Author Topic: Whitefish At Night?  (Read 9446 times)

Offline PikeSticker

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Whitefish At Night?
« on: Jan 08, 2012, 03:51 AM »
I was under the assumption that whitefish fishing was a daytime event. But after watching Michigan Out Of Doors on our PBS station this afternoon it appears there is night fishing for whiteys too. They were fishing along a tall jetty at a river mouth (can't recall river name) in late November to first week of December when apparently the fish were in their spawning phase and moving through the area in huge numbers. Of course this was open water fishing and they were mainly using swedish pimples, snagging/releasing half the fish and half caught in the mouth.

I've made it one of my QUESTS for this winter - to crack the Alaska Whitefish Code where I can reproduce relatively consistent success on each outing when targeting this species in a few of our largest lakes where they reside. Very few anglers try for them. And since the only whitefish I've caught have been open water fish in the river, I've got a daunting challenge to figure out the hardwater tactics and tracking down where they are hanging out in good numbers. These lakes range to depths of 600 feet each. Sometimes gradual bottom contours but also spots nearly straight up and down along the mountainside areas. Salmon spawn in all these lakes during late summer, fall and to mid winter so salmon eggs ARE available as a food source near the river outlets. But I'm not so sure these areas would be the best locations. Those areas are relatively shallow, 5 to 40 feet max. 

We can't use live fish bait in Alaska. So bait such as salmon roe, shrimp, single eggs, cheese, nightcrawlers, powerbait, and other types of bait can be used as well as any artificials. And we can also chum.

I've got two camera systems I can use for my scouting. One is a 50 foot Aqua Vu and the other is industrial strength I can go as deep as 250 feet. It would seem with the reluctance of whitefish to bite, compared to the number you see on Youtube videos swimming all around the angler's jig with no interest at all, that using my cameras might at least help LOCATE these critters with visual indentification. That would be half the battle.

Since my schedule is wide open I can fish anytime, 24 hours a day. Whatever is going to produce. So I'm curious about this night fishing thing since I occasionally fish for lakers at night and lake trout are also present in these lakes.  Can anyone provide any details on the methods and techniques used?  Specifically is any light used on the ice (or in the water) while fishing or is everything done in the dark? Are the same jigs and baits used at night as during day fishing? I've got many sources of illumination so lighting up the area is no problem if that is what works.
~~~ Keep your powder dry and your nose to the wind~!  Even a stopped clock is right twice a day~!

Offline fishermanjake

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Re: Whitefish At Night?
« Reply #1 on: Nov 10, 2012, 03:25 AM »
Hey pike sticker, I caught a whitefish in skilac once on salmon roe, check out my post about the Tanana in the Alaska board. I had some consistent success there this year and some nice Burbot and Greyling to boot.

Offline Drifter_016

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Re: Whitefish At Night?
« Reply #2 on: Nov 10, 2012, 11:13 AM »
Post you question on the AK board.
I gave some of the guys there info on catching whities and they have now figured it out and catch consistently.
Can't remember who exactly but I think it was Akhardwater and Akdube.
They are sight fishing in shallow water with these:


Offline shenokwa

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Re: Whitefish At Night?
« Reply #3 on: Dec 16, 2012, 04:38 PM »
Do you tip those with bait?

Offline Drifter_016

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Re: Whitefish At Night?
« Reply #4 on: Dec 16, 2012, 09:10 PM »
Don't need to but you could tip them with a spike if you wanted.

 



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