Burbot - habitats, fishing calendar and fishing methods

Burbot is a fish of the cod family; a characteristic feature of this fish is that, unlike other species of the family that live in marine waters, burbot constantly reproduces and lives in freshwater.

The body shape is elongated, but rounded in front, and laterally compressed on the back. The length of the head is greater than the maximum height of the body. The eyes are small, the jaws are covered with small, sharp teeth.

The color of the fish depends on the age, lighting, water transparency and type of soil. Therefore, shades range from black-gray to dark brown. On the unpaired fins and on the sides of the body there are large light spots, and the fins themselves and the belly are white. Very small scales cover the entire body, while the burbot reaches a length of 120 cm, and the weight can reach up to 18 kg.

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Spawning

Burbot is practically the only fish that reproduces in winter; this occurs in mid-January, but depending on the reservoir and area, the process occurs in late December or early February. Large individuals spawn first, then it is the turn of smaller individuals. The optimal temperature for spawning ranges from 1 to 3 degrees.

For breeding, places with hard soil and shallow depth are selected, giving preference to hard, sandy, gristly terrain, rocky bottom or areas strewn with shells or pebbles. At the same time, the strength of the current in these places should be minimal so that the fish during spawning do not spend a lot of energy fighting it.

At one time, the female is capable of laying up to 500 thousand eggs, which are covered with oil-like mucus, which allows them to be located near the surface of the reservoir, and the eggs themselves are about 1 mm in diameter. It spreads over long distances and despite the large amount of eggs eaten by other predators, the burbot population is quite wide.

The period of ripening of eggs is quite long; very often the fry emerge when the first ice begins to melt. At the same time, they grow quickly and soon begin to obtain food for food themselves.

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Live bait or worms?

Another feature can be called the gravitation of this fish in the autumn to cut fish, sprat and live bait, while in the spring, as far as I remember, worms, especially crawlers, served as the best bait. You just make fist-sized worms for large burbot and worms. But he doesn’t take the fish so willingly. But this is easier to explain. All fish try to gain calories in the fall and therefore choose food that is higher in calories.

Making complementary foods for the feeder

Unhooked in the fall

Akara Light Fox – Light Fox

Habitats

Burbot likes cold water with a muddy and rocky bottom. It likes slow currents, so large individuals are often observed in small rivers. Burbot feels comfortable in deep spring holes, both in rivers and lakes. Burbot loves shade, and when the water warms up above 12-15 degrees, it goes to places protected from the sun, until it goes into summer hibernation.

It can also be found under floating shores, near a raft, and its habitat neighbor is the ruff. Burbots do not make burrows, preferring stones, snags, depressions in the banks, crustacean burrows or tree roots.

In the summer, before hibernation, burbot emerges from its hiding places only at night and then feels uncomfortable due to the warm water, but at the same time it goes well into the light, and during the full moon it comes to the surface of the water.

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How to catch burbot in the fall?

Fishing for burbot and its activity are clearly noticeable with the onset of the first cold weather; starting from November, burbot already begins to look for places for spawning and is actively hunting. As we have already said, burbot is more active in the dark.

When choosing a place to catch burbot, pay attention to the fact that this fish prefers to live in places with a rocky bottom. If there are dams, hydroelectric power stations or any other structures on the river that create obstacles to the free flow of water, then the place must be chosen before such structures.

You can catch burbot using live bait; to do this, use small fish: gudgeon, ruff, spiny fish, etc. However, the finicky nature of burbot, even when fishing with live bait, does not always give good results. Here it is important to thoroughly study the habits of this predatory fish.

How to improve fish bite?

Friends! Over 15 years of active fishing, I have found many ways to improve the bite, and here are the most effective:

1. Bite activator . This pheromone additive attracts fish most strongly in cold and warm water. The Fish Hungry bite activator has proven itself to be excellent - read more.

2. Tackle with increased sensitivity . You should first familiarize yourself with the features of using a particular type, depending on the fishing method.

3. Pheromone baits . They attract the attention of fish, stimulate hunger and cause a schooling reflex, which allows you to collect a lot of fish in one place.

You can get the rest of the secrets of successful fishing for free by reading my other materials on the site.

