ice. Then the ice becomes more fragile, it will be dangerous to go out on it from mid-March, and at the end even where it will still be completely undesirable.

Burbot spawns in January, around the second half. It spawns in groups of two fish, a male and a female, in fairly deep water places. The bottom for his spawning grounds, he chooses preferably sandy or pebbly, very hard, rarely when it can be found on clay, practically does not enter silted areas, always prefers running water to stagnant water. In the northern regions and in Siberia, its spawning is postponed to early February.

It feeds in February on small fish, aquatic insects, and worms. Fish and fry form the basis of its diet, as there are not so many insects in the water. It does not stop feeding either during spawning or after it. Burbot practically does not have a period when, after spawning, he “departs”, stops eating and moving, and lacks strength. On the contrary, this slippery type retains nutritional activity even when spawning.

In the old days, poaching methods of catching burbot were common, such as bagreni. This was due to the fact that for some reason he prefers light stones for spawning. A loaded bagrilka in the form of a white plank with hooks was lowered to the bottom, the fish went to it and sat on its belly. A modern angler should avoid such methods, especially since the punishment for them has now become much more severe, and rightly so.

Where the ruff is, there is the burbot

It is rather difficult to explain the craving of burbot for this small and harmful fish. They probably have similar habits and habitats, and they remain active even in cold water. Ruff is also considered the best live bait for burbot, and not only for him. Since it almost always pecks during the day, and burbot is caught at night, it is necessary to study the habitats of the ruff during the day and catch them at night, but already burbot.

Ruff can also be caught on rocky or sandy bottoms, but is sometimes found on clay bottoms as well. The fish quite actively grabs the bait, often at the end of winter, in February it even bites on vegetable baits, for example, on dough when catching roach. Still, the best bait for a ruff is a bloodworm.

Usually the depth where the ruff is located does not exceed three to four meters. Burbot should also not be found at too great depths, with the exception of some reservoirs. On the Ob, Northern Dvina, for example, burbot is sometimes caught at a depth of up to ten meters. However, all the same, the best places for catching it are a sandy or pebbly spit in the middle of great depths, where it prefers to stay, as well as a ruff.

Biting and playing burbot

This fish is very similar to pike perch both in habits and in bite, with the difference that pike perch is a schooling fish, and burbot is a loner. Both of them grab the bait that moves in the water column, often burbot, like pike perch, presses the nozzle with his chin and gets caught “by the beard”, and even more often than the latter, both prefer night hunting to daytime, but are often caught at dusk or at dawn. On a gloomy day with precipitation, burbot, as well as zander, can be well caught during the day.

Burbot biting is quite heavy. He grabs the bait, guided by the senses, the lateral line, touching it with his lower mustache, and also attracted by the smell. Very partial to the smell of fish mucus, fish blood. That is why it is better to catch it with natural bait than with artificial bait. Probably, the ruff is also attractive to him because of some special smell, which is unpleasant for competing fish, roach and silver bream, and for burbot is a signal for the presence of food.

When cutting, the impression of a hook is created. During the fight, he behaves quite stubbornly throughout. It is especially difficult to get him into the hole. The burbot has a strong long body, it will always rest against the edges of the ice with its tail. Be sure to use a 130 or 150 mm drill when fishing it. Weaving will create big problems both when fishing with live bait and when fishing with a lure. Through the hundredth hole, it will be very difficult to get a burbot weighing more than 700-800 grams, and even without a hook.

The latter, by the way, is an obligatory accessory for the angler when catching it. It is not necessary to have a yawner for burbot. It has not too big teeth, which are a grater in several rows. With their help, he very tenaciously holds the bait, even slippery and nimble, but it is quite difficult for him to bite through the skin of a person. When hunting, he grabs the prey “as needed”, often presses it, then takes it into his mouth and immediately begins to chew. Swallows already chewed fish usually from the head.

Site Selection

As already mentioned, for fishing, they choose places with a sandy or pebble bottom clean of silt. Burbot prefers white pebbles, apparently, this is due to the fact that it is usually limestone and releases into the water in large quantities some compounds of calcium, magnesium, and their salts. For the same reason, he is very partial to concrete structures underwater.

