The only freshwater representative of cod, burbot, is rarely encountered by spinning anglers. The peculiarities of the fish’s behavior lead to the fact that it is only occasionally found in bycatch, and very few anglers specifically go after burbot with a spinning rod. This is explained by sluggish biting during daylight hours, as well as other behavioral features. Such rare prey is a desirable trophy for a spinning fisher, so targeted fishing is still sometimes carried out, although the bycatch will often include pike perch, the night fishing of which is also popular and effective. Fishing for burbot with a spinning rod is also attractive because it shows maximum activity when other fish species are already preparing for winter - in late autumn, almost before the freeze-up.
Suitable spinning rod
Catching burbot with a spinning rod involves, first of all, fishing in the bottom layers of a reservoir, which means the best option would be jig. You need to select a fishing rod that meets not only the jig requirements, but also the fishing conditions. It is advisable to select the length based on the size of the reservoir and the distance of the points where fishing will be carried out. Since at night this representative of cod comes out to feed on the shallows located near the coastline, there is no need for long rods in such a situation. But conditions vary; places that are promising for fishing are often located at a considerable distance from the shore, which makes the use of forms 3 m or more long justified. The action is preferable to fast or very fast, because fishing is carried out mainly with silicone, foam rubber baits or wobblers with deep depth, and less often with various types of spinners. Fast-action forms are best suited for these types of artificial baits, allowing the use of a wide variety of retrieves. Test. This parameter also largely depends on fishing conditions and personal preferences. More often, burbot is caught on a spinning rod using relatively large baits, the length of which can be more than 9 cm, and eared sinkers or jig heads of the appropriate size will be needed for them. However, this is not a rule; you can successfully fish with ultralight, if such fishing is your favorite weight category in jig; autumn fishing can be effective using any weights.
It is also worth paying attention to the material used to make the handle - burbot is caught mainly in late autumn, which means that for fishing to be comfortable, the fisherman’s hands should not freeze to the rod. A light and warm cork handle is considered the best option for such conditions. Important! In conditions of limited visibility, casting accuracy is important, and this parameter depends not only on the rod, but also on the angler’s ability to feel his tackle.
Coil selection
A spinning reel should be selected when the fishing rod has already been selected. For rods with a weight of 40, 50, or even 60 grams, you will need an equally powerful and reliable reel, which, although it will well withstand all the loads placed on it, will also cost a lot. When working with large weights, especially with frequent fishing, budget options may not withstand such operating conditions. For working with smaller weights (up to 30g) and cords or fishing lines of the same average diameter, budget solutions are quite suitable. The load here is significantly less, which means that a meat grinder with internal mechanisms made of inexpensive materials can cope with the task assigned to it. But in the lightest weight category everything is not so simple. With a line diameter of up to 0.4 according to the Japanese classification, budget reels work quite well, but as the diameter decreases, fishing ceases to be comfortable - beards and regularly dropped loops will ruin the whole fishing experience. Therefore, for ultra-thin braids, you will have to buy an expensive inertia-free cable that matches them in quality and cost.
Using edible silicone
For fishing in the bottom layers of a reservoir using artificial baits, maximum attention should be paid to edible silicone and foam fish - these baits are most suitable for autumn spinning fishing. Autumn burbot fishing with a spinning rod places special demands on the quality of edible rubber. First of all, this concerns the behavior of silicone bait at low temperatures. The problem is that many budget silicone options work quite well in warm water, but when the temperature drops, they lose their softness, elasticity, and therefore their play. Therefore, you need to use products that have been tested in cold conditions, because the lower the water temperature becomes, the more actively the burbot feeds. The color of the bait does not play a special role when fishing at night in autumn, although there are manufacturers that produce glow-in-the-dark options. But lovers of night fishing have not come to a clear conclusion about the light-accumulating elements on baits - some believe that they attract fish, while others believe that the glow only scares away aquatic inhabitants. When choosing silicone, preference should be given to active baits if you plan to fish at night, and take both active and passive options for daytime fishing. Daytime fishing in autumn becomes possible with the onset of the first night autumn frosts. At night, vibrations created by rubber are especially important - burbot does not see very well, especially at night, and relies more on the lateral line and sense of smell than on vision. This means it is better to choose baits that will be well felt by the side line - vibrotails, and to a lesser extent twisters. Passive rubber can also perform its task well, but the distance from which such silicone will be noticeable to burbot will be less than when using the same vibrating tails. A wide variety of rigs can be used; often the option used depends more on the preferences of the fisherman. However, it is better to pay attention first of all to options that are less prone to snagging, since autumn fishing for burbot usually takes place in very difficult areas of the bottom.
