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View Full Version : Crystal Lake burbot/lakers/whitefish




Steely-Head
01-27-2009, 10:27 PM
Folks-

I was hoping for help with these three on Crystal. I suppose I can pick some brains at the outing in a few weeks as well.

I fished Crystal several times last year off Lobb Road in the 30-50 foot depth range. Caught a zillion smelt and a million perch, although the perch were wretchedly small. I caught a nice little burbot on a hali jig and waxworm while fishing there. Clearly an accidental catch, but it was fun.

I'd really like to focus on burbot/lakers/whitefish this year. Any tips? I imagine if I wander out to 100 + feet with a big jigging rap or a spoon tipped with bait it would work for both lakers AND burbot. That being said, I hear those lakers suspend quite a bit, so I don't know. Jigging some lakers must be a blast, but I didn't see many people out there trying for them last year.

As for whitefish, I had a couple of die-hards tell me they catch a bunch after dark in about 40 feet with teardrops and waxworms. Never tried it.

I'm looking for tried and true methods, and locations if you don't mind. Feel free to PM me and thanks in advance. I'd rather not mess around with tip ups, but if that's the best method, I'm all for it.




Steely-Head
01-30-2009, 11:28 AM
Bump

wartfroggy
01-30-2009, 11:41 AM
For burbot, later ice is better. They start to move in shallow at night. 40-60' is where I have done well at night, some guys fish deeper, others shallower. Lakers, I have fished from 100 to 160 FOW. They seem to push deeper as the winter goes on. Most guys fish the bottom 6 foot with tip-ups. They also jig right no bottom. I have caught quite a few suspended fish on both tip-ups and jigging. Watch your flasher for fish and bring the jig up or down to them. I have done well on crippled herring and swedish pimples. Some guys use white tube jigs, airplane jigs, jigging raps, sand kickers, plain jighead and grub, ect. Lots of choices. If you can figure out where the fish are vertically with a jigging rod and flasher, set tip-ups in that range. I have caught lakers on tip-ups 30' down over 160 FOW and right on the bottom, and a mix of depths inbetween in the same day. Gotta play around to find them.