How to improve fish bite?

Friends! Over 15 years of active fishing, I have found many ways to improve the bite, and here are the most effective:

1. Bite activator . This pheromone additive attracts fish most strongly in cold and warm water. The Fish Hungry bite activator has proven itself to be excellent - read more.

2. Tackle with increased sensitivity . You should first familiarize yourself with the features of using a particular type, depending on the fishing method.

3. Pheromone baits . They attract the attention of fish, stimulate hunger and cause a schooling reflex, which allows you to collect a lot of fish in one place.

You can get the rest of the secrets of successful fishing for free by reading my other materials on the site.

Heavy weights, fishing line, leash, increased strength, professional fishermen recommend using hook No. 6 in accordance with the international classification.

[THERE IS AN ANSWER] How to catch burbot from ice

You can catch burbot using black river leeches, crayfish meat or cut meat from other river fish, the main thing is that the bait is fresh.

It is not recommended to use a worm for catching burbot, because the bottom will have to be pulled out very often, since the same roach and silver bream eat the bait. As a result, there is a bite, but no result. Experienced fishermen say that in the spring burbot catches well on common frogs.

Autumn burbot fishing. Video

According to their stories, large individuals are found precisely in small rivers with shallow depths. True, not everywhere, but in certain places. These include:

Many people mistakenly believe that burbot lives exclusively in large rivers and reservoirs. In fact, it is quite widespread, it just lives very secretly and does not show itself in any way. You can find it even in narrow but fast-flowing rivers.

A strong current is one of the mandatory search criteria. Divers and spearfishers, who continue diving almost until the first frost, made one interesting observation.

According to their stories, large individuals are found precisely in small rivers with shallow depths. True, not everywhere, but in certain places. These include:

• river bends with washed out banks;
• pits and other bottom depressions with muddy soil;
• stone embankments (artificial or natural);
• areas where there are springs;
• the confluence of small channels and streams, where the oncoming stream creates a reverse flow;
• the ends of rocky or sandy spits.

Spring fishing begins ten days after the ice melts and continues until mid-spring. As the water warms, the bite becomes worse and gradually disappears. From May to August it is almost impossible to catch burbot.

Greetings, friends, dear colleagues! Today we will talk about such a desirable trophy for many as burbot. Burbot is a night hunter. To go fishing specifically for burbot, you need to prepare thoroughly: study the reservoir, study the habits of burbot and its preferences in a given period of time (winter, spring or late autumn) and wait until nightfall.

The best time for catching burbot is from the first days of November to the end of December (in January the burbot goes to spawn) and from the beginning of February to the end of April (post-spawning zhor). Based on the time of day, experienced fishermen have noticed that burbot begins to bite from five in the evening until six, then a break until eight (it digests food), then from eight to nine it is active again, and again a break until eleven, and then the bites continue almost until five o'clock in the morning.

Catching burbot is an exciting activity, but at the same time difficult and painstaking. For successful fishing, you need to know its habitat. It is better if an experienced fisherman suggests the place. When searching for a place on your own, you need to pay attention to the specifics of the reservoir. River mouths, islands, stone and sand spits, trees fallen into the water, deep holes, whirlpools and current boundaries are the places where burbot can be found.

Burbot has two habits: it walks along the same path for years and stands in the same place, which fishermen call the “burbot campsite.” Therefore, if you find a trail or a burbot site, then you have secured yourself a promising place for more than one year.

The only negative: if you catch burbot not from a parking lot, where there can be dozens of them, but from a trail, then the number of burbot caught, as a rule, does not exceed 3-4 pieces, and then you can simply not waste time, but go home until the next one nights. But if you find yourself in a parking lot, the catch can amount to several dozen pieces.

But there is a small rule: burbot is very lazy, and if the bait is half a meter away from it, it will not budge, and after each catch you need to drill a new hole half a meter from the one that has already worked. It is necessary that you deliver the bait right under the nose of the burbot, which is located next to the caught one. Sometimes you have to make several holes to hit the target, and so throughout the night you drill wider and wider from the first hole.

Well, of course, when going night fishing for burbot, you need to have a large number of spare leashes. Since in most cases it is not possible to get the hook, the leash is simply cut off, and the hook is taken out during gutting.

