Photo: Lucy Wold, WGFD
GREEN RIVER- Two burbot ice fishing derbies will take place at Flaming Gorge Reservoir at the end of January.
According to a release from Wyoming Game and Fish, the 2016 Burbot Bash is being held on January 22nd-24th. The 2016 Burbot Classic is being held the weekend following the Bash on January 29th-31st.
“The derbies also provide a great opportunity to educate the public about the problems burbot are causing, to recruit anglers, and to remove thousands of invasive burbot,” John Walrath, Green River Fisheries Biologist with Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said in the release. “Since burbot derbies began on the Gorge in 2010 nearly 30,000 burbot have been removed during derbies! The Game and Fish appreciates the time and effort the Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce (Burbot Bash) and Buckboard Marina (Burbot Classic) put into hosting these fun and productive derbies. The events require an enormous amount of planning and time to ensure the derbies run safely and smoothly, and that everyone has a great time.”
Burbot in Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the Green River drainage are an invasive species. Area fisheries biologists are most concerned with burbot in the Gorge, as they compete with anglers for prized sport fish like kokanee salmon, smallmouth bass, and rainbow trout.
The subzero temperatures Sweetwater County experienced in December will likely produce one the best ice fishing seasons Flaming Gorge Reservoir anglers have experience for several years.
“Flaming Gorge Reservoir is the most popular ice fishing destination in Sweetwater County,” said Walrath. “Most anglers on the Gorge are targeting lake trout, rainbow trout, and burbot. Angler success should be high this year with an abundance of burbot and small lake trout. Anglers will also enjoy liberal limits on both species in Flaming Gorge Reservoir. As always, check your fishing regulation for species specific regulations.”
For the first time this year, anglers who participate in both the Burbot Bash and the Burbot Classic will be entered into a drawing worth $1,000. This drawing will be awarded at the Burbot Classic closing ceremonies on January 31.
For more information on the Burbot Bash, visit their website at www.burbotbash.com or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BurbotBash.
For more information about the Classic, check out their website at www.buckboardmarina.com or call Buckboard Marina.