It is most frequently caught incidentally by anglers who are ice-fishing for lake trout. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish:
This is an unusually distinctive fish with its long, almost eel-like body; single, slender, and cod-like barbel under the chin; rounded paddle-like tail; large rounded pectoral fins; small, short first dorsal fin; and long second dorsal fin. The anal fin starts near the middle of the body and runs all the way back to the tail. The body is yellow, light brown, or tan with a mottled appearance. Some individuals, noticeably adults from deep lakes in the far north, may be entirely dark brown or black.