Silicone baits and their characteristics
In order for autumn burbot fishing to be successful, you should learn as much as possible about this freshwater fish.
Burbot is a fish of the cod order with a narrow and long body, small eyes and a large mouth with several rows of sharp teeth. Some people confuse it with catfish, but if you look closely, you will notice that the burbot's whiskers are unpaired and are located on the chin.
The length of the fish reaches 1.2 meters, the approximate weight is 20-25 kg. Favorite habitats are deep areas of reservoirs with pebble or hard sand bottoms, riffles, snags, washed-out banks of river bends, rocky embankments where calm water and current coexist.
The active feeding phase begins at dusk. That is why the best time to catch burbot is at night.
The fish go to feed alone or in small groups, moving upstream. The colder the water, the bolder the burbot becomes.
He leaves secluded corners and goes out onto sandbanks, but still does not sail far from his “home.” Some people believe that burbot is easy to catch.
Actually this is not true. Only experienced and stubborn fishermen manage to quickly discover the location of this cautious fish.
Spoons, wobblers and foam rubber
With good fishing skills, you can catch burbot in the bottom layers using rotating or oscillating spoons. True, such fishing has a number of problems. The lure needs to be driven as close to the bottom as possible, and with such a drive, not all models retain the game, and the likelihood of a snag is high. Therefore, spinners are rarely used for autumn fishing. Good results can be achieved by using wobblers with greater depth. Such baits are easy to recognize by their large blade. It is better to give preference to suspenders, since burbot prefers slow retrieves with pauses, but it is still advisable to have both sinking and floating models. Simple baits such as foam fish can also be catchy. In addition to the seductive game, such a fish has several other advantages. Firstly, foam fish are easy to make and you can make them yourself in large quantities. Secondly, the catchability of the bait can be enhanced by impregnating the foam rubber with an artificial or natural flavor. Thirdly, you can reduce the number of hooks by simply hiding the hook tips in the bait itself. Important! When fishing at night, it is advisable to have a supply of batteries for flashlights, since in cold weather the batteries discharge faster.
Catching burbot vertically with spoons
Burbot can also be caught in a more “sporting” way. We recommend combining both fishing methods. First, place the “posts”, then sit in a warm tent for the night, in the most promising place, and start trolling vertically.
Various lures are used to catch burbot. Since burbot is more focused on the sense of smell and lateral line organs , in fact, the spoon itself is not as important as when catching other predators. Spoons are used from classic ones, used for catching pike and pike perch, to a regular jig head, equipped with a piece of fish or giblets.
Northern peoples catch burbot using special homemade spoons (see photo), which they tap on the bottom. This method is called “knock”, and the tackle is “knock”. And this is most likely the most effective way.
Place pieces of fish on the spoon, this will give the best result, even though the action of the spoon itself may be disrupted. Lower it to the bottom with a pause, lift it, creating turbidity, knock, take long pauses after 2-3 strokes.
Again, fine tackle is not required for catching burbot. Any fishing line with a diameter of 0.3-0.4 mm and a coarse fishing rod will do. The main thing in this fishing is to find the exit points of this nocturnal predator.
