Landing Whitefish

[oldfisher68]

I have no problem catching whitefish, until the top of the hole. Those buggers are slippery. I made a gaff with a large treble, but it is still nearly impossible to gaff. Is their an easier way to get them out of the hole, before they get off and head back down?
Thanks

[Gillgrabber]

I saw a show on TV where they were using those tongs designed for retrieving items just out of reach on an upper shelf.  I was wandering through Menards yesterday and saw them on sale for something like $5.  I almost bought one.  I think I'll go back today and try one. 

[dwc67]

don't try to gaff it and lift it out

try to get the gaff hook slipped under the gill plate and slide the fish out,

[GCD]

Play them longer under the ice until they're good and tired, they'll be more managable when you get them to the hole.

The grabber thing sounds like a good idea too.

[Capt.Dana]

I'm just curious! What are whitefish?

[Eaglecrg]

An Army Captain perhaps?

[Drifter_016]

An Army Captain perhaps?

Fire Captain?


As for the answer to the OP's I just haul them out of the water with the line.

[Nutsicles]

I have no problem catching whitefish, until the top of the hole. Those buggers are slippery. I made a gaff with a large treble, but it is still nearly impossible to gaff. Is their an easier way to get them out of the hole, before they get off and head back down?
Thanks

http://www.thefishelevator.com/

Try this. You could probably make one out of an old ice scoop.

[Capt.Dana]

I live in Northeastern Massachusetts. I have not caught any of these fish in my area. I have caught them in New Hampshire and Maine in the past but no one that I every asked knew what the name of these fish was. I allways called them "white fish". That is why I asked.

I am not a real licesced boat captian. A few of my friends call me "Capt. Dana" However I do own two boats and spend most of my time thirty to forty miles off of Cape Ann fishing for haddock, cod and bluefin tuna. I also own http://www.riverstreetbaitandtackle.com/ and Sponsor the Mass board for Ice Shanty and My Fishfinder.

Thanks for the link.
Dana...

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_18958-45680--,00.html

I'm kinda curious as to what kind of a Captain wouldn't know what a whitefish is?

[toadly]

I use my ladle to help the fish out of the hole. When you get the fish to the hole
grab your ladle (scooper) and ease it in the hole around and under the fish and just lift. The fish pops right out.I use this for large trout that are heavier than the line I am using.

[Woodsman]

We gaff them under the gill plate.
For Capt. Dana
These are whitefish,

[wirenut45]

We gaff them under the gill plate.
For Capt. Dana
These are whitefish,
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

are they edible?

[GCD]

are they edible?

Yes!

Click on the link in my previous post.

[oldfisher68]

Thanks, I'll try the idea's.
Lake Whitefish are my favorite fish to eat.
We steak them and then put them into a pot of boiling water for
about ten minutes. We then peel and eat, after putting melted
butter on them.

[Woodsman]

are they edible?

Excellent table fare.
Fried, poached in white wine or smoked.
IMO the best smoked fish there is.
When cleaning just make sure to remove the meat/fat (brown coloured) from the lateral line.

[fishin machine]

We gaff them under the gill plate.
For Capt. Dana
These are whitefish,
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

\
And some damn nice ones at that.
I don't ice fish for them, but I do real well in the fall for them on a Lake Michigan pier.
As far as eating goes, pan fried or smoked is the way I go with mine.

[The Beachcomber]

You can smoke em and they are a delicacy

Also I think berkley makes tongs for pulling fish out of the water, you just grab them by the mought an lift up, I think they have rubber on them as to not hurt the fish.  Whiteys have small mouths so it may be dificult!

[Idahogator]

This is probably an ankle breaker, but a shallow chute the width of the hole, about 4" below the water level, tapered out from the hole to the surface of the ice.

Big danger if stepped in.

It sure gives you a head start on icing a keeper.

[QuickFlip 2]

I went to a larger hook size, 8-10, and would get a better hook set into the lip. Lost very few with the larger hook.

[Yukoner]

If you are using bait, try a light wire 1/0 or 2/0 circle hook.  They really work!

Also, when you get the fish into the hole, try to slide it out sideways onto the ice, rather than lifting it up and out.

Ted

[Capt.Dana]

Hey Woodsman, nice catch! The biggest ones I ever caught in Maine was about 14-18". We were teenagers back then and cooked them in a pan with flour, salt, pepper and butter. They were good.

[Woodsman]

Lake Simcoe tends to yield some nice ones.
Hoping to get up there on Sunday. If I do & have any luck a report will follow.

[Capt.Dana]

So I didn't know what a white fish was, do you guys know what kind of fish this is?

[Segrat1]

Easy one. Its an "UGLY FISH".

[Drifter_016]

Easy one. Its an "UGLY FISH".

Actually it's a "BFU Fish" (Butt Freakin' Ugly Fish)   

[Nutsicles]

I've seen them on discovery channel or something. Can't remember what they're called.

[toadly]

Its called a Sun Fish. Eats Jelly fish.

[Capt.Dana]

Its called a Sun Fish. Eats Jelly fish.

X gets the square! Good job toadly. Its a Mola or ocean sunfish. This one was a little beat up.

Here is a short video clip.

http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/gg197/haywardjbiteme/?action=view&current=069.mp4

[sbooy42]

We catch em in the 20" range and were using a gaff until someone suggested drilling 3 holes close together and chipping away the rest to make one big hole... Worked great. No more gaff, we were just grab'n them with no problem. The suggester said that he has even used a small trout net to land them...

[oldfisher68]

I tried a large metal ice scoop, but the end of it would build up with ice. I was out last week and after catching some Whities, I decided to take a walk and stretch my legs. Another older gent, like me was fishing and catching Whities. While we were exchanging stories, he was hooked to a nice fish, so I watched. He pulled out a cooking tongs, that had the paddle ends with screws in them. He grabbed the fish and took it out with no problem. I went to Walmart and bought a tongs in the cooking utensil department. I drilled a few holes in the paddle ends and put some half inch self-tappers in. Works slicker than snot on a door handle.