Corn and whitefish.....?

bessiedog · #1 01-31-2022, 10:21 AM

Did real good on the weekend. Got me sum yummy whites for the smoker....

and all of them had quite a bit of corn in their gullets.....

I wasn't using corn.... and i've never seen it used... but geeze. Someone must have been chumming the area..? (yes I know chumming is illegal).

I don;t think whitefish can digest that stuff as they are much like trout...

can anyone verify?

I also convinced many many of them to hit my wireworm AND old flutter spoon russian hook both with a touch of shrimp on them.

but man!.... i gotta play the fish better.. then old russian hooks are sure easy to lose a fish on..... I mustof had 10 on and they'd slip right off.

pikergolf · #2 01-31-2022, 11:28 AM

If you don't mind, how deep were you fishing?

bessiedog · #3 01-31-2022, 11:29 AM

They were pretty damn deep

Bout 25-30ft

Why?

tirebob · #4 01-31-2022, 11:37 AM

I can't believe I have never heard the term Russian Hooks before and had to look them up?

So maybe a dumb question, but are you tying using a ring on the end to tie off to or just a small swivel clip? I have never fished for whites through the ice before and only ever mountain river fished for them.

bessiedog · #5 01-31-2022, 11:58 AM

I tie directly on to the hook. that way I can try to set the knot to present horizontal.

pikergolf · #6 01-31-2022, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bessiedog

They were pretty damn deep

Bout 25-30ft

Why?

Because I would like to find some mid winter whites, I have never been able to locate them till late ice. Is that alright?

bessiedog · #7 01-31-2022, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Because I would like to find some mid winter whites, I have never been able to locate them till late ice. Is that alright?

I dunno..... You might catch some of MY fish.

an ah don take too kindly to that....

TROLLER · #8 01-31-2022, 02:09 PM

About corn for bait.

Talked with the guy that was releasing trout into a lake and asked about the corn. He said they did a test, fed some of the trout at the hatchery in Calgary and no issues.

Trout cannot digest corn is not true. That being said interesting that someone would be chumming the water, they must know something about whites that none of us do. LOL

Smoky buck · #9 01-31-2022, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TROLLER

About corn for bait.

Talked with the guy that was releasing trout into a lake and asked about the corn. He said they did a test, fed some of the trout at the hatchery in Calgary and no issues.

Trout cannot digest corn is not true. That being said interesting that someone would be chumming the water, they must know something about whites that none of us do. LOL

Yup it’s been studied many times corn doesn’t hurt fish but they don’t get much nutrients out of it either

Howard Hutchinson · #10 01-31-2022, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Yup it’s been studied many times corn doesn’t hurt fish but they don’t get much nutrients out of it either

>>
Not unlike humans or any other critter I'd say.

EZM · #11 01-31-2022, 03:57 PM

Corn goes straight through me too ....

I have never thought about corn as a whitefish bait - but then again, Whites can be surprising sometimes - we caught a white, mid summer, trolling for lakers using a darn big spoon ...... have no idea how it managed to get that treble into it's tiny little mouth but it did.

tallieho · #12 01-31-2022, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tirebob

I can't believe I have never heard the term Russian Hooks before and had to look them up?

So maybe a dumb question, but are you tying using a ring on the end to tie off to or just a small swivel clip? I have never fished for whites through the ice before and only ever mountain river fished for them.

Iuse an improved clinch knot.Tight,so that it allows the russian hook ,to dangle horzontal

akn · #13 01-31-2022, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tallieho

Iuse an improved clinch knot.Tight,so that it allows the russian hook ,to dangle horzontal

Does the knot position change to vertical when you jig it?

keeks · #14 01-31-2022, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akn

Does the knot position change to vertical when you jig it?

Not when you're jigging, but after a fish it can.

Zip-in-Z · #15 01-31-2022, 10:54 PM

Not surprised, Whites love yellow ... with a bit of orange.

