The burbot was so big its tail bent around the corner to fit the fathead minnow tank.
Saro Kevorkian, 34, of Rogers Park, caught the burbot Monday evening around Diversey Harbor while fishing with Michael Kilbert, Tariq Khan and “Echo.” They fished perch and whatever would bite. One setup was a spinning rod with a gob of wax worms on 8-pound line hanging down “for whatever” when a fish hit.
“I thought it was a laker,” Kevorkian said. “It fought pretty good, towards the bottom.”
They didn’t know what it was until they got it in. Knowing it was big enough for the Illinois record, they tracked down Stacey Greene to reopen Park Bait, shut down for the winter, to weigh it. On the certified scale, it weighed 11.78 pounds (11 pounds, 12 1/2 ounces).
By 2 pounds, two ounces, his burbot topped the Illinois record (9.68 pounds, also weighed at Park Bait), caught Nov. 18 from the Diversey Harbor area by Luc van Brenk. Click here to read that story.
Kevorkian’s burbot was 33 inches long with a girth of 15.5 inches. I measured five inches across the shoulders.
After weighing, they put the fish in the fathead tank until Rebecca Redman, advanced natural resources specialist from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Lake Michigan program could certify it.
“My whole thing was to keep him alive,” Kevorkian said.
With the water shut off for winter, they lugged buckets from Montrose Harbor. Then Greene covered the fathead tank with wood and a tarp to keep the burbot in. It worked. Tuesday morning, it was lively as Redman certified the fish. To become official, Kevorkian needs to submit his paperwork for fisheries chief Mike McClelland to sign.
“This will be my first state record,” Redman said. “That is awesome.”
“I thought we might get the perch record in 2020, but it’s burbot,” Greene said. “Maybe the perch record will come in 2021.”
We had questions for Redman. Burbot, known by many names, are a cold water fish and the only freshwater cod. They come near shore in the fall as the water cools and can stay through spring. Where they spawn in winter/early spring is a mystery. She said they eat fish, eggs and are “opportunistic feeders.”
Kevorkian noticed the front left fin was clipped. Redman said that was not by biologists, maybe other anglers.
Kevorkian paced and called people, debating whether to mount the fish or to release it. He decided to release it. He and Kilbert lugged a big white bucket with the burbot to the water’s edge, then Kevorkian nudged it into the water where it scooted off.
“There the state record goes.” Kilbert recited.
From the Amen Corner, Greene said, “That is awesome.”
It was the most spiritual thing I’ve experienced in 2020.
ILLINOIS DEER
When harvest numbers for the firearm seasons come, I will post at chicago.suntimes.com/outdoors.
WILD THINGS
For the second straight week, the Tuesday crane count at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife, southeast of Valparaiso, Ind., was a top-10 all-time with 26,533.
STRAY CAST
Following the Bears’ final five minutes Sunday on my phone from my deer blind was like tripping on briars, then falling face first into them.