Burbot absolutely cannot tolerate sunlight and heat, preferring cold water and icy underwater springs. The best night for catching burbot is a night with strong wind, rain or snow.

Burbot fishing is divided into three periods: spring, autumn and winter. After water bodies freeze, burbot does not show activity for about a week, but soon begins to feed abundantly before spawning. Girders are used for fishing. In most cases, in winter they use bait in the form of live bait. At this time of year, burbot is the most voracious, so it bites on almost everything: frozen fish, pieces of meat and chicken, worms, sliced ​​fish, and any animal products.

Often in winter they use bait: meat and fish waste, poultry, animal blood. In some regions, burbot can be caught well with spoons and silicone baits. To improve the result, experienced fishermen put bait in the form of pieces of fresh fish on the spoon. Any fish is suitable as a bait: crucian carp, roach, ruff. When choosing spinners, preference is given to oscillating brass and copper models weighing from 15 to 30 grams.

[THERE IS AN ANSWER] How to catch burbot on a donk

Burbot is very curious and always reacts to extraneous noise and artificial light. Therefore, in winter they use the following trick from the ice: they tap the edge of the hole with a wooden stick and hang a lantern in the tent above the hole so that a ray of light penetrates into the dark abyss of the reservoir. And when fishing with a feeder in spring or late autumn in open water, a fire is lit on the shore at the edge of the water, the glare of which on the water also attracts burbot, and it approaches almost the very shore.

Spring fishing begins ten days after the ice melts and continues until mid-spring. As the water warms, the bite becomes worse and gradually disappears. From May to August it is almost impossible to catch burbot.

The most suitable gear for fishing in the spring is a feeder or a simple donka. Installation is used with an in-line sliding weight. The number of leashes is usually two or more. The main condition is that the hook of one leash does not reach the neighboring leashes, since one burbot can swallow two baits at once in turn if they lie next to each other.

As a rule, five or more feeders are used. Each feeder is cast at different distances in search of a path, but at night the burbot comes out to the shallows closer to the shore, so the distances should be from 5 to 20 meters. You can use different baits. But, according to experienced fishermen, it is at this time that it is best to use worms in large bunches of up to five pieces per hook.

Autumn fishing is similar to spring fishing, the only difference is that the frequency and quality of the bite gradually improves as cold weather approaches. At this time of year, burbot bite very often in rainy and windy weather.

Donks and mugs are used for fishing. Mugs bring larger catches. The most popular bait in the fall is live bait or pieces of cut fish. Less commonly used are frogs and worms. Burbot's favorite fish are small loaches, minnows, ruffes and roaches. The bite continues until the first ice forms.

The main value for a fisherman is not even the tasty meat itself (some fishermen generally disdain to eat burbot because of its predilection for carrion), the main value is the liver. Burbot is a member of the cod family, and cod liver is considered a delicacy.

Searching for burbot is indeed a very labor-intensive task, but then the found parking spot will delight you for many years.

Finally, it is necessary to mention that due to the poor survival rate of eggs (only 0.3% of the total amount of laid eggs survives), burbot is rapidly reducing its numbers in the country’s water bodies. It is practically impossible to catch burbot over a kilogram in the middle zone. These are mostly fish up to half a kilogram.

I wish you only a good mood. Bye! See you!

Fishing baits - we describe in detail live, plant, artificial and unusual ones.

Burbot fishing calendar

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What to catch burbot with

Let's consider the use of nozzles, focusing on the seasons of the year. Bait for burbot is only applicable of animal origin. The predator is indifferent to plant overgrowths. Of the artificial baits, only trolling allows you to hunt this sloth more effectively.

Autumn bait

Winter bait

In winter, you mostly have to fish from ice. Live bait allows you to successfully catch burbot. The best option for winter hunting is to install a ruff. Medium-sized live baits are slightly pressed down to reduce their activity and placed on the bottom. The use of roach, crucian carp and bleak is less effective. Among the alternatives to the ruffe, only the gudgeon can be distinguished, which is also artificially limited in its movements.