D.

threeforthree · #16 01-31-2022, 11:29 PM

Russian Hooks were white fish slaying lures. Came in many shapes and sizes.
silver,brass were my favorite.

Red Bullets · #17 02-01-2022, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by threeforthree

Russian Hooks were white fish slaying lures. Came in many shapes and sizes.
silver,brass were my favorite.

My favorite are russian hooks. I've caught uncountable whitefish over the years with russian hooks.

A 1/2 inch long oval russian hook that's copper color is productive in late January, February and March in lakes with whitefish and burbot. Burbot spawn in Jan/Feb/Mar in Alberta. Their eggs are copper colored. The copper russian hook looks like a burbot egg. Fished over a sandy bottom is good. A few years ago another member posted a an underwater cam video of a burbot swimming by, over a sandy bottom, and there were several whitefish following the burbot like a pack of coyotes on a three legged deer. They must have been sucking up eggs as the burbot layed them.

One inch minnow shaped russians jigged higher up can pick up whitefish some times too because the whites see the minnow shape up against the contrast of the bottom of the ice. Fishing a minnow russian hooks with maggots low in deep water during winter I've caught lots of nice perch along with the whitefish too. And a few pike. Even a 12 lb. pike at Wizard Lake took a one inch minnow russian hook in it's lip perfectly and with 6 lb. line I was able to coax the jack out the hole ever so gently. I don't know if it realized it was hooked till it saw my ugly mug.

1 to 2 inch minnow shaped or big one and half inch oval russian hooks are great for early morning trout too. Trout usually feed closer to shore so no need to go out far from shore.

As far as the corn and whitefish, I know whitefish do like small yellow rubbertails so it may be the yellow color plus the sweet corn juice in the water. One kernal of corn could resemble a tiny clam/mussel. Whitefish suck them up off the bottom too.

pikergolf · #18 02-01-2022, 05:49 AM

I have a box full of Russian lures, at least two hundred. No, they are not for sale.

bessiedog · #19 02-01-2022, 08:20 AM

Yea….

All my Russian hooks were bought in the 70s

I never see them for sale.

The tiny copper fingernail sized Russian w/ a touch of yellow maribou was slaying em

Just wiggled right on the bottom

Real hard to detect the bite

antlercarver · #20 02-03-2022, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tirebob

I can't believe I have never heard the term Russian Hooks before and had to look them up?

So maybe a dumb question, but are you tying using a ring on the end to tie off to or just a small swivel clip? I have never fished for whites through the ice before and only ever mountain river fished for them.

Mountain river whitefish and lake whitefish are 2 different fish. Russian hooks are tied directly on the line, and are tied tight so the small copper hook stands at right angle to the line.

Frank_NK28 · #21 02-03-2022, 02:43 PM

I've caught a couple bows this winter that had corn in their stomachs. Guess someone was chumming them with corn?

CardiacCowboy · #22 02-03-2022, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank_NK28

I've caught a couple bows this winter that had corn in their stomachs. Guess someone was chumming them with corn?

I have seen this in summer too. Some much corn that it is unlikely all stolen from hooks. Most likely chum or dumping left over corn in lake at end of day.

Stirlingville · #23 03-22-2022, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bessiedog

Yea….

All my Russian hooks were bought in the 70s

I never see them for sale.

The tiny copper fingernail sized Russian w/ a touch of yellow maribou was slaying em

Just wiggled right on the bottom

Real hard to detect the bite

Want to share some russian hooks

Savage Bacon · #24 03-22-2022, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TROLLER

About corn for bait.

Talked with the guy that was releasing trout into a lake and asked about the corn. He said they did a test, fed some of the trout at the hatchery in Calgary and no issues.

Trout cannot digest corn is not true. That being said interesting that someone would be chumming the water, they must know something about whites that none of us do. LOL

Well that's good to know. We used it a lot when we were younger with good luck. But stopped because we heard they couldn't pass it through their system.

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