Tackle with dead fish
The effectiveness of such natural bait is especially high when predatory fish behave passively. The tackle is a fairly simple wire structure that secures a dead fish. Such a structure is loaded with an ordinary eared sinker. The hook used, as a rule, is one treble (although sometimes more hooks are used), which is threaded into the side of the fish with one of the stings. This design is carried out as slowly as possible so that the predator has time to smell the smell. The tackle is often used in situations where the predator ignores other baits.
Important! If the fish is fresh, just caught, its attractiveness to a predator can be increased by making several cuts on the side - predatory fish smell blood from a great distance.
Fishing place
Unlike the same pike perch or pike, finding burbot without knowing exactly its stopping and feeding places is extremely problematic. In the case of this fish, search fishing brings good results relatively rarely. Before going out specifically for burbot, you must either already have successful fishing experience in this place, or have fairly accurate information obtained from familiar anglers. Traces of fires on the shore can also serve as a guide to finding a fishing spot (unless it is a favorite picnic spot). If we talk about the places where burbot most likely lives, these will be rivers with clean water and constant recharge from cold springs. This fish prefers a rocky bottom, as it is easier to find shelter on it. Burbot can also be found in places where the roots of trees from a steep bank go under the water - this is also a good shelter for this fish. When fishing at night, you should pay attention not to the burbot’s camp sites, but to the shallows located not far from them, where the fish come out to look for food when night comes. If fishing takes place in late autumn, when the air temperature is already close to negative values, you can find burbot in almost any part of the reservoir - the fish is preparing for spawning, it has a glutton.
First method: catching burbot using girders or rigs
In those places where the burbot has revealed its location (pecked or caught), it is necessary to drill holes, both along the coastline and vertically.
The holes can be arranged in two lines, resembling a chess pattern. This must be done if the angler needs to fish edges or slopes, and so on. It all depends on the shape of the underwater zone in which the burbot lives.
Girders or rigs demonstrate particular effectiveness in catching burbot before the fish goes to spawn, which begins around the second decade of January. This gear can be put aside during spawning. In late February and early March, burbot begins to regain strength after spawning and feed well. During this period, it can be successfully caught using girders or hooks.
Tactics and postings
Tactics depend primarily on the time of day.
If you are fishing at night, then first of all you should fish shallow waters near the burbot’s camp sites. If fishing takes place during the day, then it is better to pay maximum attention to fishing for the burbot’s favorite hiding places - deep-sea rocky areas of the bottom, holes with cold springs at the bottom. Although, if the activity of burbot has increased with the cold weather, this fish can be found in any part of the reservoir. You can and even need to make a fire on the shore. It will not only allow frozen fishermen to warm up, but will also attract burbot to the fishing spot with light. It was noticed that when fishing in autumn, the worse the weather, the higher the likelihood of an active bite and a good catch. Autumn fishing for burbot should be as slow as possible (especially when fishing at night), with long pauses. You can also slowly drag the bait along the bottom. During a pause, it’s a good idea to give the bait additional vibrations with the tip of the spinning rod. Source
The influence of weather conditions on the bite
Autumn burbot fishing requires taking into account weather conditions. Thus, it has been noted that fish bite best in rainy and windy weather. Fishing on a quiet night with a full moon will most likely result in failure. Another interesting point. When atmospheric pressure drops, most fish go into hibernation, but burbot, on the contrary, begins to show unprecedented activity.
Experienced fishermen know that burbot is attracted to the light of a bright fire. If there is one nearby, the probability of catching a valuable trophy increases several times. If you can’t light a flame, a flashlight will do just fine to attract the fish’s attention.
As already noted, burbot goes hunting at night - there is no point in catching it during the day. The first bursts of vital activity occur after sunset. The greatest success can be achieved between 10 pm and 2 am. With sunrise the biting stops abruptly.
And here's what you need to know: Strategy and tactics of winter lenka fishing, tackle and bait
