Haliburton Whitefish (Sorry Flukes), Fog and improving slush

Got out yesterday with mykola and a couple friends on a Haliburton area lake. We managed to walk out 1km from our launch point to a shoal we had marked out. Conditions were better compared to a week ago, the surface of the lake was mostly solid, temperatures were mild but the moist air made it feel much colder than it was. Our first location was ~45' on the deepest end of the shoal. Half of our group ended up setting up in 20', and they landed the first fish of the day (lake trout). Around 10:30am I landed a whitefish on a small soft plastic white minnow rigged about 1.5' off bottom. We continued to mark fish throughout the day (non-committal whitefish) and had a few other opportunities but for the most part, a slow day out there.

Nice catch Mike!
I’m still waiting my first whitefish of the season.
We still have some time!

Thanks! Hopefully should have good ice well into March and the whitefish will be turning on soon.

Congrats on the nice white fish I'm still waiting for my first of the season

Nice report, Mike. Hopefully, they'll be cooperating on Thursday!

Damn...you wanna trade for some lakers? I agree that the WF should be turning on soon where I am fishing but that means, I need to figure out where they are now (maybe deeper?). One of the lakers I got yesterday was loaded with smelt (a couple of them were 4-5" long but most were 1-2" so all that stuff I was marking that looked like noise were probably the tiny smelt...these should be good food for whities as well so where are theyyyyyyy....).

I've had a tough go with them as well, this was one of the few I was able to catch on an artificial presentation this winter.

Stomach contents of the whitefish. Several casings and what appears to be two caddisfly larvae:

You may remember that I caught my first Muskoka WF ice fishing last year and it had a bunch of alder fly larvae (many were still alive when it coughed them up on the ice and also when I opened up the stomach and you helped ID them). Maybe that is where they are hanging out and I should try in the same shallow spot I caught that one last year and using some some bug like bait or fly (I caught that one on a a Simcoe bug type lure in 9-10' of water). Hmmm...maybe that is where they are hanging out and not in deeper water (last year it was in early Feb when I caught that one).

Yes I remember, that could be the case. I would try shallower rather than deeper. Tie on something that imitates an aquatic macroinvertebrate. When they are keyed in on hatches they can be very selective.

They were in my bag the whole time.

Locally made.

The head pokes out the front of those casings they make for themselves, perhaps a meegz or similar jig and hook the bait to look like the head is poking up from bottom, and practice that precise technique of rocking on the bottom. Get ready for slack bite. Throw one in a high hook for good measure.

Whitefish candy

Thanks! Hopefully should have good ice well into March and the whitefish will be turning on soon.

Nice trip!

Never mind March! I plan to fish Abitibi until April 15th - when their season closes. Thickest ice i have ever drilled in April - 38 inches one year.