Anyone target whitefish in the summer?

[tunrevir]

Just curious if anyone has tips on targeting whitefish during this time of year. I will be fishing a lake with both tullibees and lake whitefish and was thinking of trying for a few for the smoker. I am thinking they will be suspended over the deepest water on the lake and will rise in the evening and drop back down during the day near the thermocline. I was thinking of small jigging spoons maybe a slip bobber and waxie/worm but am not going to work the surface with flies as I have limited options for rods to bring. Anyone care to help me out? Thanks in advance!

Tunrevir~

[Northlander]

Sorry never target them in the soft water season.

[vermilionwally]

I caught a tullibee on a slip bobber and a leech a few weeks ago in about 12 feet of water on vermilion while walleye fishing. Dont know if that helps any lol

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Just a few weekends ago I caught a 25 inch whitefish bombing a 1/2oz buckshot jig w/ half a cisco on it. Thought I had a monster laker on the hole time until I saw it!

[musky hunter]

I have never targeted the fish but have caught a few. Several came out of Lake Superior fishing for trout and a few caught fishing walleyes on the Seagull River. Sam Cook had an article in the News Tribune on targeting the fish, I'm sure it's all of ten or fifteen years old, but to my recollection they were using flies on the Pigeon River. I think the Trib could dig it up for you for a fee. You might try wet flies, as well as worms and or waxies. I think you could catch a few. I personally like the taste of whitefish.

[macgruber]

usually when they are in the rivers, it's during the spawn..... they school up pretty good apparently...... mid to late summer, i've only ever caught them when i've moved into the deeper walleye holes during the day in 30+ feet on a jig and a leech or jig and a small minnow moving very slow...... i've never targeted them though.... i'm guessing it'll vary from lake to lake re: the factors you mentioned above.......

[JBMasterAngler]

I caught one while fishing for bass on poplar lake last year with a #2 mepps. Casting out in open water with a #2 or smaller mepps on a calm evening might produce. But I've also heard of guys trolling #2 mepps for whitefish and cisco.

[fishgutz77]

I kept seven for the smoker 2 weeks ago from the whitefish chain and got 6 on the downriggers with small michigan stinger spoons and one on leadcore 5 colors and 40ft lead with a spoon.

all fish came under high sun middle of the day 45-50ft down in 60-110 fow. and yes they are bull dogs once they get about 4-5 pounds.

[traveler]

I was up in grand marasis a month ago and stopped at the local bait shop to see if they had any good looking adult mayflies as i was headed up to target bows. The guy behind the counter said that he had been catching big whitefish the last several evenings on Devils track. He was flyfishing with the same mayflies at dusk, over the deep part of the lake, just as you thought. Likely too late for that now...

[protrapper]

Nope still catching them on D-Track on flyrods in evening.

[traveler]

thats good to hear, he sounded pretty pumped about it. (wasn't you, was it??) Are they pickly about flies, or are the big mayflies needed?

[protrapper]

no wasn't me. You were prolly talkin to Tyson the owners son. I got one about 5 pounds an a Reef Runner last week. Samll jigs and bobbers with Gulp maggots or waxies will catch them. Look for them surfacing in the evening, they move in pods.

[macgruber]

that sounds awesome..... i'm gonna have to find out more and give that a shot sometime..... r the fish hanging in the lake or actually making runs up the river?