Artic Charr

[addicted2fishin]

Anybody target artic charr threw the ice? What DOW do you usually find them and what will they eat? I caught one by accident last year threw the ice and had no idea what the heck it was untill now. Also just found out they stocked the res. i caught him in with 4,000 more a couple years back and no one around here hardly fishes it. Excited to see if i can catch em on purpose this time.
Thanks

[FrozenFinSeeker]

Not really sure where you are but up here in Alaska we have them in a lot of lakes. They are stocked and (I think) natural. I have asked the same question on the alaska forum (Topic: Baits?) and this is the best response I have recieved by far. Hope it helps.

Well I almost never run tipups when ice fishing for char, rainbows, and lakers. I always have much better luck jigging with two different baits and two different rods. I have exculsivly switched over to ice fishing with spring bobbers as my strike indicator. Lakers and Char are by far the lightest bighting fish on the ice fishing scene. Since I made the switch to sensitive spring bobbers I have increased my catch trifold. My number one go to lure for char and laketrout is an inch and a half long WHITE sweedish pimple with half a herring on a size 2 single hook. If it is the head of the herring, i make the head point to the bottom of the lake. If it is the tail, I hook it so the tail fin is closest to the bottom of the lake.  Presentation is very important for char and laketrout. Just because your ice fishing does not mean they will just eat whatever smells like fish! Deadsticking a chunk of herring works really well for me, it works better than deadsticking a whole herring almost every time. I just use about an inch piece and completly hide the hook and leave it about half inch off the bottom with a tiny little weight. I fish drop offs the come up to about 20 feet and no deeper. I like to use clear 6lb line if i dont think ill get into lakers or char over 20 lbs. I will bump up to power pro 30lb test and have a flourocarbon 15lb leader if I am fishing for giants. Herring is by far my go to bait when it comes to those two fish. Other than that I like to use 5" white mister twisters soaked in uncured salmon eggs. I just throw the mister twisters in the ziplock bags after unthawing them and throw them in the cooler and hit the road. Shrimp seems to work pretty well for rainbows and smaller char, but I have never caught a big char on small chunks of shrimp. All my big char have come off of whitefish tipped spoons, herring chunks, or a sweedish pimple tipped with herring.

I always bring a little pint size ziplock of eggs with me too and jig with a forage minnow and eggs. That seems to work for most things if herring does not work. The way I set up is I drill two holes about three feet apart and slowly jig one and watch the other rod. I think the fish see both the  baits and it really helps intice them to take a smack. A lot of the times I will have a strike on the one I am jigging then my other rod will try to take off to the hole haha. I catch a lot of lakers on the rod I am not jigging. If I deadstick both though I dont get half the strikes.

Oh and one tip that will really help you out. Dont use a camera or shine lights down a hole when fishing for char, lakers, burbot. They are very shy when it comes to my aqua view camera when the lights are on. Other than that, choose a location where there is fish! Have someone take you out and have them show you the ropes. i would like to but I just had knee surgery and its going to be tough for me to get out before I head back to college.

I can definatly agree with the very light bites. All the Char I have caught were extremely light mouthed. Invest in a spring bobber or light weight rods (unless you are after the lunkers).

Lastly I would like to point out that they are VERY good eating. I cook them up like a brook trout or rainbow (depending on size).

Hope your "targeting" goes well!


Tips down, flags up!

[addicted2fishin]

Sweet thanks frozen  for that post ill keep you updated i'm hopefully going out tomm morning before work maybe i can get into some. I know for a fact the kokenees will be in there real tight so maybe if i can get threw that thicket an land a char. An maybe ill try to find a drop off around that same area where i can catch some fish that are alittle bit bigger but we will see how fast i limit on salmon first

[addicted2fishin]

K we got out on the ice this morning and slayed some kokennee salmon i caught 4 before my friend got his hole in the ice  he was pissed! rofl But we did try a few things different to target those sly charrs but was reluctant to get any. We did limit out of salmon though    I will hopefully try next time some deeper water in hopes to get away from the swarming salmon. Next time i will hopefully post some pictures of this

[Akhardwater]

Start using heavier jigs to get through the salmon.  3/4 to 1oz. tube jigs and chartruse foxy jigs in the 3/4oz size work real well.  I'd still fish over the salmon because the bigger char will hang out underneath and pick off the weaker salmon.  The bigger fish I've caught useally hit pretty hard and they are real aggressive.  They are almost as aggressive as a lake trout.  Don't be afraid to try bigger baits.  Spoons useally work real well

[kasilofchrisn]

Raw shrimp makes a good bait. I caught a real nice one on an orage Airplane jig a couple of years ago.
For smaller char I like swedish pimples or slender spoons. Berkley Atomic teasers have been good as well white with yellow teaser. I have also had luck on a jigging rapala.
My biggest was only in the 4# range but put up a good fight. And what a beautiful fish with the orange fins and all.