John you make incredible videos. They’re like watching a short documentary on fish behaviour. I cannot say enough about the quality of footage you put out. I am not a pro angler by any means, and watching your video’s gives great insight to how fish react to baits, but watching you pull so many baits away from fish drives me absolutely insane. I hope you have a great season in 2020 and i hope to see more of your videos.
So I need some help I catch the odd white fish in the lake that I fish there are jumbo whites five six pounders I see them come out of the net but I very seldom ever catch one. I've tried everything but the kitchen sink please somebody give me a few more ideas. It's not that I'm a terrible fisherman I have no trouble catching burbot northern pike walleye and even perch but those dog gone Whitefish are alluding me and I sell them see a white fish caught on the lake that I fish on is it just me or is it the lake. And I know there's lots of white fish there I see them come out of the sustenance Nets
I fish on a lake in Northwestern Saskatchewan called lackvert they have now changed the name to Green Lake it's a very long narrow Lake and it's very deep. It is my Homeland. I have tried very many different hooks that have been recommended for Whitefish but strangely I have caught my white fish on a hook that is called a Slater in the yellow color. I use very light line and I fish various depths of the lake as well as various depths of the water. I do not have sonar but I have family that does and they pick up fish at various depths of water and we try to get our hook to those depths but we just do not have any luck at all .the white fish that I have caught have been in under 20 ft of water while fishing right on the bottom. That's about all I can think of to tell you right now except I really love eating white fish and I wish I could catch them if you can help me it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
I'm in Canada and some of pur mountain lakes are polluted with Lake Whitefish and hardly anyone tries to fish for them. In our cold mountain lakes they fight pretty darn hard and since we don't have bass here these Lake Whites are the next best thing in my mind. If more people went after these fish it would sure take pressure off the pike and walleye.
Dude what are you talking about? They are native to all across Canada. They also don't pressure walleye and pike. Both walleye and pike feed on them lol
Not ever catching these (whitefish) where I grew up in Michigan (years ago obviously), I was initially surprised to hear they are so plentiful in the Great Lakes region. But, makes sense. I also learned watching the show Meat Eater with Steve Rinell, that whitefish get a bad rap. Certainly, when I moved to Washington state years ago, many guys that I knew in WA, even ones that grew up in Montana, told me that they were a trash fish and they were all bones and just toss em on the land for the birds. As if they were a plague or invasive species. In the early 2000's I fished a pond that had culvert access to the Yakima river in several places, and I caught what were small whitefish, almost every cast with a jig with a small Mister Twister on it and on live redworms with a small hook and a split shot about 30 inches up the line. We caught hundreds of them. Back then, especially when they were so small, I really had no idea that is what they were (whitefish). I figured because they were some small native species that you find in regions around the USA, like a dace, chub, darter, or tiny suckerfish in some places. I gotta make some time to go back to central WA to that area and see if we can land some of em this summer. I hear also tales of guys catching them (some species of whitefish) in some of the streams in the high country in WA where the water stays pretty cold year round. We were in the Ellensburg/Yakima/Wenatchee area when we caught all those really small ones. We were actually chasing tales of a "secret" population of walleye that had made their way into the Yakima river. Fish tales! :-)
These fish were always an incidental catch for me for years while fishing lake trout. When I finally got into it I was hooked. They are one of the highest per lb seller for commercial harvesters. They are a close cousin to grayling. I have had grayling and I prefer whitefish.
Bad rod. Need sensitive tip and long backbone instead of bend as trolling rod. Not a good technique. Bait needs constant contact with bottom, every time drop and hold on bottom. Need to keep drilling holes until open sandy spot is found. It’s not uncommon for us to have triple digit fish days. It’s a comment not critique, great video
+canatek Sorry for the delay. I have caught them in 5 ft but on average I fish up to 50 ft. There are a lot of deeper fish in Kempenfelt but it is hard to get enough light for video after 50 ft.
Awsome video like always!! Just wondering if a more subdued jigging method might hook more fish? Seems like they are lethargic and the jig is just ripping past them. What do you think?
Thanks and Yes, that was the point of the technique. Most anglers overwork bait. Most of the fish I catch are with a deadstick bait after jigging. Jig for attention and keep still for the bite.
Thank you If you show someone what to use and where to go they will catch a fish. If you teach someone why they are there and why they eat that bait they can catch fish anywhere
Some misinformation in this video. Whitefish feed throughout the water column as much as on the bottom. They are spending more and more time suspended as the Great Lakes food web becomes more and more compromised. Between Quagga and Zebra mussels, Goby, and Spiny water flea, there is very little of the Whitefish's traditional food left.
Sorry to disagree but whitefish have evolved to feed down. They do spend a lot of time suspended but zebra and quagga mussels have become part of their diet as is everything that lives in and around them. On some lakes or in some areas of lakes where there is a healthy population of smelt they do become more active higher in the water column but this normally doesn't last long. Goby have become the primary target on most of the Great lakes. They tend to hide in the clusters of zebra mussels or nestle down in the sand or gravel as do small shiners. The aquatic insects and various hatches are also close to the bottom. A whitefish will shoot up and hit various baits when they are aggressive but more than 90% of their diet is within 3 ft of the bottom. They are also very curious much like trout so they will travel up to see anything that looks out of place.