The shell is also a tasty food for burbot. Shells breed in February-March, burbot, like other aquatic inhabitants, enjoy budding shells with pleasure. After mating, they hatch between the wings of the parent shell, practically do not have their own shell, which they build up later. The shell is also a very good place for burbot fishing.

Spawning takes a lot of strength from burbot. He tries to occupy places that are not far from spawning grounds, and in winter he stays near them. Usually, for spawning, he needs the presence of some underwater objects that you can rub against. Burbot is more often a sedentary fish, and if somewhere it was successfully caught in October, then most likely in January and February it will also bite well in the same place. Nevertheless, he still makes some movements, most often before spawning in search of a pair, male or female, if they were not found in their permanent habitat.

On small rivers, the situation is somewhat different. There are not so many fish here, but much more food in the form of worms that enter the water from the banks. Even in winter, they sometimes crawl out from under their deep holes and are taken by the current. Burbot feeds here, moving up and down the stream, looking for food under snags. You can catch it on almost any bottom, but it is preferable to choose places near steep ravines, where a lot of soil is washed away by water. Live bait for him here will be a tasty meal, but it can be difficult to get it here in winter.

Given the sedentary nature of his life, if somewhere there is a place suitable for spawning next to snags, where there are large stones or concrete structures, under which in summer you can burrow into hibernation, where the river has a solid bottom or a bottom covered with shells – this will be the best place for catching burbot. The depth of fishing is from one to four meters, it is caught exclusively from the bottom.

Catching burbot in February on a lure

Spinner is a familiar bait for most winter anglers. It will also be the best choice for those who have never caught burbot before, but know how to use this tackle.

Lures for catching burbot on a lure

For fishing, a fairly heavy oval lure is traditionally used, which is a simple body without any bends. The hook is soldered, with a long reach. It is customary to put a ruff head or tail, a worm, a strip of meat from the same burbot on the hook. Tees and hanging hooks are rarely used, since it is impossible to catch “knocking” with them, they will scratch the bottom, burbot does not like this very much. You can make such a lure only from a hook with a long forearm, separately from the eye.

On the course, it gives a steady almost nailing game, deviating slightly due to the current and then returning, slightly playing along. Some spinners, despite the absence of bends and the symmetry of the body, have a much greater catchability than others. This is due to the shape of their bodies.

The body of the spinner is made of tin. This metal, even under water, has a dull white color that will be attractive to burbot. It should not be soldered on nickel silver, especially if you plan to leave it smooth. Bright metal plates will scare away fish, it is important to keep the color matte, even and light. In addition, tin has a more suitable density and promotes good play than lead or lead heavy solder.

In my opinion, bottom baubles should be catchy. This bait was described by Dmitry Shcherbakov in one of his videos. Often lure fishing is accompanied by a characteristic knock that attracts burbot. You can also try to catch the so-called “phantomas”, other baits that are a kind of bottom spinners, but easier to manufacture. The bait should have a whitish matte color.

Tackle for catching burbot on a lure

For fishing, any rod with a length of 50-60 cm can be used. When playing with a lure, it happens that the fish takes only to knock on the bottom, or to knock on the ice from below, or to toss from the bottom, or to play with the rod lowered down, or on a standing horizontally, or standing at a certain angle down, or trembling. All this needs to be calculated, to determine your style of play. As a rule, one rod is suitable for one spinner, since usually its game will be unique and it will be made independently. Therefore, it is important to have a choice of at least five rods.

Fishing line is taken medium, 0.2-0.25 mm. Burbot has a stubborn resistance, and you need to withstand it well. For the current and the correct game, the spinners select the fishing line individually, as a rule, the stronger the current, the thinner the fishing line. Also, the thickness of the fishing line depends on the additive on the hook, the larger, the thinner the line is taken. And also from the depth of fishing – the deeper, the more chances for a bite with a thin fishing line and less – with a thick one.

Braided line is taken not so often, they are usually caught in the dark, where the line is often tangled, since it is softer than fishing line. But choosing a black line is a great idea. Usually this is produced for feeder or carp fishing. The black line will be clearly visible on white snow and ice, there is less chance that it will get tangled.

