change in mentality, caused by catching whitefish/lakers

so when i was an amateur ice fisherman, I loved fishing perch, because thats all i could do.

then i got my sonar, and all the best gear.

then learned how to catch whities and lakers on demand, and have not been skunked yet...

now, perch get boring, pike get boring,

now all i want to do is catch white fish and lake trout.

dont get me wrong, perch are still very tasty, but they just dont do it for me, and I find myself going after lakers and whities far more often than perch.

anyone else change from only catching perch, to slowly focusing on "more elusive " species?

at this point, I have more confidence in my ability to catch whitefish and lake trout, than i do having an outstanding day perch fishing. I hope this is not uncommon, because i love perch, but just seems a bit boring.

I hope to one day make this same post. My 3rd ice season, just moved up from perchin this year, on the quest for figuring out lakers and whities.

LOL I have gone the other way.
In my younger days Hit the whitefish pretty hard as they tasted good and the walk was a breeze. Lake trout were never a target as didn't like them greasers to eat and just to catch them to put 'em back didn't do it for me.
Now prefer a good perch feed as literally the walk isn't that hard. Mind you come the spring when the boat is back on the water its a different story.

i have been a walleye fisherman for a couple of decades and learning to White fish was a very humbling experience with me questioning if i just suck at fishing now. That said i started with why dont they bite i do everything exactly same as what i see on youtube, then i made some adjustments to how i present and got plenty of hook ups but i still could not land one; one trip on BBP i had 7 hook ups with zero on ice 2 lost at the hole. It wasn't until i finally iced one to see where the hook was set that i finally realized i was setting the hook way too aggressively and these are not like Walleye they only nip at the bait and you can rip the hook right out of their gummy lips.

Your not alone, at all. I grew up 15 minutes from BOQ, had a family cottage in the telegraph narrows.
Amazing fishing, and walleye was the main focus on keeping a feed. Perch we a close second, then I started whitie fishing, leaned on simcoe. Then spent some time up north figure out the same thing, too many hooks pulling out. Or missed opportunities, and finally got into a groove.
Whitefish are my favourite fish to eat now, walleye second.
I would be on simcoe 7 days a week if time/$ allowed, it’s an amazing fishery.

I think its a BOQ curse, i remember landing my fist 14lbs walleye on Thompsons point and i was hooked on walleye after that, i never bass fish anymore its like cheating how easy it is compared to jigging a walleye at 60fow. Then came Simcoe and perch are just like post spawn eyes and jump onto your hook. Took me an entire season probably 5 trips before i landed my fist white fish and now i'm hooked once again, Lakers are easy they are like Pike just find them and p### them off.

I hope to one day make this same post. My 3rd ice season, just moved up from perchin this year, on the quest for figuring out lakers and whities.

Same here, I quit perch fishing and tried to figure out whities and laker with couple of budds and it took us couple of seasons to hook the first whity and we have very rarely been skunked ever since. Now I likre to get jumbos and it's not boring once you find them but we target them just couple of times a year.

I hope to one day make this same post. My 3rd ice season, just moved up from perchin this year, on the quest for figuring out lakers and whities.

Same here, I quit perch fishing and tried to figure out whities and laker with couple of budds and it took us couple of seasons to hook the first whity and we have very rarely been skunked ever since. Now I likre to get jumbos and it's not boring once you find them but we target them just couple of times a year.

Similar story

I love perch and panfishing. I have been ice fishing since I was a kid. Lakers don't do much for me, as I catch them on lake O a plenty during the open water season. I like catching whities, but hut operators are starting to look better and better to me as I'm getting kind of lazy. It just seems more economical to pay a guy $60 to drop me off in a nice warm hut than load up my quad and drag all my gear to Simcoe in the truck. So, after many years of ice fishing for all species, I think I still love perch fishing the best. I guess it's different for everyone!

"Is this 'The Donald' here?"

I can’t disagree more. I have fished everything I have ever had a chance to fish for and continue to today. I now get a blast teaching it all to my daughter. I even have very very fond memories of try to beat the current record chub as a kid.

One of my favourite times of year still is first ice out for pan fish.
Now I am on to teaching both my twins to catch salmon, Steelhead, walleyes, bass, musky etc. I catch them with them and as soon as they are bored I can’t wait to get back to the numbers of Pan fish on ultra lights.

I start our first ice in December on first ice with crappie and perch and small pike. As the ice becomes safer and the other species become available I target them. They are all fun and all take a somewhat different approach. I like exploring different lakes and different species. Last year smashed splake for the first time and will definitely do that again. I love going for the walleye on lake x with DB. Lakers and Ling on our northern lakes with no one else around. Perch on Simcoe so my son so he can catch numbers. I have no favourites. They are all worthy.
I had a fishing partner before and he was so obsessed with trout and only the one lake and only the one spot. We don’t fish together anymore.
Dave

This is a great topic lol

Like other I've been obsessed with slaying lakers on simcoe. I still love it and will continue to do so, however more and more of me wants to dial in the whiteys and perch and would love to make the haul to the BOQ for those legendary walters.... but once again, no idea what Im doing down there... You always want what you dont have....

I'm sorta the same. Except i can't catch any lakers or whities. I try constantly for them. After 4-5.skunkings i give up and go for perch. After not catching any jumbos i go back to lakers and whities. Sometimes i look forward to the seasons end so i can end my suffering. I have fun tho...thats what i keep telling myself anyways. Shoot me now!

I’ve gone full circle with regards to ice fishing simcoe. Started with perch fishing then slowly transitioned to only fishing for lakers/whiteys. Now I’m back to perch fishing mostly. Hoping for a legit 15 incher one day.