whitefish fishin for 1st time

[Hardcharger07]

Live near wrightstown, asylum bay has been awful tough for me lately and want to try something different. Never have been out on the bay before, have wanted to give whitefish a try last couple of years just never got around to it. Have wheeler and my portable. Thinking of going out from bay shore park.

Guess I am looking for any advice on depth, baits/techniques etc....  (and any cautions on safety!!)
Thanks ahead of time and tightlines.

[haydo601]

10-15fow gold Swedish pimple/do jigger tipped with waxies. Jig off bottom even hitting bottom a time or two! Ice is plenty safe around bayshore for wheeler

[Hardcharger07]

thanks haydo

[haydo601]

You bet! Plenty of fish in the lake haha and I doubt my tips are nothing special.

[Hardcharger07]

just a nudge in the right direction is all I need my friend!   tightlines and be safe.

[Laker 11]

check out Lake link for latest reports and how to jig

http://www.lake-link.com/Wisconsin-Fishing-Reports/report.cfm/33360/Bay-Shore-Park-Dyckesville-Brown-County/

[Hardcharger07]

Thanks laker

[Walleye_Slayer]

I have fished them further north about 5 mile out.. A spot that sees no pressure at all.. We had a limit in a couple hours.. Smallest one was 20".. The size of them was ridiculous. Much bigger than the guides out of sturgeon bay are reporting. All we used was a 1/8 oz unpainted jig head with a tail hooked fathead set right on the bottom.. W had slip bobbers set so they were about 6" below the ice.. When the fish takes the minnow the bobber floats up.. It was so clear we could see the plain lead jig 26 feet down on the bottom

[littlesturgeonguy]

A lot of people like to use a whitefish rig which consists of jig of choice, most common a small jiggin rap or small sweedish pimple and 12-18" up from that a small swivel, above the swivel a small hook or ice jig threaded onto the main line so it can just slide up and down the line as you jig. Some days they are aggressive and other days very finicky. Just have to experiment. Pounding bottom usually works pretty good for me.

[dirtmaster88]

I'm from De Pere myself and was looking to try the bay for my first time as well. How far out do you need to go from bay shore park? This is my first year getting into the sport and have been looking for places nearby without having to drag my sled 2 miles on the ice.

Have you made it out there yet hardcharger07? If so, curious to hear how it went!

[Laker 11]

You don't go far off shore but there's a large hill to navigate to get down to the water. No problem with a 4 wheeler or snowmobile, pretty tough walking back up. 

[eriksat1]

How do you cook / eat those things? I caught one last year filleted it as normal, but it was so full of bones I couldn't eat it.

[Walleye_Slayer]

How do you cook / eat those things? I caught one last year filleted it as normal, but it was so full of bones I couldn't eat it.

For this reason I don't care to fish for them.. There is a way to clean them to get the bones out but it's a pita.. Then on top of that I think they don't taste good.. Only way I'd consider eating them again is smoked..I heard that broiled whitefish is really good too.. But I'd much rather catch walleyes and eat walleyes

[eriksat1]

They look like fun to catch. I have a lake near by that has them, and it appears they bite good mid-day. I also started a thread in the general forum and show some YouTube videos that show good ways to clean them. Yes a little more work.

[littlesturgeonguy]

I would not even consider going out from Bayshore without an atv or snowmobile. They are all over they bay. There are easier places to access if you plan on walking out.

[Hardcharger07]

made it out 4 times now. first time off bayshore was last week in the deep freeze, just managed one. then on Thursday went out with wife from dykesville, nada. Friday went out with brother and caught 12 from bayshore. (definitely need a 4 wheeler with that hill, and mine is running!!) went out again sunday and we managed 6.  fished a slider fiska with a chakai on the bottom with waxies. tried flutter spoons with stingers and only got one on that.  need MORE practice on cleaning them that's for sure. (dang pin bones) the six we caught yesterday we smoked whole, very tasty.  gonna try fryin some and grilln some. think gonna switch gears to bago eyes now..... (scratched that itch) tightlines and be safe out there.

[boder]

The pin bones are a pain. You can either cut them out or get a tool specially made for pulling pin bones. seen it on a cooking show but dont remember the specifics on them. only way i have cooked them was boiling them in a brine with onions and potatos just like they do at all the door county places.

[fisheyefool]

is there any good spots (access) north west of sturgeon bay, like by Oconto that produces well? I live in Escanaba and don't want to drive all the way to sturgeon bay area.