Hot Winter Tactics: Whitefish

WINTER WHITES

CATCHING LAKE WHITEFISH THROUGH THE ICE CAN BE BOTH CHALLENGING AND REWARDING, ALL SEASON LONG

BY KEVIN WILSON

THERE ARE A VARIETY OF HARDWATER TACTICS FOR CATCHING WHITEFISH

WITH MY JAWJACKER hooksetting device in place and the sonar transducer down the ice hole, I settled in to patiently watch my flasher. Eventually, a faint green mark appeared at 22 feet and began to rise to the static marks of my deadstick baits at 14 and 16 feet. The incoming mark quickly changed to orange, then became a thicker, flickering red mark—it was a fish, and it was coming in hot. Then it converged with the static marks, and my rod tip sprang free, setting the hook. Snatching the rod from the holder, I was instantly tethered to a big winter whitefish with just four-pound-test fluorocarbon line.

Anyone who has ever battled a jumbo winter »

whitefish with light line knows it’s an exercise in patience. These big fish are pure muscle, and with just one wrong move, it can be game over. Run after run, the silver slab kept pulling, and I began to wonder if it would ever tire. Eventually, though, I was able to gingerly guide the fish into the ice hole, where my partner quickly reached in and scooped it onto the ice. Weighing in at 7½ pounds, it was my personal best.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from fishing for wintertime whites, it’s that there’s more than one way to catch them. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way that can help you to also enjoy some great action—and maybe even haul in a personal-best whitefish of your own.

YOU CAN SIGHT-FISH FOR WHITES FROM THE DARK CONFINES OF A SHELTER

WHERE & WHEN

Most diehard whitefish anglers know the first and last weeks of ice season offer the best, and most consistent action. Whitefish spawn primarily in October and November, and are ready to feed aggressively by early December. At that time of the year, they also leave their summer locations in the colder, deeper regions of the lake and begin cruising shallower, sandybottomed flats throughout the frigid winter months.

Whitefish commonly move in schools, and can be found in abundance for an hour or two, then seemingly vanish. When looking for places to set up, start with bays or shallow, wide-open areas. You can spot these areas by examining hydrographic maps, or by simply studying the landscape when you head out onto the ice.

In Alberta where I do much of my ice fishing, I often start the season by drilling holes near visible weedlines in four to eight feet of water. With oxygen levels still decent for at least the first few weeks of ice-up, the bite is usually strong in these traditional shallower locations. While I can sometimes see the whitefish crossing weedy areas, I’ve also caught them by sight-fishing in just a few feet of water, setting up over sandy channels between the weed growth.

Other times, the search takes me deeper, depending on the structure, type of bottom and available weed growth. In larger waterbodies, whitefish linger at greater depths, especially as winter progresses. For example, I fish one lake that’s about six kilometres wide, with a deep trough running through the middle. I often find the whitefish in and along that trough. While I can mark fish on the bottom at 27 feet, it’s actually the suspended ones around the 17-foot mark that feed most aggressively. Another top location is a known burbot spawning area, where the whites vacuum the lake bottom, feeding voraciously on burbot eggs. As a rule, though, whitefish favour large, sandy flats during winter.

SAN JUAN WORMS (TOP) AND RUSSIAN HOOKS ARE EFFECTIVE ON WHITES

RIGGING

Lake whitefish commonly feed on bottom organisms such as insect larvae, clams, snails, freshwater shrimp and zooplankton. Larger whitefish will also feed on minnows. Knowing this, it’s important to choose terminal tackle that matches the forage. It’s also important to select small lures, keeping in mind that whitefish have a small sub-terminal mouth, found below the snout and facing down.

When it comes to sightfishing in shallower water, the lures of choice for most seasoned whitefish anglers in Western Canada are arguably wire worms, in an assortment of colours and sizes. I’ve had success with many different combinations, but I’ve seen the most consistent action using a dull copper wire worm with a red bead at the end. These worms, and even red San Juan Worm flies, resemble the natural forage. Tipping a wire worm or a similar lure with a couple of maggots makes it particularly appealing to whitefish. I’ve also had good success with several other lures, including Russian hooks, Deadly Dicks and even smaller Len Thompson Yellow & Red spoons.

In deeper water, my go-to terminal options include an assortment of freshwater shrimp fly patterns tied in greens, greys and pinks, with a light lead weight about 10 inches above the fly. If the fish are in a positive feeding mood, they can’t resist these offerings. Most often, I’ll tie one fly to the end of the leader and a second a couple of feet up. The most important thing is to attach them with the hook sitting horizontally for a more realistic presentation. Remember, you need to make it as easy as possible for a whitefish to suck in your bait, considering its sub-terminal mouth.