Burbot reacts weaker to dead baits and requires bait in the form of a bleeding liver or spoiled chicken giblets in places where the girders are installed. Winter is the time to use artificial baits, one of which is a burbot spinner in the form of a double spoon, the so-called snitch. Narrow pike perch spoons in silver and yellow-golden colors are also suitable for trolling.

Spring bait

Summer bait

In October-November, the predator is intensively caught using small artificial baits (spinners), the most catchy of which are bright wobblers, vibrotails, spinners, Devons, etc.

The biting activity of burbot directly depends on the fishing season (summer or winter) and the specific area where this fish lives.

As a rule, the most intense predator bite is observed in the fall (spawning period). It is at this time that the burbot behaves most aggressively, grabbing any bait or lure that moves (the zhora period).

In October-November, the predator is intensively caught using small artificial baits (spinners), the most catchy of which are bright wobblers, vibrotails, spinners, Devons, etc.

The best autumn baits are small live bait (minnow, roach, crucian carp, goby, bleak), bloodworms, maggots, frogs, dung worms, etc.

The most active bite occurs early in the morning (from 3 to 6 o'clock) and in the evening (after 19-20 o'clock) when the predator leaves its parking areas to actively search for food, and it can be caught very well using a wide variety of attractive baits .

During spawning (late December - early February), the probability of biting is very low, since at this time the predator almost completely stops feeding.

Bites resume only after the end of spawning, while fairly intense bites can be observed no earlier than from mid-March to early April.

[THERE IS AN ANSWER] How to catch burbot in spring in April

A good spring bite can last until the beginning of June, and the best bait for fishing at this time can be small live bait (roach, bleak, goby), leeches, chafers, maggots or worms.

Also, in the spring, burbot bites well on small, bright spoons , which perfectly attract the attention of a hungry predator.

In summer, the intensity of the bite can be completely different, since burbot at this time is practically not hungry and behaves quite lazily.

At this time, you need to look for it at a sufficiently great depth in deep holes or in snags where it often hides in order to properly hunt peaceful fish species.

In the summer, burbot bite best in the morning before dawn and mainly in the evening, after sunset. At this time, he begins to actively hunt throughout the reservoir.

It is worth noting that this fish is very sensitive and can react completely differently to sudden changes in weather conditions, even without biting, so it is always advisable to pay attention to these weather factors immediately before going fishing.

If the spring or autumn weather is not favorable, it’s cold outside, it’s drizzling, and a fishing enthusiast still wants to go out fishing, then probably the most suitable fish to fish for is burbot. Catching burbot in spring or autumn has its own characteristics, which will be revealed in this article.

Finding a fishing spot

First of all, due to the burbot’s avoidance of fast currents, it is worth looking for it in small and clean rivers. It's worth choosing:

• natural and artificial stone embankments;
• mouths of small rivers and streams;
• lower sections of stone and sand spits;
• corroded pits containing cold springs;
• banks with trees that have fallen into the water;
• floating grass islands, piers;
• places near steep yars;
• where depth differences are observed.

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Features of behavior

This predator is the only representative of the cod family in our fresh water bodies. The remaining species are marine inhabitants. Over millions of years of evolution, burbot has adapted to life in rivers and lakes, and feels comfortable in fresh water.

Biological features

Burbot, like most cod, is an inhabitant of the north. And in our reservoirs this species spread from the north. This fish loves the cold, warm water simply kills it. At temperatures above 12°C, burbot becomes inactive, looks for cooler areas in the reservoir - underwater springs, sinkholes under the shore, and hides there. When the water temperature exceeds 25°, the predator simply dies. Therefore, the range of the slippery hunter is the cold rivers of the north, flowing into the Arctic Ocean, and estuarine bays. It is also found in lakes not connected to the sea, having settled there during the Ice Age. There is little of it in the warm southern rivers of our country, and rare cases of capture are rather an exception to the rule.

Burbot does not overwinter in our understanding of the word. On the contrary, peaks of activity occur in winter. Spawning occurs in winter, so the best time to hunt for it is the pre-spawning and post-spawning periods. In regions and reservoirs, spawning dates vary from mid-December to mid-February. It also depends on the weather conditions of a particular year. But the trend is the same: the heaviest hunger occurs at the beginning of winter and continues until spawning, during which, as is generally accepted, burbot does not feed. But scientists refute this claim - there are a number of studies that have found a lot of food in the stomachs of spawning burbot. After spawning, the bite resumes and continues until the onset of the warm season. You can catch largemouth even in the summer. This usually happens in cold years and cloudy weather.

