12-12-2015, 04:20 PM
[#0000FF]Feeling the bottom better? Fishing for those whitefish is definitely a "finesse" game. You need to stay in constant contact with your jig and you need a rod and line sensitive enough to transmit exactly what is going on down there. And that requires that you are experienced enough to be able to interpret what is coming back up the line to you.
All the rods I use for fishing whitefish are 6-7 feet light or medium light rods...with fast action. The tips are light enough to cast and work light jigs but there is enough power in the lower part of the rod to set the hook and work on larger fish when needed. I now use Nanofil almost exclusively...both for the extended casting distance but also for the no stretch and sensitivity in feeling light bites. I know it has improved my hookup ratios.
As Mike has suggested, many of the whitefish bites will be nothing more than a "rubber band" feel. No hard trout munches from those fish...at least seldom. Some do hit harder than others. But anytime there is a change in the force, set the hook. Hooksets are free and you will find yourself connecting to fish that you might otherwise have missed by waiting for a harder bite.
Vertical jigging is a proven technique. And I use it after almost every cast...to get bites from any fish that have followed my jig in on the retrieve. But I fish mostly by casting to different areas and different depths, to try to find groups of active fish. And once I find them I keep casting to them until they leave or shut off.
I use a variety of retrieves...all designed to keep my jig on or near the bottom. Mostly it is a variation of the lift and drop routine. But sometimes the fish seem to want a slow steady retrieve...as close to the bottom as you can keep it. That may require that you stop reeling and allow the jig to sink again once in a while.
If you are fishing right...over the rocks...you WILL get snags. But when fishing from a non-anchored craft you can usually maneuver directly over the snagged lure and wiggle it free...from the rounded cobble rocks. I got a lot of "real estate" last week, but I didn't lose a single jig. Didn't lose any married ones either.
Ultimately, you will do best with a good quality sensitive rod, reel and line setup that is light enough for you to use comfortably all day. And the reel should turn freely without skips, stutters and clunks. You need to be able to concentrate completely on the feel of your lure down in fish country...not spend all cast fighting with a balky reel. After that, it is a matter of making a bazillion casts and doing things right to develop both muscle memory and intuition. Then, even when your mind wanders off in the middle of a cast your wrist will still set the hook when you get an inquiry. Simple...but not easy.
[/#0000FF]
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All the rods I use for fishing whitefish are 6-7 feet light or medium light rods...with fast action. The tips are light enough to cast and work light jigs but there is enough power in the lower part of the rod to set the hook and work on larger fish when needed. I now use Nanofil almost exclusively...both for the extended casting distance but also for the no stretch and sensitivity in feeling light bites. I know it has improved my hookup ratios.
As Mike has suggested, many of the whitefish bites will be nothing more than a "rubber band" feel. No hard trout munches from those fish...at least seldom. Some do hit harder than others. But anytime there is a change in the force, set the hook. Hooksets are free and you will find yourself connecting to fish that you might otherwise have missed by waiting for a harder bite.
Vertical jigging is a proven technique. And I use it after almost every cast...to get bites from any fish that have followed my jig in on the retrieve. But I fish mostly by casting to different areas and different depths, to try to find groups of active fish. And once I find them I keep casting to them until they leave or shut off.
I use a variety of retrieves...all designed to keep my jig on or near the bottom. Mostly it is a variation of the lift and drop routine. But sometimes the fish seem to want a slow steady retrieve...as close to the bottom as you can keep it. That may require that you stop reeling and allow the jig to sink again once in a while.
If you are fishing right...over the rocks...you WILL get snags. But when fishing from a non-anchored craft you can usually maneuver directly over the snagged lure and wiggle it free...from the rounded cobble rocks. I got a lot of "real estate" last week, but I didn't lose a single jig. Didn't lose any married ones either.
Ultimately, you will do best with a good quality sensitive rod, reel and line setup that is light enough for you to use comfortably all day. And the reel should turn freely without skips, stutters and clunks. You need to be able to concentrate completely on the feel of your lure down in fish country...not spend all cast fighting with a balky reel. After that, it is a matter of making a bazillion casts and doing things right to develop both muscle memory and intuition. Then, even when your mind wanders off in the middle of a cast your wrist will still set the hook when you get an inquiry. Simple...but not easy.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]