Author Topic: Lake Whitefish ?  (Read 5147 times)

Offline crawpie

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 249
Lake Whitefish ?
« on: Jan 17, 2013, 06:28 AM »
On the search for one of these for several seasons now.  Heard they live in only about 6 lakes in the state.  Winnipesaukee, Big Squam, Wentworth, Winnisquam, Silver, First Connecticut, and Francis Lakes. Has anyone ran into one this year? I have had guys tell me they caught a big one and end up showing me a picture of a fat fallfish.  Good fun, but not what I'm looking for.
The Quest continues

Offline Lakertaker101

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 66
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #1 on: Jan 17, 2013, 06:50 AM »
I've heard there in newfound lake.

Offline JRFlatlander

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 690
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #2 on: Jan 17, 2013, 08:38 AM »
 I caught one this fall in Wolfeboro bay drop shotting in 35fow for smallmouth, only one I have ever seen.  The fight was better than any smallies pound for pound.  When I set the hook after a couple of seconds I thought that I had a monster smallie.  The fish was close to 4 pounds my guess and over 19 inches.  I  lipped it just like a bass and one head shake and it when back in the dink, so no picture.  It was a very strong fish and ton of fun to fight. I went home and researched it and came up with it was a white fish. It was to big for a fall fish and they don't look the same.  I would love to find the in the winter and catch them on a jig pole, everything I read said they where good eating and a sought after  fish because of the fight. I guess they can be found deep in the winter, maybe deeper than most of us fish around here
[

Mama Says happiness is from magic rays of sunshine that come down when you're feeling blue.......

Offline blood tracker

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 150
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #3 on: Jan 17, 2013, 12:41 PM »
Have only caught one in my lifetime (so far) circa 1980 squam out by deephaven, used to visit with an old timer on winnie years ago, he fish exclusivly for shad but last i saw him he had not caught any for 6 yrs this would have been around 1990, he used to fish the small deep holes for them. good luck on your quest!

Offline Dispy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,852
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #4 on: Jan 17, 2013, 12:48 PM »
Have only caught one in my lifetime (so far) circa 1980 squam out by deephaven, used to visit with an old timer on winnie years ago, he fish exclusivly for shad but last i saw him he had not caught any for 6 yrs this would have been around 1990, he used to fish the small deep holes for them. good luck on your quest!
It seems as though many issues have contributed to the demise of our NH whitefish.....lake draw downs that leave spawn areas barren of spawned eggs and lake pollution are a few thinngs that come to mind. There are lake whitefish according to NH F&G studies dating back to the 1800's here on BIP. It is our hope to locate if any possible species. a sub-mission for this springs adventure... ;)

Another thought is that, it is a lost art of fishing for these delectable fish..see my recipe post for Whitefish Salad, caught on the big lake, Winnipesaukee, as early as 2006 ;)

Offline Dispy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,852
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #5 on: Jan 17, 2013, 12:54 PM »
Have a look at a nice Whitefish salad for those that are on a diet ::)i need to get on that diet myself, so don't feel alone

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=177656.20

Offline JoeGG

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 651
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #6 on: Jan 17, 2013, 02:43 PM »
Got a 19 inch one in ossipee about 5 years ago on a tip up. Biologist was shocked when I showed him the picture.

Offline 6wheels

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 344
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #7 on: Jan 17, 2013, 03:41 PM »

Caught the year before last in Big Squam in twelve feet of water on a small jig. I think the trick is to chum the hell out of an area. An old timer told me they would chum for a week solid before starting to fish for them. We were targeting perch and got the surprise. Twenty one inches long.

Offline cfinnegan

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 19
  • For love of the Irish
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #8 on: Jan 17, 2013, 03:46 PM »
They are in NewFound as well.

Offline BHardy

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 396
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #9 on: Jan 17, 2013, 03:50 PM »
Catch those all the time up on Allagash Lake, man those things are good eating!  Perfect flakey white meat.

Offline TheOutdoorsman

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,654
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #10 on: Jan 17, 2013, 03:53 PM »
Whitefish are such a blast!  I would be excited if I found whitefish here in NH. 

Here is a taste of what can be found in Maine.  There are some places in Maine where they are prolific, but they are not necessarily easy to find.  If you get on them though, they are usually not hard to catch!  I caught four of the whitefish, plus the togue (and other fish that were released) on that 2 lb jigging setup (I was under-gunned, but I persisted).  Those whitefish are phenomenal smoked...probably the best fish I've ever smoked.

"If firearms cause crimes and kill people, all of the ones I have must be defective."

Offline crawpie

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 249
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #11 on: Jan 17, 2013, 05:03 PM »
Awesome info - Thanks!  We have heard chumming is the way to go.  Last year we went to Newfound and tried chumming with worms and macaroni (don't ask).  We even had a camera set up and saw lakers come in and nose around, but no whitefish.  The tip we got was to fish a shallow sandy ridge only about 6 feet of water.  Could have been a red herring instead of a whitefish :P

I would love to find an ancestral population in BIP.  Big Squam would be good too.  I like the 12 feet of water on a jig.  The pics are great. 

We will report our attempt later this month. 
The Quest continues

Offline TheOutdoorsman

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,654
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #12 on: Jan 17, 2013, 06:08 PM »
  The tip we got was to fish a shallow sandy ridge only about 6 feet of water.  Could have been a red herring instead of a whitefish :P

I've caught whitefish in 3 different lakes in Maine.  In one of them, I caught the fish in 19 feet of water, but they were coming through suspended about 6 feet off of the bottom.  In another lake, I caught them in about 28 feet of water and they were anywhere from just under the ice to the bottom.  In the third lake, I caught them on the bottom in 90-110 feet of water. 