Habits

Burbot (in some regions also called “men”, “Khakas”) is a bottom-dwelling nocturnal predator. The period of activity and search for food begins at night. This fish is a strong individualist, and even if several individuals stand nearby, they still do not become a flock. The predators simply gathered in this place because the conditions were favorable for them. Burbot lives in the same suitable place for years (parking place), always going out to hunt along the same routes (paths), ranging from several tens to hundreds of meters. And in such a cluster huge numbers of fish can exist together. Often the parking lot is located near shallow water areas, where it is convenient for him to go out at night to feed. The largemouth passes along the trail once, visiting interesting places, after which it returns to the point where it continues to hunt until the morning. This feature is the main factor influencing fishing strategy.

In the reservoirs accessible for fishing in the middle zone and north-west, this predator leads a sedentary lifestyle. When it spawns in winter, it can go upstream of the river, swimming into shallow, clean channels and rivers suitable for spawning. The beginning of winter just coincides with the beginning of this movement, so catching burbot on the first ice can be extremely effective (if you find the path along which the fish migrates). After this, the fish returns to its previous location. This micromigration also occurs along paths, individually. Moreover, the fish actively feeds all the way, visiting schools of ruffs, roaches or other fish at night. The habits of burbot in winter are known and predictable, and the main thing for the fisherman is to find the right fishing spot. It makes no sense to try your luck chaotically throughout the entire reservoir. The purpose of the search is a specific parking area or trail.

In the northern latitudes, where the great Siberian rivers flow into the ocean, a semi-anadromous population of this fish lives. These individuals travel up to one and a half thousand kilometers upstream during spawning. By the way, the semi-anadromous population is the most numerous. It contains the largest specimens. And the closer to the south, the shorter the migration and the smaller the fish. The Ob-Yenisei basin, especially closer to the mouths of these rivers, is distinguished by the largest quantitative and qualitative presence of this species of fish, compared to other reservoirs. In these places the population reaches commercial importance. For ordinary fishermen, this Eldorado burbot is difficult to access - study the map in the Salekhard area and you will understand why.

Features of behavior

Burbot does not like light. More specifically, strong illumination. Therefore, he does not like bright sunny weather, preferring to hide in the shadows under stones. Small lights or a faint glow at night, on the contrary, sometimes attract a predator. It’s not for nothing that in the past, during burbot fishing, a fire was always lit at night. Experienced fishermen know in what weather this fish bites better in winter. And this is not a quiet night with high blood pressure. On the contrary, the best time is a northerly, gusty wind, a snowstorm, and atmospheric pressure surges. This feature turns fishing into a real challenge; you can’t do it without a tent.

Fishing methods

The main methods of catching burbot are:

Donka - a fishing rod up to 4 m is used, line length is 20-25 mm. with a thickness of 0.3-0.4 mm., the sinker is sliding, flat, it is not carried away by the current.

Spinner - to catch large fish, the spinner is raised to a height of no more than 20 cm from the bottom, the optimal size of the spinner is no more than 2 cm wide and 6 cm high.

Zherlitsy - in case of a bite, the flag sharply jumps up, informs about the caught fish. There is also an under-ice line, which is used in severe frost and at night; its advantage is that the supply of fishing line at the forest clearer will not freeze.

A winter fishing rod with a float - the main thing is to secure it firmly on the ice, otherwise you can easily lose your gear.

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I went for burbot in the fall...

Inspired by the successes in catching spring burbot, he came to his bank in late autumn, threw in the bait, built a canopy and a bed under it. I turned on the receiver and almost mistook it for a meeting with a river. In a word, as always. And calmly confidently waited for the calls of the scammers. In this anticipation the autumn night was wasted. I left the gear for another night. No, there was no burbot in this place, otherwise at least one would have been hooked.

