Lake Whitefish Shallow or Deep

[Speckle55]

Do you fish Lake Whitefish shallow or deep

this time of year i like fishing them in 2 to 6fow

near a creek coming in or spring or outgoing

just a the spawn ends they will pick up feeding

now is our chance to get the hungry ones

Patience Persistence Perseverance

David

[Soiler]

I always fish em in deep water.

[Wendigo]

May I ask the secret hook you are using speckle?
Bait no bait?
You can pm if you want
Thank you

[SNAPFisher]

It all depends on the lake and where the food is. I prefer sight fishing them in 9-12 FOW....or less
Pigeon is a deep fishing lake.

There is no magic hook either. Just match the hatch of whatever they are eating.

Nice white Speckle. Those are the ones that keep us dreaming of coming back to fish again.

[Speckle55]

here is a picture

no bait

bend eye up a bit

Brass too

8# Fluorocarbon

improved Clinch Knot

make the lure fall and move like shrimp or backswimmers
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...B&&FORM=VRDGAR

David

[Wendigo]

Interesting, looks like I need a line size upgrade, they have been snapping off at the hole with 5lbfloro . Could just be the excitement.

Thanks for the tips.
Maybe see you oth there sometime

[338Bluff]

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

It all depends on the lake and where the food is. I prefer sight fishing them in 9-12 FOW....or less
Pigeon is a deep fishing lake.

There is no magic hook either. Just match the hatch of whatever they are eating.

Nice white Speckle. Those are the ones that keep us dreaming of coming back to fish again.

I've found in Pigeon a castmater, swedish jig or slender spoon will out fish a wire worm. Might just be I'm impatient and will just keep moving until I find more aggressive fish.

In the good old days we would set up off of Crystal Springs in 20+ FOW and bounce wetaskiwins on the bottom. Half of the fish landed were actually snagged though.

I may start trying small minnows on a quick strike rig under a jawjacker. Could tie in a wire wrap a couple of feet above and cover all the bases. Deep water of course.

In sylvan or gull usually in 10 fow or less. Sometimes Sylvan can be good out deep.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by 338Bluff

I've found in Pigeon a castmater, swedish jig or slender spoon will out fish a wire worm. Might just be I'm impatient and will just keep moving until I find more aggressive fish.

I've given up on spoons for whites at Pigeon. WW's all day long. Other lakes though, I'm all about the spoon and whites.

[Talking moose]

I’ve noticed in the sheild lakes, whites seem more aggressive towards spoons, jigging raps and such, prairie lakes it’s all about wire worms, small grubs, and fly’s. There are exceptions of course but watching YouTube whites out east they seem more aggressive to bigger baits.
I think it’s because our lakes are more fertile than sheild lakes and produce more insects, insect larvae, worms, and such that they are used of.
Ya? No?

[338Bluff]

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

I've given up on spoons for whites at Pigeon. WW's all day long. Other lakes though, I'm all about the spoon and whites.

Interesting. Even Gull? I'd fish a plain yellow or red wireworm there before anything else. Spoons do work though.

I've caught whitefish in Pigeon whitefish targeting walleye with 1/4 ounce jigs and 4" twister tails.

It's a tough lake though for consistent whitefish unless you are using the "square" hook.....those guys are doing pretty well lol.

[338Bluff]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

I’ve noticed in the sheild lakes, whites seem more aggressive towards spoons, jigging raps and such, prairie lakes it’s all about wire worms, small grubs, and fly’s. There are exceptions of course but watching YouTube whites out east they seem more aggressive to bigger baits.
I think it’s because our lakes are more fertile than sheild lakes and produce more insects, insect larvae, worms, and such that they are used of.
Ya? No?

I'd say for the most part yes. We have a couple of big featureless lakes where the whitefish tend to hang out in the main basin. I've had better luck in them with wetaskiwins and spoons.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by 338Bluff

Interesting. Even Gull? I'd fish a plain yellow or red wireworm there before anything else. Spoons do work though.

I've caught whitefish in Pigeon whitefish targeting walleye with 1/4 ounce jigs and 4" twister tails.

It's a tough lake though for consistent whitefish unless you are using the "square" hook.....those guys are doing pretty well lol.

No, Gull whites like the spoon a lot
I need to transfer Gull white thinking into Pigeon whites brains.....

[chucklesthe3rd]

I always seem to do best for whites deep in most lakes but that don’t mean shallow is less productive.

[Talking moose]

You guys that fish in deep water 20’ plus, you catch more along the bottom of the lake or suspended?
Or just under the ice?

[Dom4]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

You guys that fish in deep water 20’ plus, you catch more along the bottom of the lake or suspended?
Or just under the ice?

I find this one depends on the day which probably doesn't answer your question in detail but what I like to do when I am fishing in deeper water I like to start my hook just below the ice and then slowly drop it down to the bottom in one foot increments. If I get a bite then I take note of how deep it was and then i spend some more time at that depth.

That is just what i do but i am sure others will have some more info also for you.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by Dom4

I find this one depends on the day which probably doesn't answer your question in detail but what I like to do when I am fishing in deeper water I like to start my hook just below the ice and then slowly drop it down to the bottom in one foot increments. If I get a bite then I take note of how deep it was and then i spend some more time at that depth.

That is just what i do but i am sure others will have some more info also for you.

Sounds like it would be about the best method in figuring out where they are on that given day.... thanks.

[Dom4]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Sounds like it would be about the best method in figuring out where they are on that given day.... thanks.

Sorry if that came across as me being a smartie pants.

I’ve just never been able to figure out if they suspend at a certain depth or not at specific times of the season so I don’t need to do all of the guess work every time.

I just usually have to do that every time lol.

If you figure out the exact depth let me know. Good luck fishing!

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by Dom4

Sorry if that came across as me being a smartie pants.

I’ve just never been able to figure out if they suspend at a certain depth or not at specific times of the season so I don’t need to do all of the guess work every time.

I just usually have to do that every time lol.

If you figure out the exact depth let me know. Good luck fishing!

No never took it that way at all.
How long do you like to leave it at each foot before moving another foot?

[Red Bullets]

On fishing deep..

At Pigeon I have fished deep (25FOW) with no bites half a day. I moved up the water column and was fishing 2 feet under the ice and the whites were there in minutes. And the whites weren't swimming up from the depths to my hook but coming straight in from the side. Go figure. There were lots of backswimmers higher up in the water that the whites must have been foraging on.

Fishing at Smoke lake I was only in a foot and a half of water with my hook dangling 8 inches under the ice and the biggest whites I ever caught were smacking my hooks. 6 to 8 lb average. Biggest was 9 lb 5 oz. The F&W CO that checked me out had never seen a white that big either.

Aside from castmasters, wetaskiwin specials, and wireworms for whitefish hooks that aren't mentioned much anymore are the russian hooks. They were the go to hook in the 1960's. And they caught lots of whites. A 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch minnow shaped russian hooks are still worth trying.

At Fickle lake I've caught big whites with 3 inch countdown rapalas. Let them drop and gave long jigs. Whites picked them up on the drop most of the time.

[Dom4]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

No never took it that way at all.
How long do you like to leave it at each foot before moving another foot?

I usually leave it there for about 30 seconds to a minute. I find that amount of time usually is enough that if they’re close enough it’ll catch their attention and the movement isn’t too fast that it’ll move it higher or lower too quickly away from them.

I’ve found if you move it too quickly up and down they have a hard time moving up and down the water column that fast.

[Mountain Guy]

Regardless of depth....What I find is you really have to match the hatch or subtle up your presentation. Especially in the summer.