Whitefish Sunbath, After Work Special

Got off work early, stepped outside the shop into a sunbath… holy moly it’s nice out! (Especially after -38 Saturday)… seized the moment and scooted up the road with gear and set out on the lake for 3pm. One fella coming off the ice said it was a good day for lakers, and he caught quite a few moving around various spots around 45ft depth…sounds about right, im sure the fish appreciate the weather as well. Slush was bad, but the sleds had beaten down a decent path up the lake, so it made things a little easier. Managed to find a spot that had previously slushed up and frozen, and coincidentally if was a spot I drilled the whitefish pretty good in the fall. Drilled hole, 40ft, no fish, walked 20 ft towards the basin, drilled again, 48ft, pretty steep drop. All sand bottom, set up shop. Just using one line although two are allowed. I drilled a line of holes along my depth and set up in the first hole at 48fow. Mark fish right away, one big one suspended 2ft off bottom, and another 5ft off bottom. I send down my trusty simcoe bug, and they follow it to bottom. I pick up slack and slowly lift, like dead slow, almost drifting upward, then slowly back down… I can see they follow but not biting yet, so, I slowly lift a up foot, and jiggle it vigorously but precisely,2 seconds, then stop, 2 seconds, then jiggle again, and each time I jiggled, a mark would come closer to my bait… until finally, slow lift, the slightest of taps, barley noticeable… but I know what it means… SLAM! I set the hook into some decent weight, the rod loads up… decent fight, not huge. I get the fish top side and pop it out the hole, nice whitefish for first drop! Can’t complain with that, kept for dinner. Marked a few more fish, lost one half way up, marked a pile of bait, I assume smelts. Missed a few hits, then I packed it up. The bottom started filling up with bigger marks but I needed to get home so I got off the ice at 4:45. But that’s ok home just after 5. The bigger marks coming through in bottom i believe are whitefish or Ling, happens every evening there I never stay to find out… probably a wicked Ling night bite there, I’ve caught some daytime there. Anyway, after work mission accomplished. Cheers

Great stuff---love the play by play!!

Nice workand great read! Thanks for sharing

I did that just for you

I did that just for you

I know!!

Nice keeper! Stay late and find out about the ling

Thanks for sharing, awsome details, very cool that you can slip out after work for some action!

great report with the detail



I could visualize it all

Nice fish ..
Would love to try for the ling ?

Lake of bays ?

No, much smaller lake. The lake I was on has only trout, whitefish, Ling, and cisco, and smallmouth bass although I’ve never seen one even in summer.

Nice ..
Love to try for the ling .
Always fished lake if bays for ling .but too many newbe
Locals now that won't give access to target the ling ..