I've always considered lawyers slimey bottomfeeders,like used car salesmen/politicians etc.............Seriously though Ling/burbot or lawyers are freshwater cod or a close relate.When they spawn from mid feb to mid March the fishing is nuts.We caught 25 a day easy all in the 4-7 lb range.The beauty of it is the whitefish ravage the spawning beds and we nail them too.Not to mention the big pike shredding the whites.To clean burbot I drive a 6" spike through a 2X4 and impale the fish through the head,cut around the neck skin, make two incisions along both lower and upper fins.Grab the skin with a pair of locking vicegips and pull the skin off like a sock head to tail.Fillet leaving rib cage on carcass.No bones.Use fish crisp from walmart.And fry in olive or veg oil til browned.If you can get past the ugly they are tasty.I make my own jigs[thumpers from worn out .222 brass and pored lead]Harold * got 7 whitefish and two pike before work this AM