Of course, all rods should have a comfortable handle and be equipped with a reel. It is best to use a good winter multiplier, with which it is easy to pull the fish out and quickly reel in and out of the fishing line.

Technique for catching burbot on a lure in February

Usually fishing comes down to an active search for fish, constant fishing for already drilled holes. Burbot is not a particularly schooling fish, and catching two dozen from one hole is rare. However, taking off three or four pieces is a common thing. The fact is that there is such a thing as the exit of fish, as when catching pike. It happens that in approximately one place the burbot starts hunting, which lasts about 15 minutes. Therefore, if there were bites, it is worth drilling this place and then returning to it after some time. Sitting on the hole, where there is no bite, with a lure for more than five minutes should not be. For those who do not like to go from place to place, there is another tackle – a squealer.

Catching burbot in February on a stalker

Stukalka – an old and original tackle for catching burbot. It looks like a jig head, only larger, sometimes with a flat bottom to make it easier for her to hit the bottom. A nozzle is put on the hook – a dead fish, a fish tail, a bunch of worms, lard. In some places, on Msta, on Mologa, lard is the best bait for burbot when fishing with a hammer.

The nozzle must be fresh, not a single fish should be caught on any rotten meat. Contrary to popular belief, any fish avoids spoiled food, including burbot, and even rotan.

Usually burbot approaches the sound when it moves from its daytime stopover to nighttime feeding grounds and back. The bite usually occurs by the beard, rarely he takes the nozzle into his mouth.

Tackle for catching burbot

Traditionally, tackle for fishing with a clapper is an ordinary stick with a reel and a pinch for fishing line at the end, about 50 cm long. Modern anglers can use a rod with a reel. Be sure to use a hard jib, since the stalk itself has a significant weight, and the game must be hard and rhythmic. Most often, they catch not on one, but on two stalks, pulling them alternately with the left and right hand. Otherwise, the fishing rod is very similar to the one used for sitting lure fishing, only more rigid.

The weight of the stalk should be at least 30-40 grams, more often they put 50 grams. It is attached to a fishing line with a diameter of 0.2-0.25 mm, it is convenient to use the mount through the fastener and swivel, so that in which case it can be quickly changed. Since fishing for burbot occurs in the current, most often the weight of the hammer depends on the strength of the current. The most commonly used stakolka is in the form of a bullet, when it is flat at the bottom and oval at the top. A large hook with a long forearm is soldered on the side, and there is an eye for fastening in the center of the body.

Bait for catching burbot

As a bait, a fish, a whole, a tail or a head is usually used. You don’t have to use live fish, dead fish will do. The hook is passed through the mouth and out through the back, planting it with a stocking. Often burbot likes to peck at fat, and one that “flows”, that is, taken closer to the meat and more tender. You can also catch a bunch of worms, but at the same time they must still be alive. A very good nozzle is raw beef liver, moreover, so that it bleeds in the water. Any attachments such as chicken skin, offal are rarely used, apparently, the burbot does not really like their “chicken” smell. It is advisable not to experiment with nozzles, but to use already proven ones.

Technique for catching burbot on a stalker

Burbot, although it is a sedentary fish, makes some movements during the day. At the supposed place of such movements, the fisherman puts up a tent in the evening, stores firewood for the night. On a small river, you can put up a tent almost anywhere where there is a good bottom, here the burbot walks along and is unlikely to pass by the stalk, since the width of the river is small.

For fishing, you need to choose places with a fairly solid bottom. On the sandy bottom they knock a little more often, on the rocky bottom – less often. The fishing technique is quite simple. The stalk is placed on the bottom, the fishing line is set so that its length is just enough to stretch to the bottom. They make periodic tosses with the rod up with a return so that the tackle hits the bottom.

First, they make a few quick blows, then they begin to knock rhythmically and slowly. Burbot hears blows from afar, comes up and pecks at the nozzle, which he smells and sees. Usually, many holes do not need to be drilled, since the chance of a bite does not change from this. The knock attracts fish from a distance, like a bait.

