Are there any Burbot on the Kenai Peninsula?

**Capt Nemo** · 03-21-2012

Hey guy's never posted on here before but learned much from reading!! Do lots of ice fishing....Well as much as I can any way... Just wondering about Burbot??? Do I have to drive past Anchorage or are these fish in lakes on the Kenai Peninsula that I could get through the ice?? Any info would be great!!! If secret, I understand. Thanks.

**4merguide** · 03-21-2012

Yes there are some lakes on the Kenai that hold burbot.....

**kasilofchrisn** · 03-21-2012

There are only 2 peninsula lakes with burbot.
Trout and Juneau lakes both up resurrection pass in cooper landing. As you can see the average size is small.
These were caught in February.uploadfromtaptalk1332387688302.jpg uploadfromtaptalk1332387761531.jpg

**Capt Nemo** · 03-21-2012

Thanks fellas for the reply!!! looks like we have a hike on are hands!!! Can't wait.

**4merguide** · 03-22-2012

Originally Posted by Capt Nemo

Thanks fellas for the reply!!! looks like we have a hike on are hands!!! Can't wait.

BUT DON'T TELL NO ONE...!!!...........lol

**sayak** · 03-22-2012

There may be some in Hidden too. The regs say you can't keep any that you catch there, so hmmmm.....

**kasilofchrisn** · 03-23-2012

Originally Posted by sayak

There may be some in Hidden too. The regs say you can't keep any that you catch there, so hmmmm.....

The story as I heard it is as follows:
The Peninsula fishing regs before last year allowed an angler 15 lines when fishing for burbot. Granted there was a requirement all lines had to be set to rest on the bottom and had to have a hook with a gap between point and shank of 3/4".
Anyway a LEO approached a man on hidden fishing way to many lines. When questioned the man stated he was not fishing lakers but was fishing Burbot. Since the LEO could not prove there were no Burbot present in Hidden lake the man was not in violation of any laws.
It was probably easier to change the regs the way they are than to try to prove there are no Burbot in Hidden lake.
I wish I could remember where I read that or who told me the story but it makes sense to me anyway.

**FishGod** · 03-23-2012

Originally Posted by kasilofchrisn

The story as I heard it is as follows:
The Peninsula fishing regs before last year allowed an angler 15 lines when fishing for burbot. Granted there was a requirement all lines had to be set to rest on the bottom and had to have a hook with a gap between point and shank of 3/4".
Anyway a LEO approached a man on hidden fishing way to many lines. When questioned the man stated he was not fishing lakers but was fishing Burbot. Since the LEO could not prove there were no Burbot present in Hidden lake the man was not in violation of any laws.
It was probably easier to change the regs the way they are than to try to prove there are no Burbot in Hidden lake.
I wish I could remember where I read that or who told me the story but it makes sense to me anyway.

That is correct, the same thing was happening on Skilak and Kenai Lake. So, to put a stop to people using 15 lines in every lake on the Peninsula, they put the burbot limit at two for all freshwaters of the Kenai Peninsula.

**homerdave** · 03-23-2012

There was a kid hugging a pretty nice burbot on the cover of the clarion .... Showed all the kids that won in the trustworthy ice fishing contest. Definitely bigger than the ones in the pic above. Wonder where it was caught?

**kasilofchrisn** · 03-24-2012

Originally Posted by homerdave

There was a kid hugging a pretty nice burbot on the cover of the clarion .... Showed all the kids that won in the trustworthy ice fishing contest. Definitely bigger than the ones in the pic above. Wonder where it was caught?

That fish came from Juneau lake. I know they had the adult division lead for awhile from the same trip and that wasn' much bigger than the ones we caught. I think the adult burbot winner was 1.19#.
Biggest we have ever caught up there was 2.71#. And that too was caught by a kid who won the icefishing derby with it.

**4merguide** · 03-24-2012

I've never caught, or eaten a burbot, but hear it's some of the best, if not THE best fresh water fish to eat. Can somebody give me an idea of what it tastes like? I'm thinking of maybe something like what a fresh water cod or flounder would taste like...???

**kasilofchrisn** · 03-24-2012

Originally Posted by 4merguide

I've never caught, or eaten a burbot, but hear it's some of the best, if not THE best fresh water fish to eat. Can somebody give me an idea of what it tastes like? I'm thinking of maybe something like what a fresh water cod or flounder would taste like...???

Yes it does taste similiar to cod. My understanding is that burbot is a freshwater cod.
An excellent eating fish no doubt.
I clean them by first cutting around the head and them pulling the skin off with skinning pliers.
Then I fillet the meat off and it is similiar to cod in body structure.

**sayak** · 03-24-2012

Originally Posted by kasilofchrisn

The story as I heard it is as follows:
The Peninsula fishing regs before last year allowed an angler 15 lines when fishing for burbot. Granted there was a requirement all lines had to be set to rest on the bottom and had to have a hook with a gap between point and shank of 3/4".
Anyway a LEO approached a man on hidden fishing way to many lines. When questioned the man stated he was not fishing lakers but was fishing Burbot. Since the LEO could not prove there were no Burbot present in Hidden lake the man was not in violation of any laws.
It was probably easier to change the regs the way they are than to try to prove there are no Burbot in Hidden lake.
I wish I could remember where I read that or who told me the story but it makes sense to me anyway.

Cagey... those enforcement guys!

**Capt Nemo** · 03-24-2012

Thanks again fellas for all the post!!! I love breaking hard water just so long as I don't have to do it with my boat!! Going on the hike on the first of the month!! thanks