I should also make a distinction that is seen in various populations of whitefish. Fish that are constantly deep do have a wider range of forage and do tend to occupy more of the water column. These fish may still be goby eaters but also feed on shiners and other baitfish that occupy different depths depending on time of day and season. There are a couple of guys I know that fish high for whitefish and do quite well. But the hours of opportunity are much less and does require timing and technique. I actually wanted to do a video on this as well but most of this happens early morning or low light hours so the camera can't capture enough light.
Yes. My point wasn't that there isn't whitefish feeding on the bottom, it was just that they just as often suspended feeding on immature smelt and spiny water fleas as they are on the bottom feeding on goby's, pea shells, and mussels. I catch about 150,000 lbs of whitefish a year and we are often targetting them using suspended nets. Even on our bottom gear there are times where the majority of our whitefish are coming up on the cork line, 20 ft off the bottom.
commercial yes. North Channel and Northern Lake Huron. But it's the same on the US side as well as the south end of the lake. In Lake Michigan mid water trawling has become the go to technique for harvesting whitefish because of this.
John you make incredible videos. They’re like watching a short documentary on fish behaviour. I cannot say enough about the quality of footage you put out. I am not a pro angler by any means, and watching your video’s gives great insight to how fish react to baits, but watching you pull so many baits away from fish drives me absolutely insane. I hope you have a great season in 2020 and i hope to see more of your videos.
So I need some help I catch the odd white fish in the lake that I fish there are jumbo whites five six pounders I see them come out of the net but I very seldom ever catch one. I've tried everything but the kitchen sink please somebody give me a few more ideas. It's not that I'm a terrible fisherman I have no trouble catching burbot northern pike walleye and even perch but those dog gone Whitefish are alluding me and I sell them see a white fish caught on the lake that I fish on is it just me or is it the lake. And I know there's lots of white fish there I see them come out of the sustenance Nets
What lake do you fish? Maybe I can help. I did this once before for someone fishing Champlain through the ice.
I fish on a lake in Northwestern Saskatchewan called lackvert they have now changed the name to Green Lake it's a very long narrow Lake and it's very deep. It is my Homeland. I have tried very many different hooks that have been recommended for Whitefish but strangely I have caught my white fish on a hook that is called a Slater in the yellow color. I use very light line and I fish various depths of the lake as well as various depths of the water. I do not have sonar but I have family that does and they pick up fish at various depths of water and we try to get our hook to those depths but we just do not have any luck at all .the white fish that I have caught have been in under 20 ft of water while fishing right on the bottom. That's about all I can think of to tell you right now except I really love eating white fish and I wish I could catch them if you can help me it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
@@paulcharpentier7095 I will see if I have a chart for that lake.
Thank you John ! Great video !! ❤
I'm in Canada and some of pur mountain lakes are polluted with Lake Whitefish and hardly anyone tries to fish for them. In our cold mountain lakes they fight pretty darn hard and since we don't have bass here these Lake Whites are the next best thing in my mind. If more people went after these fish it would sure take pressure off the pike and walleye.
Dude what are you talking about? They are native to all across Canada. They also don't pressure walleye and pike. Both walleye and pike feed on them lol
Looks like I just bought the exact same rod but I'm now feeling like it might be a bit too long for the portable. Were you finding it awkward at all?
Hey John thanks for the tips helped me catch my first whitie on a rod rather then a tip up last year great video
'Released into a frying pan'
That's brilliant 😃
Great white fish tips thanks for sharing
Really enjoyed the burbot footage John! Would love to see more.
Not ever catching these (whitefish) where I grew up in Michigan (years ago obviously), I was initially surprised to hear they are so plentiful in the Great Lakes region. But, makes sense. I also learned watching the show Meat Eater with Steve Rinell, that whitefish get a bad rap. Certainly, when I moved to Washington state years ago, many guys that I knew in WA, even ones that grew up in Montana, told me that they were a trash fish and they were all bones and just toss em on the land for the birds. As if they were a plague or invasive species. In the early 2000's I fished a pond that had culvert access to the Yakima river in several places, and I caught what were small whitefish, almost every cast with a jig with a small Mister Twister on it and on live redworms with a small hook and a split shot about 30 inches up the line. We caught hundreds of them. Back then, especially when they were so small, I really had no idea that is what they were (whitefish). I figured because they were some small native species that you find in regions around the USA, like a dace, chub, darter, or tiny suckerfish in some places. I gotta make some time to go back to central WA to that area and see if we can land some of em this summer. I hear also tales of guys catching them (some species of whitefish) in some of the streams in the high country in WA where the water stays pretty cold year round. We were in the Ellensburg/Yakima/Wenatchee area when we caught all those really small ones. We were actually chasing tales of a "secret" population of walleye that had made their way into the Yakima river. Fish tales! :-)
These fish were always an incidental catch for me for years while fishing lake trout. When I finally got into it I was hooked. They are one of the highest per lb seller for commercial harvesters. They are a close cousin to grayling. I have had grayling and I prefer whitefish.