Later I placed gear upstream and downstream. It was all in vain. There was no burbot. But for the sake of experimentation, we went to the bridge, which is located about ten kilometers above, and set up bait with the same bait. Moreover, they planted ruffs on the heels, which were immediately caught. And at night we enjoyed the ringing full moon with a light gray frost and the calls of the kiosks. Burbot, my dear, was waiting for us here.

Larger burbots were caught that autumn, oddly enough, generally within the city, at least in the park area, below the city dam. Apparently, here the dam served as the upper reaches for burbot of the same river, but already connected to the Volga. It’s not for nothing that seasoned Volga buffalo carp come up here to the dam every year. And they said that in the old days, sterlet came up here, and there was pike perch. Now, of course, the pressure of urban infrastructure has affected the river. Of course, there is fish, including catfish, but there is much less of it. The man is amazingly deft at chopping the branches underneath him. And also called intelligent... We could learn from animals.

Lures

Artificial baits for burbot will most likely give a random effect; the best bait at all times is considered to be live bait, which includes:

• insect larvae;
• leech;
• shrimp;
• cancer;
• chicken liver;
• crawl out;
• a bunch of fresh worms;
• frog;
• dead fish;
• pieces of chopped fresh fish;
• and of course live bait.

In addition, at different times of the year, there are favorite baits for burbot:

• In winter - live bait, when the fish actively walks and feeds;
• In spring - a frog, for this it is worth choosing small-sized specimens;
• In summer and autumn - a crawl or bunch of worms, only at night or in cloudy weather;

How to catch burbot in winter

In order to know how to catch burbot in winter, you should pay attention to common mistakes. Repeating them will lead to the fact that the fish can only be seen in the picture.

Some believe that a good catch always occurs at night, because during this period of the day the burbot becomes more active. This is true, but it still depends on the time of year. In the summer, for example, you can sit for days and not catch anything. Another thing is autumn. You can start going out on the river from mid-October. If you're lucky, you'll make good money.

It is useless to sit on a pond during the spawning period. In the case when no fish are visible for several days, but there is confidence that there is burbot in the river, you can reel in the fishing rods, since the fish are not interested in bait at this moment.

A good bite is observed about a week after the end of spawning, it lasts until April. After this, you can either switch to catching other fish, or wait for autumn.

For many fish species, good weather is the key to excellent fishing. With burbot, everything is exactly the opposite. In good weather conditions, you can sit for days waiting for a bite.

In winter, the catching process is best done at night - between midnight and two o'clock in the morning, as well as between 4 o'clock in the morning and until dawn.

Important! It is better not to go fishing during the full moon; burbot does not bite at this time.

Experienced fishermen note that successful burbot fishing in winter also lies in the ability to calculate the path the fish takes when moving to feed. If this can be done, then it will be possible to place several gears in different places, which will greatly increase the chances of a good catch.

Other tackle for burbot and fishing methods

To catch burbot in winter, you need to prepare special gear. They are specific, but simple; they are quite easy to make with your own hands. Burbot is caught in winter using both active types of gear and passive ones. All winter gear for burbot must be sufficiently strong and reliable.

Lure fishing

The gear for winter fishing for burbot with a spinner is no different from the snitch already described above, except, in fact, the bait itself. In winter, you can use the entire arsenal of winter baits for predators. But it’s still better to use special baits for burbot. Many anglers practice fishing with a balance beam, and this is completely justified. Jigs, finders, nails - all this can be successfully used.

Fishing with a jig or jig head

A jig head bait with a piece of fish will also work. After all, we already know that the main thing is to find a place, bait and tackle are secondary. This predator also takes advantage of silicone. If the burbot is active, feeding, and in principle is in this place, it will grab any bait. Therefore, as an experiment, you can try fishing in winter with a jig head (as a snitch). Experienced fishermen use special jigs, very large and heavy, with a large hook. They make them from bronze or brass, since it is these metals that ring well against stones when struck and attract fish. This is the same snitch.

