Higgins Lake whitefish

[pratt94]

I am looking for some "legal" chum ideas and general whitefish tips for Higgins

[STEELNEYES]

I don't if this legal or not, but this is what some of the old timers did in the bays. They would take a coffee can, tie a rope to one end. On the other end they would just about cut the lid off. They would fill with chum and push the lid closed. Then they would lower the contraption down to the bottom, raise it up several feet and give it a mighty jerk. This would allow the chum to come out in the area to be fished. By doing this and not just dumping it down the hole, the chum was in the area they wanted to fish and not scattered all over the bay.

[DocHoliday]

I don't if this legal or not, but this is what some of the old timers did in the bays. They would take a coffee can, tie a rope to one end. On the other end they would just about cut the lid off. They would fill with chum and push the lid closed. Then they would lower the contraption down to the bottom, raise it up several feet and give it a mighty jerk. This would allow the chum to come out in the area to be fished. By doing this and not just dumping it down the hole, the chum was in the area they wanted to fish and not scattered all over the bay.

I've got something similar to this... I put magnets around the can rim and the top is held to the can by a small steel leader. I use tuna fish packed in water for chumming. Put some in the can lower it to the bottom. A couple of quick jerks pulls the lid off and the chum is right under your hole. You definitely don't want to use salmon or steelhead spawn for chum with the VHS disease in the great lakes. Thats the last thing our inland lakes need. There is a 100% mortality rate in trout from that disease.

[pratt94]

Thank for the info what kind of hook is best for whitefish

[wapiti777]

Thank for the info what kind of hook is best for whitefish

You may want to look this over for good Whitefish tips:

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=208513&highlight=whitefish

or if this doesn't work search forums for Whitefish 101.

[HeavyF150]

Are there whitefish in Higgins?

[DocHoliday]

Thank for the info what kind of hook is best for whitefish

I use either a #14 treble with waxworms or a #8 single hook with a blue shiner on it or a combination of both. I use a set line on the bottom with the hook resting on the bottom with a tail hooked shiner. And then fish with the waxies on the bottom as well. I watch my graph in case the fish come through at a depth above the bottom and make line adjustments accordingly. With a blue shiner on the bottom you have a chance for lakers as well as whities. But if you keep a spot well chummed and nobody knows about it you can just stick with bottom fishing.

[stillfish]

amen to the chum gods. Ive heard people start chuming as soon as they can get out to deep water.