Whitefish - The Mainstay Of Winter Anglers

      Whitefish are a very popular fish with winter ice fishing enthusiasts. They range in size from one to almost fifteen pounds on some lakes. Lake Simcoe, just an hour's drive north of Toronto has produced whiteys over twelve pounds. Easy to catch, they are a favorite of fishermen. Winter fishing for these soft biting beauties is a treat. Look for a spot in fairly deep water, seventy to eighty five feet to start and drill your first hole.

JIGGING

Jigging with spoons is a very productive method of fishing whiteys. The Williams half-and-half (silver and gold) spoon has been popular for years; the junior model often works best. Let the line out until the spoon is resting on bottom and take up the slack. Jig the spoon up and down in a smooth motion, letting the spoon just touch bottom on the down stroke. Lift sharply on the line and then drop your hand to let the spoon fall freely back to bottom. Whitefish will take the spoon on the drop as it is fluttering down. As you begin to lift sharply again you will feel the sudden weight of the fish on the line. They can hit a spoon pretty hard and I suggest you take care not to allow the line to be pulled from your grasp. Whitefish look a lot like lake herring, (Cisco) but have a thick top lip. This is the place you want your hook to be on the set, as it will hold quite securely as you pull the whitefish, fighting with all its might from the deep water to the floor of the fish hut.

MINNOWS

Another method of fishing for whitefish is to use a spreader with live minnows on the hooks. Spreaders are as they are called, a weight in the center with two or three wires protruding from the center towards the hooks. Spreading the hooks to a uniform area. (These do not work well through an auger hole, as they will catch the ice as you try to bring the fish into the center of the hole) Place the hook through the minnow by pulling the point of the hook up from behind the anal fin through the tail section with the point facing the tail. This will allow the minnow to swim freely and will keep it alive for a long time. As the whitefish bites the minnow from the front the hook will be in a position to enter the strong upper lip. Whitefish will usually suck the minnow up into its mouth causing the tip up to rise up. At this time you grab the stick and gently set the hook. We are allowed four hooks on a single line on Lake Simcoe, so if we are using a three-way spreader we will attach a fourth hook about one foot above the spreader and this will often catch any lake trout that pass by.

CHUMMING

Chum the hole for whitefish by pinching the minnows that have died in the bait bucket, or just pinch the live ones. Make sure the swim bladder is broken so the minnows will sink to the bottom. Larger minnows can be cut into two or three pieces and dropped down the hole. These act as calling cards for the fish and reflect light off the bottom, attracting whitefish and lake trout. Sometimes after doing this you will get hits on your stick, slapping it down but with no fish felt when you lift it. The fish hitting the line in the water with their heads or possibly their tails as they swim by picking the dead bait off bottom causes this.

Another method is one we call "crazy minnows". Place several live minnows in a container such as a cup with water. Now place your hand over the top of the cup and shake vigorously for a few seconds and then dump the contents down the hole. This method makes the minnows disoriented and they will usually go straight to the bottom where they will stay, attracting fish until they have all been eaten. This is the time that the lines will usually start to jump and the fishing will be right up there. It is not unusual for two people to have a fish on at the same time, making for some very exciting fun.

If you are considering fishing for whitefish this winter, be sure to keep Lake Simcoe, Ont. In mind for some great whitefish action.