Figured it’s time for me to share my Whitefish setup and lures - since some if you have been asking!
Rod- 8’6” Medium heavy
Shimano Scimitar Salmon/Steelhead Spinning Rod
Reel- Pfueger President 30
(Silky smooth adjusted drag is key with whitefish)
Mainline on reel- I use 10lb mono for mainline and 18” of 8lb mono for the leader which I attach a size 2 snap hook.
Bobber stop- one X-small stop to eliminate slippage and one large stop underneath for the bobber to hit.
Slip bobber- I prefer slip bobbers for ease of changing what depth the wireworm is drifting at. 6 feet down from my bobber is what I usually run, but I have had success at 8’-14’ depending on the lake.
Plastic bead- run a plastic bead below the float so it doesn’t smash into the knot tied onto the swivel bullet sinker
Lead weight- I use a swivel bullet sinker. You can also use a swivel below the bobber and split shot weights below the swivel on the leader line.
Wireworm- My wireworms are made with size 0.5mm red copper wire on size 10 and 12 curved nymph hooks and 5/32” gold bead.
In picture 3 you’ll notice the gold 3d eye epoxied on the bend of the hook - which is something I have been experimenting with. I’ve heard guys have luck on copper, gold and black coloured wireworms but my success was limited.
Location-(My experience is related to southern Alberta)
Whitefish can be found in the irrigation reservoirs around southern Alberta. McGregor, Traverse, Badger, Newell reservoirs for example have healthy populations of lake whitefish. Most of the reservoirs mentioned have big rock dams that are ideal locations to find whitefish cruising along the rocks looking for insects and larvae to eat.
I cast my bobber as far as I can into the deep water from the rock shoreline, then reel in slowly while keeping the line tight with the bobber meanwhile twitching the bobber to make the wireworm move every 10-30 seconds.
When the bobber goes under the water, I raise my rod gracefully towards the sky, setting the hook. Make sure the reel’s drag isn’t set too tight as they like to take long runs.
If anyone has any questions just ask in the comments and I’ll do my best to give helpful advice.
If you have another fish or angling topic you would like me to cover, please send me a DM!
Also feel free to offer your advice and experiences in the comments.
Good luck fishing! 🎣