Don is also a big believer in quality sonar units on the ice to see if the whitefish are around a certain area, and to work the jigs more efficiently when the fish are under him. “When they’re not actively feeding,” he adds, “they’ll go out and suspend in 10 to 15 feet off the bottom around the structures.”, Whyte starts the day with an untipped jigging lure. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. The first three tips aim to help you locate walleye. “They’re a vacuum fish.”, The best time to target whitefish is at first light, when they’re up on the structures and easier to find, Whyte says. Fully Guided Door County Ice Fishing Trips begin on the Shores of Green Bay. I am working my way through the species list and I have 4 left, the whitefish being one. When ice fishing, you will cast into the hole in the ice, rather than across a lake or stream. The electronics are also effective to understand if the whitefish are in an active or negative mood, as … This is very popular, especially for lake fishing. Big whitefish will still eat nymphs, but what really gets them going is the opportunity to grab a small baitfish. The best time to target whitefish is at first light, when they’re up on the structures and easier to find, Whyte says. 1. Start with your rod tip pointed down toward the hole, lift it up slowly, pause, then let your lure fall under controlled slack. These fish mainly live on the floor of rivers or lakes, spanning primarily across northern United States and Southern Canada. Start your jigging cadence by dropping the bait down and poofing the bottom. For that, he suspends a soft-plastic bait, such as a Berkley Gulp! Learn more... Whitefish are a family of fish including cod, haddock, and pollock, to name a few species. All lake trout lures match well with 8- to 10-pound monofilament or fluorocarbon. And keep up-to-date with Canada's fishing and hunting authority! This simple trick simulates a school of whitefish feeding and will sometimes whip a group of whities into a feeding frenzy. Rapidly pick up and drop the tip of your ice fishing rod to create a ruckus on the bottom. Weights are helpful when fishing for whitefish because they bring your bait to the bottom, where the whitefish eat. Some whitefish are found in the Pacific Ocean as well. They will be hanging around shallow areas of the lake close to drop-off areas and flats. Electric Ice Augers, Cusk and Lake Whitefish through the Ice The Electric Ice Auger After suffering a back injury, battling blizzards last December, I realized that if I wished to have any hope of continuing my passion for ice fishing, I needed to find a better way of hacking a hole through the ice. Sometimes Captain Jimmy and his team of Professional guides fish Egg Harbor or Sister Bay for Whitefish through the Ice. Rather than seeing through the water, you have to drill a hole through the ice and fish through the hole. to increase your coverage. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. By signing up for our newsletter, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Whether you are an experienced ice fisherman or just learning how to fish, whitefish are pretty easy to catch! A wireworm or fly worked slowly will therefore catch more fish than one that is jigged more aggressively. That’s how Colorado Ice Team Pro Bernie Keefe describes the best locations for finding lake trout. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. WATCH JOHN WHYTE’S WHITEFISH TIPS IN ACTION ON YOUTUBE. Research catch and release laws based on where you are fishing. Once you get a grasp on the basic understanding on how to locate the active fish you will be in for an enjoyable day of non-stop ice fishing action! If the fish are going, a limit of whites will be on the … Follow us on social media and keep up-to-date with Canada's fishing and hunting authority. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. The combination I use is a 30-inch, medium heavy action, Fenwick Aetos ice rod. All of those types of structure can hold zebra mussels, round gobies, crustaceans and aquatic insect hatches, making for a whitefish smorgasbord. You want the cloud to form about 1 foot (0.30 m) off the surface. This is how I target and catch whitefish on Lake Simcoe from 20fow to 120fow once the ice build up nicely over the lady Simcoe. A species best known for providing mid-summer action, cats also offer incredible mid-winter fishing. If I’m keen on trying to catch the biggest mountain whitefish in a river, I’ll change things up. Get on the lake at dark. The heavier rod lets you control the Meegs properly, maintain contact with the bottom, and ensure your presentation is on point.” Ontario ice fishing specialist Justin Girard says he relies on a Meegs Jig … {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7d\/Catch-Whitefish-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Catch-Whitefish-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7d\/Catch-Whitefish-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid9742435-v4-728px-Catch-Whitefish-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"