Burbot/Eelpout Tracking Study (Results)

Tyler Robinson (BSU Grad Student) and Shannon Fisher (MN DNR) discuss a study they've been working on tracking the movement and behavior of burbot/eelpout, a species that's been growing in popularity over the past several years.
Don't forget to grab your ice fishin' gear at your local Fleet Farm store or online:
bit.ly/fleet-farm-ice-fishing

[@garygrunauer734]

That was simply fabulous, really like the science behind their movements, etc. Would like to see more videos like this one.

[@fisher_man_sam]

In high school working for the Mille Lacs Messenger I wrote an article talking about the mysterious dissapearance of the eelpout the year before Mille Lacs went into the "crisis." Biologists I spoke with told me that the eelpout's liver is roughly 5x the size of a walleye of comparative size and this could be a reason they are able to and require deeper, cooler water throughout the summer months. They also believed that the introduction of zebra muscles pushed their spawning depths out from the shorelines where they could find gravel and rock to spawn in. Growing up we used to spear them in 6" to 6 feet of water on any given year and would see hundreds a day if you sat long enough. Only males would come in as they were attracted to the rattling of a spear in the rocks immigrating a female laying eggs. This fish was a delicacy in our Ojibwe culture and their apparent disappearance has been noticed by all the elders we once provided fish for each late winter. I believe more studies need to take place to save the eelpout as a main staple to a healthy, balanced fishery.

[@mossig]

When the 4 degree Celsius flip of surface and bottom water happens in the early winter. A lot of dead small fish ends up right under the ice and that is the reason Burbots swim right under the ice. They follow the low oxygenated water that ends up in the shallows. In Sweden during December first ice, it was common practice before first snow to club Burbot by hitting the ice with a big club and then quickly make a hole to get it up. All in the light of a piece of burning wood. I have seen it with my own eyes.

[@codyprice1987]

I just got into Burbot fishing this last winter. I was catching them at 40 ft. I would go every other night throughout the winter and it was just like clockwork. 8 pm the bite would start

[@spurs221]

65 feet was my deepest catch

[@davep8987]

Awesome work folks. Thank you ❣️
That lake looks like a burb

[@danefalavena4774]

Thanks! Excellent study!

[@jalnafortune8163]

Excellent work!!

[@rhacegelo3308]

thank you 😋😋... such an under appreciated species, they are so pretty in the winter i have trouble bleeding them out for snacks / they are very dark on my home lake Kabetogama

[@EthanPriceOutdoors]

Great video

[@juliosdiy3206]

Thnks man im certainly goin burbot this season.

[@bsrkoacar8414]

Interesting. I catch them very deep while lake trout fishing sometimes. We caught one over 80 feet deep a couple weeks ago. This was a rocky mountain lake. Assumed they were feeding on the lake trout spawn. Seems like they have the ability to burb their swim bladder like a lake trout.

[@riptyn]

was just out on that lake tip up fishing for burbot. was rough going, but the snow pack has melted down a bit now. Watch out for the guy landing his airplane out there...

[@apexoutdooradventuresa.o.a2574]

But watching him land near the ice house is EPIC footage haha

[@Theanglerslist]

Do you guys have a link to the study and results? Great video, would like to read more in-depth.

[@rawoutdoors5377]

What was the water temperature that they liked best.

[@nickarend8197]

I would love to see this kind of study done on our lakes in Northern MI. We caught them last year in 80fow (which is shallow for that lake) and that's where they were spawning. Curious how deep they go in the summer time.

[@jimmyjeboutdoors1624]

In Lake Superior they have been documented in 1000 feet of water

[@michaelfarrow6718]

I've caught them in 23 ft of water in Mid August here in British Columbia

[@jacoblightford4835]

I wish I watched this 3 weeks ago lololol, the best info video on burbot I've ever seen well done guys , truly awesome how can I get more of the data from what you saw alll year if I can get that please send me a mesg if you are able to share that with me

[@kurtisgotdey4960]

Keep it going man!! Go for a another grant and map there biology!!! We need the knowledge

[@Andy-zj3dc]

in Alaska i have caught burbot at river mouths that drain into the big susitna river..they sit and eat salmon eggs and stay in the glacier brown water and we catch them right where the clear streams meet the glacier mud of the big Su.. the only time ive caught so many burbot in august and always thought of them as a fish we caught ice fishing in Minnesota and Alaska.

[@AnglingBuzz]

That sounds like fun!

[@craigrock8444]

So if there is next to nothing for oxygen down at 68ft how do lake trout survive in these deeper parts fished?

[@apexoutdooradventuresa.o.a2574]

Lake trout “burp” to release pressure from being caught that far down....swim bladder doesn’t have that ability

[@trippyq5884]

@@apexoutdooradventuresa.o.a2574 he was talking about the oxygen content of the water that deep

[@superawesomefishing731]

Well oxygen content of water that deep is probably lake specific and they were talking about this lake only.

[@craigrock8444]

Thank you guys for the responses. I was just kind of scratching my head.

[@pawewawrzyniak8549]

Burbots are cousins of salt water Cod

[@sadikrady6066]

سمك نهري من فصيلة القد
، بربوط..

[@ipodlover2512]

I've been trying to find something on how to sex burbot either live or dead. Any information you have would be amazing. Great video