lake whitefish desperation!

[dfishman]

Hey guys, so, I am not looking for anybody's secret spots or anything.. But I am looking for some tips if someone would be so inclined to share.
I just started ice fishing again this year after a couple years of not getting out and much like the last few times I tried, I cannot for the life of me provoke any interest from a white, let alone catch one.
I have tried wire worms (baited and not), I have tried jigging kastmasters and I have tried wetaskiwin specials a couple of times as well. I always run a light mono or fluorocarbon too (4-8# depending where I am at. I have a couple of spots I go to where I can see whites anytime I run my camera, but that is the only reason I know there are whites around. Because if I don't run my camera, I don't see them, as in I'm not getting their interest enough to even see them in my hole. I have generally found them in 4-8' of water where I go.
Anyway I'm beginning to think I am cursed, but chances are I'm probably just doing something(s) wrong. I have read that they can be camera shy, so I often don't run my camera if I try for them. But as mentioned earlier, then I don't even see them.
Any suggestions???

[BlackHeart]

I have found whites are very line shy.
One season, I was catching 2or3 to 1 in compare whoever came out with me.
Then I bought this fluorocarbon line that was on sale and changed all my reels to it. Was suppose to be good stuff. Suddenly, my success dropped off and by the end of the season, I couldn't even catch one in compare to the companions limiting. Didn't clue in till the season was over and we were talking about how it had went for me. From hero to zero for me. Then it hit me......THAT FLUORO WAS 1/3 THE PRICE FOR A REASON. Whatever was wrong with it must have been known as that's why it was on such a discount.

So the morale..................Get the best fluorocarbon line you can that is also meant for ice fishing and go to a 4-6lb max line.

And the other thing that seems to matter......tie the wire worm so it sits horizontal.

[Kim473]

Sounds like type and color of the hook your using and also your presentation. Which lake are you going to ?

[curtis_rak]

I find that a lot of times whites in different lakes like different color lures (what kim473) is referring too.

I would have no less than a dozen different wireworms at your disposal to try. Although my old faithful is a copper wire w/shiny gold bead, or gold wire w/red glass bead. Always rigged horizontal with 2 maggots.

I have found from a couple different lakes that my camera usually isn't a deal breaker and that as long as I'm using 6lb or less line it hasn't made a huge difference for me.

I like shallow water for whites (less than 10') and either sand/mud bottom on the edge of a weed bed. Although, My dad is an avid whitefish-guy and he fishes them in 2-5' of water with good success.

Just my .02

[EZM]

I have had my fair share of struggles with finicky whites. I watched them suck up minnows that had fallen off a hook with no hesitation, yet reject the minnow with a tiny hook and 4 lb thin clear mono like they KNEW this was a trap !!!! lol.

They also seem to study my wire worm and turn away at the last second or just suck it in a quickly blow it out. Adding a maggot or two doesn't seem to make them hold it any longer.

They can be frustrating ......

I also don't believe they are always camera shy as they seem to ignore my camera and keep cruising into the area with regularity.

I hate whitefish ..... it seems to be the only fish I can't consistently catch ...... you are not alone ......

[dfishman]

I'm going to Lac Ste Anne and Pigeon (haven't been to Pigeon yet this year though) Kim473. And my presentation has mostly been 4 or 6 lb mono with various different color wire worms presented horizontally. The one and only White I ever caught I was VERY slowly jigging a wire worm a good 3' up and then equally slowly down. I've recently tried first light on numerous occasions, still with the same poor results. And yeah EZM, I'm beginning to really dislike them too haha but mainly cause they are the one fish that I can't seem to catch at all!

[Mitchthefisher]

I fish 2-8 Fow and use wireworms without bait, i find bait throws off presentation and causes lots to turn away last second. And i run 6-8lb fluro for line.

[Promech]

What lake you fishing bud ? I fish gull and sylvan with some success . P.m. Me . I can give you some tricks .

[iYearn]

Try a wire worm on a drop shot set up. On the bottom have a Kastmaster or similar small shiny spoon. Then 12"-24" above that have the wire worm. I like to bounce the spoon in to the soft bottom at times. That makes the wire worm look like something came off the bottom.

[Newellknik]

At sylvan maybe 10 yrs ago , an old gentleman felt sorry for us
And lent us a couple of Wetaskawin lures ,he had his limit .
We limited in the time it took him to drink a cup of coffee .
I am planning on fishing for whites this year , best color for
Wire worms are ?

[Barnes19]

I used to have a couple of Mepps spinners that were magic for me. I'm pretty sure they were the Ingalia model but they seem to have changed it a bit. The old ones had red and yellow beads on the center shaft and blade had lots of flash to attract them. I've tried many Mepps spinners that are very similar but not with the same results.

[matt1984]

Whitefish seem to be the pickiest fish I have come across when it comes to the underwater camera. You can still catch them sometimes with the camera down, but my catch rates literally go up 10x when I pull the camera.

[Speckle55]

Here is a video to watch on shrimp movement ..I jig mine in small movements like this video

also I use 8# Vanish fluorocarbon

the knot I use is...
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=fishing+knots+video&view=detail&qpvt=fishing+knots+video&mid=B82C5C0AF87842DB589DB82C5C0AF87842DB589D


the hook should be horizontal in water ..so u should be looking at your hook (hook-up)

Most time they come by in schools every 10 to 20 minutes

some lake's they like taking the hooks when they are not moving but I move mine most of the time

If your not seeing lake Whitefish in your hole then change colors

think like your a bug moving in water ..make it dance ..get in game mode

as always this is

Food for Thought

David:)
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Freshwater+Aquarium+Shrimp&view=detail&&mid=6258C1520280573D957B6258C1520280573D957B

[Nikanit]

PM sent

[ForwardBias]

The only constant in my white fish game is getting duped.

[Jaanders]

Newellknik.
For Wetaskiwins do you jig them or just hold them still. I tried one last year and caught 1 fish but nothing else. The one I had was very light and hard to jig. Does color matter. I had a gold one. I am finding that wire worms work early in year then bottom bouncers later. Thanks for any info.

[Kim473]

I like to twitch the line slightly with one finger and a wireworm. Just so the worm maybe moves about 0.5" . Varying the depth in the water colum till I find where I'm seeing them the most.

[dfishman]

Wow. Thanks every body! I definitely did not expect to get so many tips and suggestions. Hopefully I can get out again soon and put some whites on the ice.
Darren

[Settle&release]

Anybody ever try to fish in 20-30 feet on the flats with a silver smaller size of spoon maybe 1/4 ounce or so?
I've heard tons of stories of this working elsewhere.

[bwackwabbit]

Anybody ever try to fish in 20-30 feet on the flats with a silver smaller size of spoon maybe 1/4 ounce or so?
I've heard tons of stories of this working elsewhere.
Used to do this at that depth and much deeper in the Great Lakes when I was a kid.