Animal replanting

Almost all artificial baits for burbot must be baited with something edible. The best bait for burbot in winter is fish or pieces of fish. Many fishermen actively use store-bought sprat or capelin, especially when they don’t want to bother with catching live bait. The same baits are also used when fishing with a donk. This method is more applicable for strong currents, when it is necessary to use a heavy sinker in the rig. The debate about the freshness of the bait continues. Some anglers claim that the fish take well on missing baits with a scent, others say that they are caught exclusively on fresh baits. The tastes of fish from different bodies of water differ.

Burbot is not always active. If you are in a place you know where it is definitely there, and the bite is weak, you can use feeding to provoke the predator to hunt. This fish has an excellent sense of smell. Bait for burbot, accordingly, must correspond to the preferences of the object of hunting, and be of animal origin - remains of fish, liver, minced meat. All this can simply be mixed in water and poured into the hole. Or throw in pieces of fish, leftover shrimp, etc. The preferences of fish in a particular body of water can only be determined experimentally.

Dependence of the bite on the season

It is well known that fishing for this fish in December is the most effective. At this time, pre-spawning zhor is observed. With the onset of cold weather it begins and continues until spawning. Burbot is the most active and hungry in December. But this does not mean that the rest of the time it is poorly caught. After spawning, this fish consistently bites the entire ice cover until warming occurs. As the ice melts, its bite gradually subsides. Then this northerner hides in the most remote places and waits out the warm season there. But this does not mean that he is not active at all. In inclement, cool weather, he may crawl out of his den for a short feeding to pass the time until autumn.

Fishing techniques and tactics: tips and tricks

There are no fundamental difficulties in the process of catching burbot if you follow and observe a number of certain rules. In order to return home with a significant catch, it is recommended to consider the following tips regarding techniques and tactics for catching this predator:

1. Artificial baits are not actually used for catching burbot, but you can try using them during winter fishing. To do this, you will need to choose models of spinners that are capable of sinking to the very bottom in a short period of time.
2. There is a special fishing tactic called squinting . It is best to practice it in reservoirs where crayfish live, since burbots often settle down to rest in their burrows. A person enters the water up to his waist and begins to explore with his hands the space under the stones and snags, as well as all the depressions on the surface of the bottom. The secret is that burbot is calm about any touch and is not afraid of it, which allows you to pull it out of the water directly with your bare hands. Squinting is most often practiced in the summer when the weather is hot, when this predator loses any interest in food and is aimlessly in secluded places, escaping from unfavorable weather conditions.
3. During winter fishing, special fishing rods are often used, which are installed on the coastline throughout the night. Small fish are usually used as bait for this fishing method; crucian carp or gudgeon are good choices. Additionally, on the shore you can light a fire or turn on a bright lantern, directing its light to the surface of the water. Despite the fact that burbot does not like high temperatures, it will very willingly move towards the alluring light.
4. The process of fishing this predator out of the water is quite simple, since it practically does not offer any resistance. Therefore, you can carry out this process slowly, so as not to tear the line or prevent snags, and also help yourself with auxiliary tools, for example, a net.
5. There is no need to hook prey , since this predator always deeply swallows the bait used. Usually, after fishing a fish ashore, the practice is to cut off the wire and then remove the hook.

Tackle for catching burbot

In order to return with a good catch, it is also necessary to choose the right gear for catching this prey.

There is nothing complicated in this process; it is enough to follow the following tips regarding the choice being made:

1. The fishing line is suitable for any type and from any material, the only condition is its ability to withstand a tensile strength of at least 5-6 kg. Despite the fact that burbot rarely resists the fisherman when fishing, it can be quite problematic to pull it out of the shelter in which it loves to hide.
2. of leashes is recommended . The most preferred material is nylon or steel; the thickness should be at least 0.5-0.6 mm, since a thinner version will easily be ground or bitten by teeth.
3. In winter, burbot is most often caught on burbot tees.
   Tees for burbot are not used, so the hooks should be single; models from No. 9 to No. 13 are best suited, depending on the size of the intended catch.
4. The sinker used must be flat and able to slide freely along the line. Its weight is determined already at the fishing spot, since this parameter depends on the fishing conditions, as well as on the current in a particular body of water.
5. The choice of rod depends on the fishing conditions and time of year. In the summer you can experiment and try different options, including float rods. Spinning fishing is usually common in the spring or autumn, and in winter it is recommended to use exclusively girders.