all whitefish fishing advice please!

[alaskanman]

i've never caught whitefish through the ice here in southwest alaska and we have some pretty big whitefish that are caught in the summer but don't know of anyone who has caught one through the ice.  we have a lot of pike, dolly varden/arctic char and some rainbows and grayling in the lakes here.  please, all you master whitefish fisherman, post all your methods and advice!  thanks in advance.

[Neptune]

First off, What species of Whitefish do you have?  Lake Superior, Mountain, or Pigmy?

[Whitefish Slayer]

if they are big like he refered to them as, then they must be the LAKE Whities

[alaskanman]

we have the big humpback whites and the smaller ones.

[Neptune]

There are a bunch of different ways people fish for Lake Superiors.  Here in Montana, the most common way is jigging just off the bottom with a lead head and twister tail or Mini-Power tube/craw(in Chartruese to Dark Green) and maybe a couple maggots for taste. 

There are other jigs that work really well in the summer time that no one seems to use in the Winter.  Rattle Snakeys in 1/8oz to 1/2oz size in Green, Chartruese, and Yellow/Gold.  Jig right off the bottom where you are marking fish.  Sometimes the suttle jig works and other times its when you are moving it all over...

I think fishing for Whiteys is just like any other type of fishing....go with what works NOW!  Be willing to try a bunch of different colors and presentations.

[Grimace]

Sometimes dead sticking works as well with smaller minnows just a hair above bottom.

[Neptune]

Having a light weight or very active tip on your rod is helpful also.  They tend to have a very soft bite.

If you think it might be a bite, set the hook.  Braided lines work good for them also, you get better feel...


Good Fishing

[Marlin07]

Here in Alberta we use wire worms, or wetaskiwin specails with good results. I usually find them in shallow at first and last ice and out deep in the middle of the season. Hope this helps

[enternamehere]

wire worms work for me, very slight jigging and a lot of being completely still ;p

[mark_edmonton]

where would you suggest around edmonton within short drive to catch whites this weekend, I'm taking my son out for christmas.  Any advise would be appreciated. Whites and pike would be great fun!

Mark

[Marlin07]

Gull lake for sure! Pike on a tip up, while working on the whites. You most likely will get a bonus perch or two in the process, good luck!

[oleike]

where would you suggest around edmonton within short drive to catch whites this weekend, I'm taking my son out for christmas.  Any advise would be appreciated. Whites and pike would be great fun!

Mark

pigeon lk.