|
 Whitefish
spawn in mid-Nov; along the
extensive sand, gravel and
stony shoals. Each female
randomly drops from 5-15
thousand eggs before returning
to deeper water. The eggs
hatch in late winter and the
young fish form schools that
travel the shoal areas in
search of food.
The whitefish move into the
shoals in advance of the
spawning season in Nov. After
spawning they may be found at
depths from around 10 to 100
ft, although the largest
numbers are caught at depths
of 45-85 ft.
Whitefish feed on mollusks,
aquatic insect larvae and
nymphs, mostly chironomids,
mayflies and caddisflies.
Other items include plankton,
crustaceans, terrestrial
insects and small baitfish
such as emerald shiners.
Angling for
Whitefish
Most common
methods used for taking
whitefish are live minnows on
a tip-up, fished on bottom.
Wax worms often work as well
as small night crawlers with a
little bit of air injected to
keep them about ¼ inch off
bottom.
Look for mossy bottom
structure as this holds most
of the whitefish's food chain.
The edge of moss beds is
another good place to fish, as
this bottom will allow the
chum you use to stand out
clearly. Jigging with a small
spoon by bouncing it off
bottom also produces; the
spoon can be fished as is or
tipped with a small minnow or
piece of minnow.
Bouncing the spoons off the
bottom replicates feeding
baitfish, which will trigger
the whitefish to feed.
These methods work best in
winter through the ice, but
are also used during summer
from the side of an anchored
boat. Although salted bait is
considered the best, simple
cut up bait can be used to
attract and keep fish in the
area you are fishing. Boiled
rice, canned corn and certain
grains can also be used with
success. Always soak or boil
rice, barley etc. so it will
not expand in the fish's
stomach, causing injury or
death. Sago is an exception to
this rule.
After pre baiting the area
you wish to fish, it is
advisable to mark the spot
with a GPS. If you are baiting
through the ice, a marker can
be used so you can return to
the exact spot next time out.
Be careful not to use a fixed
anchor with a marker during
the open water season, as
these can cause serious injury
to boats and boaters.
Sometimes a day or two is
needed after baiting to bring
the whities in.
Whitefish are well known
for their soft bite, and you
should take care not to rip
the hook out of the soft
mouth. Try the method below to
be sure of hooking them in the
stronger upper lip. These fish
are more likely to suck the
bait up off the bottom rather
than hit the line like most
other fish specie.
If using a spreader on
bottom for whitefish, it is
essential to hook the live
minnows properly for the best
hook-set. To do this be sure
to hook the minnow through the
section of body near the tail,
With the hook facing the
tail. Keep away from vital
organs. This will allow the
minnow to swim naturally and
also keep it alive for a
longer period of time. (See
diagram).
By placing the hook so that
it faces back towards the
tail, the whitefish can take
the bait easily and when you
notice the bite you will set
the hook into the stronger
part of the upper mouth. Cisco
have a thin black upper lip,
whitefish have a larger, white
upper lip that is stronger and
more gristle like. Worms or
wax worms on the other hand,
should be left trailing off
the hook slightly.
Spoons
Williams
Whitefish Junior, Williams
Whitefish Midget, Little Cleo,
Mr. Champ, Luhjohn. Swedish
Pimple.
These can be fished as is or
tipped with a minnow piece.
Usually the head or tail
section. The tail seems to be
the most effective on average.
The rest of the minnow can be
dropped down the hole as an
attractant.
Small spoons should be
jigged slowly, letting the
spoon touch bottom on the
drop. Just enough to rile the
bottom slightly. This
represents feeding mollusks
etc., and will bring the
whitefish in to feed on them.
In turn this will attract them
to the spoon.
Six to eight pound test
line will give the spoons
plenty of action and will be
strong enough to pull a
whitefish from the depths.
Although they may not be the
scrappiest fish to land, they
can be a challenge.
Sometimes they will swim
upwards quite fast to cause a
slack line and will spit the
hook if you allow them to do
this. Always keep tension on
the line. If it goes slack,
pull faster to catch up with
them and keep the tension on! |
