A lota poutin' secrets on the Lota Lota:
See these links:

Minnesota DNR Profile: Burbot

La Bottarice, Lota Lota  (Linnaeus, 1758)

Lota Lota Research

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Love with the Ling By Jake Edson I still remember my first eelpout experience vividly. It was a beautiful January day and my good old pop had already iced a nice pair of lakers. I was still waiting for my first bite of the day, and was about to change baits for the umpteenth time. As I was reeling my sucker-tipped airplane jig up out of the 60-feet of water, it suddenly came to a halt about 20-feet below the hole.

photo courtesy The Pilot-Independent / Walker, Minnesota Eelpout may have been beaten with an ugly stick, but when they take a bait it’s the angler that is in for a beating... and perhaps a tasty meal.

I quickly set the hook and was rewarded with a blistering run.

“Get the gaff!” I yelled as my father came running over to help me with what felt like a 15-pound laker.

After a long battle, the fish finally settled just below the hole and Dad prepared to gaff it.

To my surprise he threw down the gaff and started laughing.

Dumfounded, I looked down the hole and saw the ugliest thing I had ever seen in my life smiling up at me.

“It’s a ‘pout!” laughed Dad as he walked away.

Disgusted I quickly unhooked the big fish and tossed it aside.

Times have changed.

Earlier this week I found myself both, penciling in a trip to Leech Lake for Walker’s annual Eelpout Festival and trying to schedule a trip for my buddies and I to chase these freshwater cod.

The truth of the matter is that eelpout are tremendous fighters.

Averaging over five pounds, they hit hard, run fast, and dive deep.

And, given the right circumstances they are more than willing to take a bait.

The whole trick is to target these ugly ducklings when their dinner bell is ringing.

‘Pout, unlike most other gamefish, are highly nocturnal. They don’t feed at dawn and dusk like walleyes or crappies, instead these werewolves of the deep prefer the dead of night to partake in carnivorous forays.

Carnivorous is the key word. As most nighttime walleye anglers know, eelpout love meat.

Chubs, suckers, shiners, you name it as long as it’s fishy and it will fit in their mouths, ‘pout will eat it.

My best ‘pouting holes are areas I would fish for lakers or deepwater ‘eyes.

Forty or 50-foot humps are one of the best places to look.

The whole trick is to have faith in the spot and stick it out until the dead of night is upon you.

Fish your bait right on bottom. Four to 6-inches off is probably the best place to be. I prefer to use a small flurry of jigging to get the attention of any passing ling, and then let a deadstick and the minnow do all the work.

Eelpout feed when all other fish species are asleep, and just like any good nighttime prowler they like to sneak up on their victims while they rest.

Because of this tendency, it’s either a very hungry or very annoyed ‘pout that takes an aggressively moving bait.

Instead they prefer to slowly stalk up and take a jab at your jig while it sits motionless.

So now you ask, “I know how to catch ‘pout, but why (despite their size and fighting ability) do I want to catch them?”

The answer is simple. Eat them!

If you can get past their looks, eelpout really are tasty critters. Especially in the winter when their flesh is firm.

To get at that tasty white flesh you simply cut off the ‘backstraps’ along the upper sides of the fish.

Once the skin has been removed and the meat has been boiled for a few minutes, dip medallions of it in butter and you’ll be in heaven.

And, I bet you’ll be spending more days each year in love with the ling.

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