How do you catch white fish?

[chad 1]

Ok, I never targeted whitefish threw the ice before! I went out on little traverse bay today in about 90' of water. Had my atlantis cam and vex. I had salmon eggs, wax worms and wigglers for bait.
I had whitefish all over the monitor of the atlantis for most parts of the day.
I tryed every bait I had and nothing worked. I am sure glad my wife cooked supper instead of waiting for me to bring fish home:(
Any help would be really appreciated.

chad1

[captain jay]

On Bay de Noc we used dead perch minnows, and just laid them on the bottom, and we used small sweedish pimples, or other jigs, and put on 1/2 minnow, and let them sit still right at the bottom. So the jig is up, but the minnow is touching bottom.

Captain Jay

[Mitch]

I don't have an answer to your question, but I've got one of my own. How was the visability in 90 feet of water? I've been thinking about getting an underwater cam for Higgins but never knew how well you could see in water that deep.

Mitch

[Tom22]

Chad, I agree with Cpt.Jay,,Same method on Saginaw Bay..Tom

[wild bill]

funny that this should come up. i was just talking with another member today about wanting to try and get some whitefish through the ice. maybe when we find out a little more i will have to head up your way chad and give it a try.

[schaaed1]

Chad1 -

Last winter I spent a day out off the peir in Petoskey, I presume you were in pretty much the same location. I did talk to a couple of the locals when I was there and here is what I can remember (it is a bit fuzzy).

Only thing they were using was single salmon egg. If I remember correctly they had a slip sinker setup, to minimize resistance when a fish picked up the offering. Up top they had a slip bobber (I would think the round foam ones would be the ticket .... you could cut them down to a hair trigger).

The locals were using a pretty ingenious set up to place chum 90' below them also. They were using a broken rod (reel seat + one eye) with a level wind reel on it (I think they had wire line for additional weight). To this they would attach one of the metal 'Band-Aide' boxes. The bottom was cut out of the box and a stiff wire bracket was also attached ... then the wire line attached to the bracket. Essentially when the box is lowered in the water, it is upside down ..... so they would fill it full of perch spawn, small shell macoronni, etc .... lower it to the bottom ..... give it a couple of very hard pulls .... the hinged bottom pops open (the original hinged top of the band-Aide container) and all of the contents are spread in a small area 90' below you.

I hope you could understand my discription. Now a couple of thoughts, the day I was out there I caught nothing! I did detect a couple of 'half-hearted' bites though. The locals caught nothing either ... so I did not feal so bad.

When you get this all figured out let me know and I'll make a run to the In-laws for a weekend .... and you can teach me how!!!!

[ScreeminReelz]

Chad 1,

If you are ever in town again and want a partner, I live in the TC area and would like to try for some whitefish, too. I don't know much about fishing for them but I do know they taste great! Anyway if you're interested lemme know,

ScreeminReelz

[chad 1]

Thanks captain jay and tom22.
Mitch, It was really clear. I had my cam about 7' away and it was clear as a bell. Only problem I had was keeping the cam still But after awhile I got it.
Wildbill, Sounds good.
schaaed, You are correct on the area. I was using the slip sinker rig and salmon eggs. Only thing is I din't boil them for 3 minutes and use red food coloring on them.
A local told me he got 2 the day before and they where full of corn. He figured someone was chumming heavy and that is why they where not hitting. Thanks for the info.
Screeminreels, I was in little traverse bay not grand traverse bay. But if your ever in the area I would be glad to fish with ya.

chad1

[stelmon]

I tried for whitefish and steelhead through the ice today. Thanks for posting this because I would be very interested in catching one of these. I am not even sure if I was touching the bottom. The wind didn't help either.

I did however take my minnows in shore and caught a small steelie

Chad, if you ever fish West bay near the boardman, let me know and maybe we can fish sometime.

[hypox]

Last I knew the way to catch them thru the ice on traverse bay was a good firm jigging motion. At least that's what I've been told.

[Jumpshootin']

This is how you catch them:

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/439WhtFsh-med.JPG

We caught this one and seven others last night. In 75' of water using salmon spawn on a treble hook off of a slip sinker(sitting on bottom) with a bobber up at the hole. We start out by chumming the bottom with eggs using a chum can rig.
We also caught 4 burbot.