Targeting Summer Whitefish
As we evolve as anglers, many of us expand our horizons to include different species in our fishing efforts. When you combine that with the evolution of electronics, that include live imaging, the limitations are reduced.
Over the years I have caught quite a few whitefish during the open water season. I did one television episode with Ken Kansas up in the Porcupine Mountains. North Steeprock Lake had a mega population of jumbo whitefish.
It was a cold early June day when we went out, but we managed to make the best of it. I started out by searching shoreline points and drop-offs. Then I moved to shallower sand flats with the cold-water temperatures allowing the whitefish to roam multiple depths.
While I could mark the deeper whitefish as long streaks, you would never have to a chance to mark the shallower fish. That game has changed now with forward live imaging. Nevertheless, we did the best we could by making long casts with small jigs rigged with one inch Berkley Power Grubs.
WELLESLEY LAKE WHITEFISH ON A FLY ROD
None was as spectacular as Kluane Wilderness Lodge on Wellelsey Lake in the Yukon. I had flown up to do a lake trout and pike show for The Complete Angler t.v. series but I quickly added whitefish to the list. The main lodge was located in front of a huge sand flat that had scattered weed growth. This was the perfect hunting grounds for the jumbo lake whitefish that existed there. I had brought along my fly rods and I quickly got one rigged up with a small nymph imitation. In the next four hours we caught a number of these fish both from the dock and out of a boat. It is still remains one of my fishing highlights.
CORRECT TACKLE A KEY
Whitefish have an extremely small mouth and are hard to hook. It is important to feel the weight of the fish before setting the hook. A longer medium light action rod will also help with your success ratio, allowing a bit of shock absorption during the fight.
Whitefish pull extremely hard and are a great gamefish. We are also blessed with many great lakes full of them in this part of the world. One of the best is Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park. It has become a popular hard water destination but not so much during open water. Many of the anglers just concentrate on the huge pike that feast on the whitefish and a decent population of walleye.
SUMMER WHITEFISH LOCATION
With summer upon us, whitefish will head to deeper water and school up. This makes the need for good electronics a must. Before you start fishing, use your electronics to mark pods of fish. When you do, lay down some waypoints so you can come back and fish the most productive water.
You should start your search next to the main lake basin. Since whitefish are a cold-water species, they prefer being close to the biggest supply of the coldest water. Look for the fish relating to the rim of this basin. This includes main lake points, sunken islands, and other structure in the 30-to-70-foot range.
FISH ACTIVE FISH
I have spent many hours targeting whitefish through the ice and have learned that the most active fish are up in the water column. You will catch way more fish in the 30-foot range than the deeper ones. It does help to have a calm day when trying to trigger bites. Why you ask? It’s because you can watch your presentation, just like you would ice fishing by dropping through fish or jigging just above them.
LURES TO USE
When open water fishing use a lure that will get down quickly to the fish. This could include a Jigging Rapala or my favourite, the Shiver Minnow. The Rapala Flat Jig is a good option because of its dense makeup. You can fish a smaller size and still get down to the fish quickly. For spoons, I like a Mepps Syclops and a Swedish pimple. I always use a Blue Fox® Lil’Foxee Jigging Minnow during the winter. I am sure this will work just as well in the open water since it is dense and compact to get down to the fish in a hurry.
As I mentioned earlier a medium soft action rod is best. You want a soft tip but a decent butt section for good deep-water hooks set. Use a spinning reel with good line capacity, spooled with 10-pound braid. Tie on an in-line swivel with 6-pound fluorocarbon and you are set to go.
TAKE SOME HOME TO EAT!
Whitefish are one of the best eating fish in the world. With the cold clear water that we are fishing, their flesh is firm and delicious. When cleaning, make sure you take the fillets off over the backbone. This will get you the most meat and a one-piece fillet. It also pays to take the red meat off the lateral line, which extends down the middle of the fillet.
EASY TO PREPARE
Simple recipes and ingredients are best with this delicate flavoured fish. They can be fried or baked but here is one simple recipe that I like.
Preheat oven to 425°. Place fish on a greased baking dish and add a sprinkle of pepper. Meantime beat an egg white with salt until stiff peaks form. Fold in a 1/4 cup of mayo, a sprinkle of dill and onion, then spoon over fish. Bake, uncovered, until topping is puffed and fish flakes easily with a fork, 15-20 minutes. Garnish with more dill and lemon if desired.
SUMMARY
Whitefish are one of the most underutilized sport fish in this part of the world. They not only exist in cold, clear lakes, but many of our rivers and reservoirs that have good water quality. They will bite a lure when coerced into it and they pull hard on the end of the line. I have even caught them on a fly rod in the spring of the year in shallow water much like bone fish.
That is because lake whitefish eat crustaceans, snails, insects, and other small aquatic organisms. Many times during an insect hatch have I seen them dimpling on the surface.
When that happens, you will find walleye and big pike moving in to feed on them.