bottom feeder or not

[gui]

i was wondering if white fish are bottom feeders or not because i was always sure that they were because of their mouths and their mostly always on the bottom. but one day i told that to a co- worker that fished her whole life and she said they werent so, are they r not because we were arguing for ever about this. but i thought i heard that on the fish tv shows that they r. but now not sure. i just wanna get to the bottom of this and stop wondering

[the local angler]

i am with you on the whitefish being bottom feeders. its like you said the shape of their snout and the food they eat are on the bottom. if you have an underwater camera during ice fishing and find the whitefish when they are feeding you will see they have their snout in the weeds and mud bottom. but with that being said the whitefish also feed on the surface in the summer time and through out the water coluum.

[biggamehunter]

I usually catch them when my bait slashes the bottom then I slowly reel up about 5 feet and they bite it on about the 3rd foot off of the bottom. But the maggots arent wrkin for the whites lately.

[nicemustang]

All fish are bottom feeders! Well in AB anyway. They are eating bugs though, not mud and algae.

[biggamehunter]

So if I lay my maggots or wire worm on the bottom they will scoop it up?

[nicemustang]

Yup! Although I have better luck with a small spoon on the bottom (with maggots)

[biggamehunter]

Wat colour? What works the best for whites?

[nicemustang]

Can't answer that because I usually use a square hook in SK (read net)...but I always have just used a 1" yellow and red five of diamonds. RED maggots. Hope that helps.

[biggamehunter]

I am going out for the buggers today also I might try bacon and minnows for burbs!

[linger]

if you have a camara and you see alot of uprooting in the sand definity whitefish looking for food'

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by gui

i was wondering if white fish are bottom feeders or not because i was always sure that they were because of their mouths and their mostly always on the bottom. but one day i told that to a co- worker that fished her whole life and she said they werent so, are they r not because we were arguing for ever about this. but i thought i heard that on the fish tv shows that they r. but now not sure. i just wanna get to the bottom of this and stop wondering

Fish mouth design usually tells you what niche they are feeding in. Up turned mouth...surface feeders...central mouth...column feeders...down turn mouth bottom feeders. The term bottom feed by some means eating garbage off the bottom like a sucker is assumed to do. That being said...many bugs live on the bottom.

Lake whitefish are interesting as they eat bugs...but also minnows. They predominately live near the bottom but occasionally suspend higher.

The real question are are whitefish predators, scavengers or vegetarians. They are very clearly predators. Therefore you must match what your present to what they mainly eat in the lake. Matching bottom dwelling bugs is common such as bloodworms or chironomids. People use different colors from red, yellow, silver, bronze, copper etc. For me copper worked best at Wabamun, silver in Pigeon and yellow in MacGregor. Cast masters and wetaskiwin specials also catch whites if fished effectively. Some people think they snag em...I have caught mostly in the mouth if fished right on bottom and mimic a minnow rooting around in the mud.

Cheers

Sun

[Dust1n]

they will feed throughout the water collom throught the day feeding on cronomids that rise up to hatch. so that would explain if you see them eating mid water colom. they will feed on the bottom for eggs and scuds ect. and the top for the midges and other hatches on the surface like mayflies but in fall they key in on backswimmers and they are near the top of the water cllom hope this helps

[biggamehunter]

Bacon worked

[biggamehunter]

Well I used bacon this morning and they kept coming at it . I caught 2 walleye and almost had a Burbot to the top! Other than that I saw about 3 whites go by but not interested! They don't seem to like anything!

[Dust1n]

if there on the bottom i like using bells to immate eggs or a scud if there in the middle a wire worm to imatate a cronomid and near the top if in fall back swimmer and if not i like nymphs or dry flies in bright colors

[BEL]

You mentioned silver wireworms in Pigeon. What types of things do the whites eat in Pigeon? BEL

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by BEL

You mentioned silver wireworms in Pigeon. What types of things do the whites eat in Pigeon? BEL

I have done well using minnow imitations at pigeon. I would say their main food would be scuds, chironomids with minnows, dragonflies, caddis etc. making up the remainder of their diet.

[Dust1n]

id like to add to sundaces comment making up more then 50 percent of there diet in the fall they specificly key in on them but in spring summer and winter they hardley concentrate on them. i know this because i fly fish for them at sylvan lake in the fall and take throat samples and in the fall there bellies is jam packed with them. and some of them even hadminnows in theer diet.

[PERCHY]

got three whites today about halfway up today but yes for the most part they are bottom feeders.i actually caught about 4 more near the top but too small to keep...Ill get em next year

[demolition101]

I've always had good luck on Jiggin Rap's. Big ones and pulled some big whites through the ice at wabamun on smelts too...Good Luck

[PERCHY]

the whites i caught today and recently have been eating freshwater shrimp btw.