Whites Spawning?

[Levy]

Anyone know when the whites are roughly done spawning? I have seen them in the cold river in mid october, but last last winter i was fishing in early december for perch and was catching whites that had stomachs full of eggs. Were they cannibalizing their own roe while spawning or just eating eggs that had failed to hatch? Spawning kind of seems pointless if your just going to eat your eggs before they hatch.

[0liver]

You sure it was there stomachs full of eggs? or was it just that these fish were full of eggs pre-spawn. 'usually' whitefish spawn under early ice, sometimes they will go late fall but most will wait for the temp to drop sufficiently.

Mind you, most fish will cannibalize at least a few of there own eggs, especially if its there first time spawning, and even if its not there first time, they will be able to tell which eggs are dead or have defects and will eat those eggs and save the live ones.

[Gust]

December 15th it slows down a fair chunk but due to this 1 month behind phenomena with the weather, slow down may happen a couple weeks later.

[Levy]

yah im sure it was the stomach, they had shrimp in there with them. I didn't see any eggs in the abdominal cavity. I had always thought they spawned earlier in the fall so... i guess i won't keep em in December anymore. let the buggers reproduce. Thanks for the info.

[AK47]

i guess i won't keep em in December anymore. let the buggers reproduce. Thanks for the info.

You keeping even a limit a week will not do anything to whitefish population. Check how much whitefish comercial fishermen pull from Macgregor lake every year for example and then you might feel different.

[pickrel pat]

depending on the lake, there can be up to a 2 month differance when they spawn.

[hit1987]

You keeping even a limit a week will not do anything to whitefish population. Check how much whitefish comercial fishermen pull from Macgregor lake every year for example and then you might feel different.
Any one knows the harvest of commercial fishing at Mcgregor this year? Thanks

[Guitarplayingfish]

I looked at the harvest sheet earlier this month... it's bs, but I can probably go sneak another peak in the next few days or so.

[chubbdarter]

SRD believes without a commercial fishery the LWF population would be out of control

[Xiph0id]

SRD believes without a commercial fishery the LWF population would be out of control

What happened before we commercially fished these lakes?

[hit1987]

I looked at the harvest sheet earlier this month... it's bs, but I can probably go sneak another peak in the next few days or so.

Can you please post the link? I would like to know. I start open-water lake whitefish fishing this year. Heard that it's getting tougher to hook them at Mcgregor. The north dam used to very popular place for whitefish, but this year very few fishermen tried there as far as I know. In my opinion, open-water lake whitefish fishing is quite challenge, wire worm under slip bobber, whitefish spit out the wire worm in a fraction of second. Sometimes, cast very far, 150+ feet, hard to see the bobber, even harder to detect a bite. Also the soft lip adds another layer of challenges.
Most fishermen may not after whitefish, but I tried 5-weight fly rod on lake whitefish this year, I am quite happy with the fighting. Not bad at all comparing hooking into 18" brown trout on the Bow River.

[chubbdarter]

What happened before we commercially fished these lakes?

Its been along time since i sat at that meeting...if memory serves me correct. many of the lakes were actually stocked for commercial fishing. The intent of the stocking never was for sport anglers

[Guitarplayingfish]

Can you please post the link? I would like to know. I start open-water lake whitefish fishing this year. Heard that it's getting tougher to hook them at Mcgregor. The north dam used to very popular place for whitefish, but this year very few fishermen tried there as far as I know. In my opinion, open-water lake whitefish fishing is quite challenge, wire worm under slip bobber, whitefish spit out the wire worm in a fraction of second. Sometimes, cast very far, 150+ feet, hard to see the bobber, even harder to detect a bite. Also the soft lip adds another layer of challenges.
Most fishermen may not after whitefish, but I tried 5-weight fly rod on lake whitefish this year, I am quite happy with the fighting. Not bad at all comparing hooking into 18" brown trout on the Bow River.

I don't have a link as I saw the list at work on my boss's desk. I will go take a look next time I get a chance. I can't believe even some of the small reservoirs are netted for whites... They literally net every reservoir around for whites