(Indianapolis, IN) - A Northwest Indiana fisherman twice shattered a state record in the same day. Scott Skafar of Valparaiso caught a 10.2-pound burbot on Lake Michigan in Porter County on December 30th, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
His catch beat the previous record set in 1990 by 2.5 pounds. Later in the day, Skafar caught a second burbot weighing nearly two pounds more than the record he just broke.
Burbot native to Lake Michigan are unique because they are the only freshwater fish in the cod family. According to the DNR, adult burbot primarily feed on other fish species such as round goby, sculpin, and yellow perch. Burbot are also referred to as the poor man’s lobster and feature a whisker similar to the whiskers on catfish. all the while typically found on the lake bottom in deep water.
The DNR recommends that anglers wishing to target burbot should focus their efforts between November and April when water temperatures are cold enough for them to move close to shore to feed. Burbot are good to eat, with firm, white flesh and a large liver, similar to cod.