Bad rod. Need sensitive tip and long backbone instead of bend as trolling rod. Not a good technique. Bait needs constant contact with bottom, every time drop and hold on bottom. Need to keep drilling holes until open sandy spot is found. It’s not uncommon for us to have triple digit fish days. It’s a comment not critique, great video
Catch and release in the grease.
Whitefish tips, Don't fish like this guy lol
Outstanding video as usual. What is the minimum depth at which you can find them?
Thanks again for your videos
+canatek Sorry for the delay. I have caught them in 5 ft but on average I fish up to 50 ft. There are a lot of deeper fish in Kempenfelt but it is hard to get enough light for video after 50 ft.
Great Video bud thanks! I love catching whites but find it a struggle to locate them!
wow! that is crisp quality. Which camera are you using?
+Aleksandar Zgonjanin This was taken at 34 ft using a GoPro 4 with a custom bottom mount.
Thanks for sharing. +john whyte
awesome footage!
A most excellent video. I enjoyed it greatly. Thanks.
I've never caught a whitefish on Lake Erie...yet I know they exist.
Is this Whitefish the same in Europe we called Coregonus? In EU u can only catch them with tiny Nimphs with a technique called Hegene
I believe they are the same.
Released into the frying pan 😂😂😂. Good one.
I love catching and eating whitefish and thanks for the tips
Awesome video! Do you use a swivel and leader when fishing a vibrato?
No swivel needed but I use a spot ring.
What size vibrato are you using there? Great video!
Can anyone suggest bait and hook size?
Very informative John. Now i can't wait to hit the hard ice
Great video friend
cool video! Where do you find that bottome structure on Kbay?
That isn't kbay.
Good smoked!
released into the grease!
Thanks John.
what size vibrado?
1/2 ounce in halo green
Awsome video like always!! Just wondering if a more subdued jigging method might hook more fish? Seems like they are lethargic and the jig is just ripping past them. What do you think?
Thanks and Yes, that was the point of the technique. Most anglers overwork bait. Most of the fish I catch are with a deadstick bait after jigging. Jig for attention and keep still for the bite.
john whyte i just watched your video again. Great way of explaining the science behind fishing!!
Thank you
If you show someone what to use and where to go they will catch a fish. If you teach someone why they are there and why they eat that bait they can catch fish anywhere
Catching whitefish can be difficult with the tender mouths
have you seen a black guy ice fishing yet?
Sure. Once you are a Canuck and like the outdoors you will have tried it. We even have some of the Toronto Raptors come out.
Some misinformation in this video. Whitefish feed throughout the water column as much as on the bottom. They are spending more and more time suspended as the Great Lakes food web becomes more and more compromised. Between Quagga and Zebra mussels, Goby, and Spiny water flea, there is very little of the Whitefish's traditional food left.
Sorry to disagree but whitefish have evolved to feed down. They do spend a lot of time suspended but zebra and quagga mussels have become part of their diet as is everything that lives in and around them. On some lakes or in some areas of lakes where there is a healthy population of smelt they do become more active higher in the water column but this normally doesn't last long. Goby have become the primary target on most of the Great lakes. They tend to hide in the clusters of zebra mussels or nestle down in the sand or gravel as do small shiners. The aquatic insects and various hatches are also close to the bottom. A whitefish will shoot up and hit various baits when they are aggressive but more than 90% of their diet is within 3 ft of the bottom. They are also very curious much like trout so they will travel up to see anything that looks out of place.
I should also make a distinction that is seen in various populations of whitefish. Fish that are constantly deep do have a wider range of forage and do tend to occupy more of the water column. These fish may still be goby eaters but also feed on shiners and other baitfish that occupy different depths depending on time of day and season. There are a couple of guys I know that fish high for whitefish and do quite well. But the hours of opportunity are much less and does require timing and technique. I actually wanted to do a video on this as well but most of this happens early morning or low light hours so the camera can't capture enough light.
Yes. My point wasn't that there isn't whitefish feeding on the bottom, it was just that they just as often suspended feeding on immature smelt and spiny water fleas as they are on the bottom feeding on goby's, pea shells, and mussels. I catch about 150,000 lbs of whitefish a year and we are often targetting them using suspended nets. Even on our bottom gear there are times where the majority of our whitefish are coming up on the cork line, 20 ft off the bottom.
Where are you fishing? Is this commercial harvesting?
commercial yes. North Channel and Northern Lake Huron. But it's the same on the US side as well as the south end of the lake. In Lake Michigan mid water trawling has become the go to technique for harvesting whitefish because of this.