Lake Whites
 

Anyone bin hammerin any lake whites lately?

Lake Whites
 

anyone bin hammerin lake whites lately?

i've been checking for the last few weeks and i think its still too early but i could be wrong.

Gull lake. Fly rod with a chironomids below indicator.

Do you need a boat for this? or can it be done from shore?

shore, they come in close in the fall, inlets or outlets of reservoirs, lots of fun on a fly rod! there was evidence in the wifes whitefish congee, some of the old fellas must be havin luck, just wondering if its too warm yet?

I would think they are starting to congregate in spawning areas. In the south that is dams on the irrigation Res. Lots of years the lakes are frozen by now, maybe not ice fishing frozen but frozen none the less.

Any tips on how to shore fish for whites on a southern reservoir? I have never tried it, but I'd like to.

Ice fishing we use Russian tear drop hooks. Some days you can't keep them off, other days they swim right by and ignore everything you put in front of them. For fishing from shore I use flies, mostly blood worms under an indicator. But for spin casting I'm sure the tear drops under a small float would work as well. Just remember they are at the rocks to spawn so you don't have to cast out very far and they seem to use the middle of the water column. Rattlesnake is a good lake for them.

Thanks for the info. That is exactly where I was planning on heading. :)

But, closed until 2nd week in December to protect the whitefish spawn. Sylvan, same now too.

The best success I've had was on cross coulee and milk river ridge reservoirs by where cross coulee dumps out of ridge, little strike indicator scud hook with a bead head and copper wire body, fly about 4' below indicator, when they're on it's pretty awesome!

Used to fish at Wabamun at the train tressle with great results.

Get a slip bobber and set it about 2/3 to the bottom. Just keep adjusting the bobber stop down until it stands up and then go up a foot or two.

Use a Kastmaster or small Swedish pimple. Cast it out, let it sit, then give it a good pull. it will shoot up, then "flutter" down. The bobber will sit upright once the Kastmaster stops falling. Let it sit a couple of minute and do it again.

They will often hit it on the drop, and if the slip bobber goes under suddenly just set the hook and let the fun begin.

Drewski

"Used to" might be the main operative at Wabamun now. Was out last Saturday and told buddy about the good old days for whitefish at the trestle area, using a floating line and wire worm (sometimes "sweetened" with a white maggot). And how the banks would be lined with shore fishermen and the boats would be packed in like D-Day. And one day where I covered rings and swirls and hit fish every cast. That was back in the late 90's in October,

Not on Saturday. Three on the shore (the only ones there) said a few big whitefish had been caught but we saw only one swirl and hit nada.

Eventually found a nice area across the lake for walleye and small pike on red/white streamers.

But where are the whitefish???

Good action in southern reservoir for lake whitefish the last couple of days. Wireworm under an indicator.

Thanks for that, are you fishing dams?

Yup

We boated 20+ today on the fly rod, super shallow too...huge Pike hammered a 5lbs White at the boat, scared the crap out of me almost fell out of the boat!

I was at the trestle at Wabamun the other day. Didn't catch or see any whites which concerns me because in years past it solid for both late fall fishing and ice fishing. I hope the fishery didn't collapse.

Someone left a bucket there and I used it to collect garbage. I had to compact the garbage in the bucket several times to get all the garbage at the fishing spot.

I see a lot of garbage down on the NSR and at small lakes too. Bait tubs are the most common. Who litters at the spots they fish and why is always the cheapest beer cans? Don't see any imports or craft beer cans littered.

it is odd what has happened to the whites near the bridge at wab. in 2014 we went three days in a row and between the three of us caught 300 no word of a lie. 2015 we went 6 separate days and only managed 5-10 throughout all 6. very odd.

Special place in outdoorsman heaven for fine folks like you that clean up after others.

Extra merry Christmas to you!:sHa_shakeshout:

I've had good luck at McGreggor Lake by the dam as well as Chin Lakes