Catching burbot in February on vents

Bait fishing for burbot in February will be the best way. The fact is that the nights are usually very cold, and you don’t want to spend them on ice. If you still happen to spend the night, it is better to spend this time in a warm tent with a heater. The zherlitsa allows you to fish in the absence of the angler, who is only responsible for catching live bait and choosing a place for tackle.

Tackle for catching burbot

The old way of catching this fish is catching on the fly. The sump is a large pole that was stuck through the hole into the bottom. In the lower part, a leash was attached to it, on which a hook with live bait was placed. It was put on at night, and then in the morning they went to check it. The pole is convenient in that even without a pick it can turn the ice crust and pull the fish up, not really caring about how well it will enter the hole. In addition, a pole sticking out above the ice could be seen from afar and found even if there was a snowstorm at night.

Modern anglers use the same tackle for catching burbot as for pike. Zherlitsy are usually taken with a coil and a flag. It is advisable to spot a burbot, as it may well, having felt a fishing line or a hook, spit out a fish. However, given the nocturnal nature of fishing, as well as the fact that the vents are placed at a considerable distance, one has to rely on the self-cutting of the fish.

As a result, only about every third or fourth burbot is detected. If you still want more active fishing and greater efficiency, you can try to equip the vents with an electronic signaling device. It makes no sense to use fireflies, since their work time in severe frost will be only 3-4 hours, and not all night, and if there is a snowstorm or snow, they will not be visible behind them.

A good option is homemade vents. They have a simple design. A stick is placed across the hole, to which a reel is attached to the wire from a piece of plastic pipe with a wound fishing line. The wire is needed so that you can clear the hole of ice without fear of cutting it and so that you can use a pick or an ax without fear.

Bait for catching burbot on vents

As a bait, a not too large ruff is best suited. Other fish can bite on it – pike perch, pike. Ruff is usually harvested in the evening, coming for fishing during the day. This is a good way to study the reservoir, its bottom and depths. Where there was a ruff during the day, you can also meet burbot at night. Ruff is well preserved in kans, buckets, which need to be cleaned from time to time of ice from above and add water instead of it.

The main requirement is not a very large size of the live bait. Usually burbot is interested in a small fish no more than 10-12 cm long. Catching one is not difficult if there is a fishing rod with a mormyshka. In the absence of a ruff, bleak, plotichka, dace are well suited. Bleak in winter is caught at a fairly large depth, dace – almost under the shore. You should only avoid fish with a wide body – crucian carp, silver bream. Burbot does not like them too much.

Technique for catching burbot

She is very simple and uncomplicated. Zherlitsy are placed in the evening in the light at the places of the alleged location of the predator, and they check in the morning, at 10-11 o’clock, not earlier. Morning bites of burbot or bites at dusk are not uncommon, and by removing the vents too early, before dawn, you lose the chance to bite.

It is necessary to do not too much vacation of the fishing line, 2 meters is enough. Burbot does not lead very far after a bite, but if he drags the tackle into snags or wraps it around stones, then it will be impossible to pull it out. The live bait is released so that it is near the bottom, in some cases the burbot takes only on the live bait lying on the bottom. Then the vents must be equipped with a sliding sinker, which lies directly on the bottom, and the live bait walks and can both rise low and lie down on the bottom.

In the case when a pike bite is possible, a leash made of soft material is placed in front of the live bait. It is very important to put a swivel or even a pair. In this case, the burbot will not be able to twist the line, including when playing. Live bait on a weak current is placed behind the back, on a strong one or when it is placed lying on the bottom – by the lips. Use double or triple hooks or special live bait doubles with hooks of different sizes.

When fishing, it is necessary to mark all the vents on the GPS-navigator, so that later it will be easier to find them. It is better to remove the flags from them altogether if you plan to sit in a tent all night. This will save you from the fact that someone will check the zherlitsy at night or in the morning instead of you. Periodically, approximately every two hours, it is recommended to check the vents, replace the crushed bait fish and remove the caught burbots. However, the laziest usually do it in the morning.

At the same time, the angler uses mixed tactics on different gear. Usually the day before this is spent on catching live bait, in the evening they set up baits, and at night they themselves catch on a stalk.