Burbot is an unusual and original fish. If only because it is the only fish of the cod family that has chosen river water for habitat. After all, other representatives of this family are distributed exclusively in the marine environment.
The unusual behavior of burbot is also manifested in the time of its hibernation. Anabiosis of the fish occurs in the summer, when its other relatives get their own provisions, which at this time are abundant: beetles, dragonflies, midges and others. Our hero prefers to lead an active life in winter. Burbot is a predatory fish, so hibernation of other fish suits him perfectly, because he practically does not need to make any effort to get food, it is enough to sneak up on a sleepy fish and … have dinner.
After fattening up, the fish proceeds to the production of offspring. Somewhere in January-February, the "river cod" spawns. While the bulk of the fish are sleeping, burbot fry have the opportunity to fully develop without fear of being eaten.
Thus, burbot is a cold-loving fish. Its habitat extends to the northern and Siberian rivers. It is there that worthy specimens live, the weight of which reaches 20 kg, and the length is up to a meter! Howfurther south, the representatives of the cod family are smaller. In the southern reservoirs, burbot is not found at all. The optimum temperature of the aquatic environment for this fish is about 120C. In warmer conditions, burbot feels worse, preferring to wait out the rise in temperature, hiding under a snag, in the roots of trees, in general, wherever there is shade.
For hunting, this big original chooses night time, and during the day he prefers to burrow and sleep off. Avid fishermen will be interested to know where the burbot lives and what it eats. Fish prefer quiet and secluded places. To find a river in which you can catch burbot, you need to choose a calm place, remote from dwellings and people. The water in the river should be clean, with a fast current and a rocky bottom. Burbot is a picky fish and will not tolerate stagnant water.
"Cod hunter" gets food near the place of permanent habitat. And he prefers to settle under the cliffs of the coast, in the pits, especially if they contain cold springs. You can catch it under the piers and bridges. Burbot especially likes to go hunting on a cool cloudy day, and preferably rainy.
The "river cod" prefers to hunt near the bottom. Burbot is a predator, therefore it feeds mainly on fish. The main bottom inhabitants that make up the diet of our hunter are minnows, gobies, and ruffs. But with the onset of autumn, the “menu” of burbot expands significantly. Juveniles mainly eat fish eggs, crayfish, and frogs.
The best time for burbot mining is late autumn and winter. You can fish andin spring - in April-May, only the weather is better to choose cool and rainy.
It is worth talking about the appearance of burbot. It has an elongated snake-like body with a flat and wide head. There is one mustache on the chin - a distinctive feature of burbot. The color of fish skin is from dark green to black. The younger the individual, the blacker the skin.
Burbot meat is not in vain considered a delicacy: it is juicy and fatty, liver is especially tasty. You should definitely try this fish soup.