So I guess you could say that I'm having trouble coming up with a real pattern...at two of the lakes I was going on local and historical knowledge to help me approximate where whitefish might be.  The third one was just luck.
"If firearms cause crimes and kill people, all of the ones I have must be defective."

Offline stompa13i

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 498
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #13 on: Jan 17, 2013, 07:28 PM »
I'm assuming "lake whitefish" is the same as "round whitefish".  If so, state record whitefish came from Newfound in 2005.
TP

Offline TheOutdoorsman

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,654
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #14 on: Jan 17, 2013, 08:10 PM »
I'm assuming "lake whitefish" is the same as "round whitefish".  If so, state record whitefish came from Newfound in 2005.

No, they are different species. 
"If firearms cause crimes and kill people, all of the ones I have must be defective."

Offline stompa13i

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 498
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #15 on: Jan 17, 2013, 08:12 PM »
Really??  That sucks....that's another species I haven't caught then!!!!
TP

Offline TheOutdoorsman

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,654
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #16 on: Jan 17, 2013, 08:17 PM »
Really??  That sucks....that's another species I haven't caught then!!!!

Lake whitefish are the fish people typically target.  They get bigger than round whitefish.  Round whitefish are a very interesting fish though, I electrofished some up a few years back in the Adirondacks.  They really are "round".  They don't get as deep bodied as lake whitefish, and their body shape is very cylindrical.
"If firearms cause crimes and kill people, all of the ones I have must be defective."

Offline crawpie

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 249
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #17 on: Jan 17, 2013, 09:29 PM »
It wasn't on the ice, but I caught a round whitefish in Colebrook in 2011.  One of the coolest fish I have caught on hook and line.







Lake whitefish I think has a different snout and mouth.  Thanks again for the info. Gonna try for one soon.  :)
The Quest continues

Offline TheOutdoorsman

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,654
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #18 on: Jan 17, 2013, 09:37 PM »
Lake whitefish I think has a different snout and mouth.  Thanks again for the info. Gonna try for one soon.  :)

Beautiful fish!

If you ever get the chance, take a trip to Maine to target whitefish.  Send me a pm and I could send you in the right direction.  There are some great fisheries for them there, and sort of like down this way I think whitefishermen are a dying breed (although there are a few of us!).
"If firearms cause crimes and kill people, all of the ones I have must be defective."

Offline nixstyx

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 476
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #19 on: Jan 17, 2013, 09:57 PM »
I was trolling for brookies in the early summer one year in Maine and kept catching whitefish. I thought they were just huge suckers at first, but then I looked a little closer. Unfortunately, that lake is closed to ice fishing.

Offline potatomansoup

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 622
  • Follow the code of the Fish Nerds...
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #20 on: Jan 18, 2013, 09:47 AM »
Hey Dave
I am fishing sliver targeting whites for the probably 50th time on Thursday. I plan to chum with Gefilte fish all week....
For free fishy fun, check out the Fish Nerds Podcast on iTunes or Stitcher

Offline Oddfish

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,050
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #21 on: Jan 18, 2013, 09:54 AM »
Hey Dave
I am fishing sliver targeting whites for the probably 50th time on Thursday. I plan to chum with Gefilte fish all week....

Thurday the 24th?

Oddfish
stick around something odd will come out soon.

Offline potatomansoup

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 622
  • Follow the code of the Fish Nerds...
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #22 on: Jan 18, 2013, 11:39 AM »
Yup from around 3 til dark...
For free fishy fun, check out the Fish Nerds Podcast on iTunes or Stitcher

Offline crawpie

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 249
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #23 on: Jan 18, 2013, 01:42 PM »
I want to go, but the short week next week will make it tough to get an afternoon off of work.  I will plan to go the following Thursday though.  Chum like crazy.
The Quest continues

Offline whitewing

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 836
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #24 on: Jan 18, 2013, 02:25 PM »
I understand the "work" thing. But in the words of the immortal Rancid Crabtree - "If you ain't fishing you're frittering your life away."

Offline lawnguyjack

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 299
  • Masshole
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #25 on: Jan 18, 2013, 06:09 PM »
This is a really interesting thread, now I have something else on my list!  :)
Newfound (Circus)

Offline g dawg

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 22
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #26 on: Jan 20, 2013, 07:32 AM »
well i 'I've talked to fish and game only because i had a friend catch one a few years back and was told there were no more in Winnie or squam and that he had been a fish and game officer for 20 years and it was only the 2nd time he had seen one and it was amazing to see this one out of squam my friend was using a green and yellow buck tail jigging right on the bottom and caught this it was about 4lbs and 23 inches long if you do find a place to catch them please e-mail me back great eating fish good luck

Offline g dawg

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 22
Re: Lake Whitefish ?
« Reply #27 on: Jan 20, 2013, 07:33 AM »
well i 'I've talked to fish and game only because i had a friend catch one a few years back and was told there were no more in Winnie or squam and that he had been a fish and game officer for 20 years and it was only the 2nd time he had seen one and it was amazing to see this one out of squam my friend was using a green and yellow buck tail jigging right on the bottom and caught this it was about 4lbs and 23 inches long if you do find a place to catch them please e-mail me back great eating fish good luck

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Privacypolicy | Sponsor
© 1996- Iceshanty.com
All Rights Reserved.