As for my ice rod and reel, I like a medium-action rod and spinning reel spooled with Berkley’s six-pound Trilene Micro Ice monofilament, complete with a fourfoot leader of four-pound Trilene Fluorocarbon Ice.

TACTICS

I’ll never forget one of my best days of ice fishing, when a good friend and I left work early and raced out to Alberta’s Lake Wabamun. It was late in the season and there were a few inches of water on the ice, so we had to wear rubber boots. After drilling several holes, we sat on our buckets and dropped down wire worms.

No one was using shelters because of the flooded ice, but they didn’t have to—the water was only three feet deep, and the action was spectacular. And while winter whitefish can be difficult to catch, finesse fishing definitely wasn’t necessary. The bite was fast and furious, with the whitefish feeding frenzy continuing all afternoon and into the evening.

Unfortunately, it’s not always like that. Fishing for winter whites can be hit or miss, and on most days it’s an exercise in finessing the hook to just the right depth for the fish to inhale it. With these often selective feeders, precision is the name of the game. On top of that, ice fishing for winter whites typically involves sightfishing by staring down a hole in shallow water from inside a dark tent, or fishing deeper water using a flasher or an underwater camera.

JIGGING: The most proven technique for fishing winter whites involves jigging the lure with one smooth lift, allowing it to

»settle back to the bottom, sometimes churning up the sand a bit, then lifting it back up to your target depth (typically six to 12 inches off bottom, but it varies). Over the years, I’ve found a slow jigging motion, with a 10- to 15-second pause, is the most effective.

The odd time, whitefish will race in and smash your bait, but that’s the exception. Your jigging action will certainly attract the fish, but sometimes you’ll find they prefer your offering to remain motionless before they actually eat it. That’s when having a set line with a device such a JawJacker can be ideal. It holds the bait still with the rod tip bent down, and when a fish touches the bait, the rod tip is released and springs upward, setting the hook.

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SIGHT-FISHING: While you can sight-fish in four to eight feet of water on sandy flats near weedbeds, this tactic works better in somewhat deeper water. It’s also preferable to sight-fish from inside an ice-fishing shelter. In the tent’s dark interior, it’s much easier to see these silver, slender-backed fish approach and inhale the hook. In my experience, water clarity also matters, as whites can be attracted visually, as well as by smell.

Lake whitefish habitually cruise, sometimes in loose schools, in search of food. If they like what they see and swim in for a closer look, they’ll sometimes inhale it. More often, however, they’ll make what looks like a feeble attempt to strike, best described as a swim-by “mock attack.” In such cases, the whitefish need some coaxing to take the hook, and that’s where sight-fishing excels. By closely observing the fish, you can respond directly to their actions and keep your bait at the right depth.

Many experienced whitefish anglers actually forgo rods, opting for handlines instead. This lets them spin their line to orient the lure toward the fish, making it as easy as possible for the fish to inhale it. The less effort these fish have to make to take the bait, the better your chances of catching one.

Whitefish are also notorious for just cruising by, seemingly oblivious to your offering. This can be frustrating, but keep doing what you were doing— it brought them in once, so they’ll likely return for another look. I’ve had many whites swim by three or four times before finally taking a swipe at my bait, for example. And when they do decide to bite, they’ll sometimes snatch your offering with little warning. Most often, however, you’ll see them leisurely cruise in to inhale the lure.

ELECTRONICS: If you’re fishing in deeper water, a reliable flasher or underwater camera (or both) can be a game-changer. These devices provide critical information to help you to respond to the fish by working your lure accordingly, much like you would when sight-fishing. With the gain setting properly adjusted to identify detail, you can easily observe fish approaching the mark made by your lure. And by experimenting with different jigging actions, or by simply leaving you lure dead in the water, you can learn what attracts the fish and prompts them to strike.

Most recently, some of my best hardwater angling for whitefish has involved the use of a Marcum underwater camera. Literally illuminating the bottom, it allows you to see precisely how the fish are moving down below, how they’re approaching the lure, and other variables that may be affecting how aggressively or timidly they’re biting. In the end, the results speak for themselves—put your electronics to work, and you’re sure to put more fish on the ice. OC

ALBERTA CONTRIBUTOR KEVIN WILSON KEENLY PURSUES WINTER WHITEFISH.

A FLASHER CAN SHOW YOU HOW THE FISH RESPOND TO YOUR SET-UP

TASTY

REWARDS

Lake whitefish fillets are incredibly flavourful, especially when they’ve been marinated in a favourite brine, or better yet, smoked. If you’re willing to deal with the bones, baking whole whitefish with lemons, lemon pepper and garlic butter can also result in a delectable meal. Like all fish, just be sure not to overcook it.