Outwitting Whitefish On Ice
by Tyler Dunn. 

Light line, ultra light gear, reel screaming runs, tastes unbelievable and nobody fishes for them. If there is one sport fish that is underutilized across Ontario, the whitefish is it. The Great Lakes have a widespread population of whitefish which are for the most part fished commercially. Whitefish also inhabit many or most inland bodies of water and are main forage for lake trout, walleye and pike. Whitefish have super small mouths, even smaller than a dime which has given anglers the idea of them being hard to catch. Fish located in smaller inland lakes can be found in deep holes or feeding on reefs. Great Lakes fish are found in the shallows congregating with steelhead in the mouths of small creeks, streams and rivers throughout winter. I will be highlighting a great technique used in some parts of the country which is the smallest micro tear drop you can find tipped with a wax worm, maggot, or wiggler and sometimes even bare!

THE ROD

When using an underwater camera a stiffer rod such as an HT Sapphire ice rod which is a light action rod can be used. The reason for using a stiffer rod is when using an underwater camera you are not relying on sight and feel with the rod but sight with the camera. Having more backbone will also help you control and land the bigger whitefish. You can see the fish take the bait so your eyes are never on your rod tip. If you are not fishing with a camera or have difficult visibility use the lightest action rod you can find such as an HT Ice Blues 30” rod. This rod has an unbelievable soft tip and you will feel and see almost every bite. Team these rods up with 2 reels that have good drag system. Combo your reel with 2-4 pound fluorocarbon line.

THE RIG
On your mainline use a bullet sinker in the 1/8 ounce- 3/8 ounce size, then a bead and tie this to a barrel swivel. The bead separates the bullet sinker from the knot and also makes a very subtle ticking sound. Now, use a leader of 12-18 inches from the opposite end of the swivel to your teardrop. When tying on your teardrop make sure your knot is placed specifically in the position where it will hold your bait in the horizontal position. Keep placing the knot in this area after every fish and be sure to check it when not catching. This is one of the most crucial aspects of this technique.

THE TECHNIQUE
Using a pistol grip keep the tip of the rod down and slowly raise your tip one to two feet. The raise should take 6-10 seconds with pauses on the way. The drop should be just as slow with pauses also incorporated. Also imply a slight shuttering action by tapping the line with your index finger from your free hand. Another great tip is to pound your sinker into the bottom causing the bottom to stir. As you see fish come in to inspect slowly start your raise. When you do receive a strike from a fish do not set the hook like you would on a lake trout or pike. Sweep the rod tip up and load the rod up. The pressure from this is all you will need to hook the fish well. Anything harder and you will pull those tiny teardrops right out of the fish’s mouth.

Be sure to chum your holes with either cooked rice or my favourite salmon and steelhead spawn. . Only use a handful of rice at a time or a few spoonfuls of spawn. It may make all the difference in the world between a successful outing and a cold day on the ice!

Tight lines and good luck everyone,
Tyler Dunn