Burbot Bash – Are You Ready?
Ever since burbot (fresh water ling cod) were illegally introduced into Flaming Gorge Reservoir, fishery managers have attempted to control their spread and remove as many as possible. I took the opportunity more than a decade ago to assist the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) as well as the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) in netting operations to assess the population and to determine what to do about their spread.
Now, (despite biologists’ efforts) burbot have spread throughout the 91-mile length of the reservoir and their numbers continue to swell. The battle to remove the species has evolved into a catch and kill order on all burbot caught.
One tool to control burbot – The Bash
The Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the WGFD and the UDWR, are again sponsoring the 2019 Burbot Bash, which is a major fishing derby where literally thousands of burbot are caught, killed, and presented to tournament officials, at which time the fish are counted, weighed and measured with up to $30,000 dollars (based on 300 teams) in cash awards and drawings.
I have covered the event several times but this year you may very well see me participating in this worthwhile derby. The Burbot Bash runs January 25th through the 27th on Flaming Gorge, and to register, go to www.burbotbash.com. Teams, consist of at least two and a maximum of four people who fish for three days (and nights), keep all their burbot and return them to tournament headquarters where officials accept and certify each team’s catch. Prizes for most fish, largest fish, smallest fish and tagged fish will highlight the awards ceremony.
How to catch burbot
Burbot are most active in the first few hours after dark and the last few hours before dawn, and can be found on rocky points with deep water close, in the main lake or in most bays. With safe ice on much of Flaming Gorge (mostly on the Wyoming side) anglers find rocky points and substrata, in water depths anywhere from 10 to 80 feet of water.
Most anglers use glow-in-the-dark lures including jigs, grubs, tubes, or vibrating spoons in 1/4 to 1/2-ounce weights so the lures can get to the bottom in a hurry. They keep the lure within a few inches of the bottom. When burbot strike, the savvy anglers get them up and out of the water ASAP, remove the hook and get their lures back to the bottom. Since burbot run in schools, they can sometimes catch a dozen or more fish within a few minutes.
Many believe that before one begins to fish for burbot he/she should drill at least 20 to 30 holes in the ice and if they fish a hole without success for 15 minutes — switch holes.
Great information about how and where to catch burbot is available on the website previously mentioned, but for now, allow me to discuss current conditions on Flaming Gorge.
Flaming Gorge ice conditions
I haven’t seen this much safe ice is several years. I spent a few hours last Saturday from Buckboard Marina to the Anvil area just north of the Pipeline and found five to eight inches of ice covered by a couple of inches of crusty slush. Since I was fishing for lake trout, I didn’t catch a single burbot but managed to hook four lake trout in the 15 to 25-pound class. I was fishing by myself (with other anglers very close) so I felt safe, but only put one of my big ones made onto the ice.
Nearby (at one of my stops) Jeff Hanson, an angler from Grand Junction, Colorado, caught several nice lake trout “pups” and some very impressive burbot. From angler interviews, I concluded the fishing on Flaming Gorge has been spectacular and most people were catching a lot of fish, regardless of their experience level.
If you want to try your luck at ice fishing burbot in some of the best winter scenery available, consider a trip to Flaming Gorge this week for the 2019 Burbot Bash.
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