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[Sam6140]

Hey everyone,

I'm still awake...argh!!  I have never caught or seen a live whitefish before.  I have eaten them, and they're not bad at all (bony though).  Where can I find them around the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley?  When is the best time of the year to find them?   What is the best way to catch them?   I know absolutely nothing about catching them, and I know they're not in any lake or river around here.   

FYI, I fish from shore only.  Any help and tips would be much appreciated!


Thanks in advance!!


Sam

[DanL]

I've seen people catch quite them literally by the bucket load in the Lower Fraser in Richmond or Vancouver this year. As far as I know, they are always around.

Either with a float or bar rig, use a small hook tipped with a little bit of earthworm in low current areas and you should have no trouble getting them. Their mouths are not big, so small hooks are necessary. Its been a long while, but I recall they are actually pretty good eating if you don't mind the bones.

edited for spelling

[fishseeker]

I have noticed people use the generic term "Whitefish" for Peamouth chubs or Pikeminnows though they are two distinct species and they are very prevalent in the Tidal Fraser during the summer months (July/August). Later in the year the larger pike minnows move in and they can occasionally be caught accidentally while fishing for pinks (I got a large one that way just last week).

 Rodney put out a nice article on how to catch these.  (Dough with curry powder works pretty well in the summer months. )

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/articles/2002/0702_01.html

[RG]

If you're talking about whitefish the salmonid then head to the stave with a fly rod, can be lots of fun.

[bigblue]

I have seen them caught as bycatch during last steelhead season at the upper Vedder.

[Banny]

I've seen people catch quite them literally by the bucket load in the Lower Fraser in Richmond or Vancouver this year. As far as I know, they are always around.

Either with a float or bar rig, use a small hook tipped with a little bit of earthworm in low current areas and you should have no trouble getting them. Their mouths are not big, so small hooks are necessary. Its been a long while, but I recall they are actually pretty good eating if you don't mind the bones.

edited for spelling

Those would most likely be peamouth chub, not whitefish.  They are often confused and both have relatively small mouths.

The stave has good numbers of whitefish, I have also seen a few caught as bycatch on the mid and upper vedder in the past few years as well.

[staffy]

They are everywhere around Fraser River, like Richmond area. You can use any kind of dough with Vanilla, peanut butter or egg, I got a 2 1/2 lb northern pikeminnow when I playing with the whitefish last week, it's fun.

[skaha]

--I catch them on the Thompson so expect similar rig would work in Frazer.
--Single artificial  egg or bead above single barbless hook.. I use red matzuo sickle hook. Bottom bounce with pencil lead and short leader or drift  float area where you can get artificial near bottom
--Or single egg pattern fly although they will take small surface fly as well.

--We fish for them near spawning salmon areas as they are feeding on drifting eggs thus many of these areas have a bait ban so must use artificial like the fly egg pattern.
--Similkameen and other areas have some parts of the year where bait is allowed.. obviously need to check regs... where bait allowed many use maggots or other small baits.. often fished november or later..I've found artificial work as well if they are biting.
--As well as being tasty fish this is good practice for accurate casting and drifting technique due to their small mouth and the way they feed you actually have to catch them.

[mzmann]

quite small hot pink/bright red dynamite fly tipped with a maggot bounced about a foot or 2 off bottom (we would use a 4" nail as a weight, not as easy to get snagged up with it, cheap and no big deal to lose, lol)......never caught or fished for em at all here in BC but that method worked wonders when I used to live back in alberta.....was nothing to have 50+ fish days using that method.

[frozensalmon]

once caught it by spoon ..which was weird,  around richmond fraser

[mzmann]

once caught it by spoon ..which was weird,  around richmond fraser

Not sure what that is but it sure as heck is not a whitefish!! lol....WAY to big of a mouth for starters!!....at least i've never seen a whitefish like that, please correct me if im wrong though, lol

[Rodney]

Mountain whitefish

Peamouth chub

Northern pikeminnow

[frozensalmon]

it's northern pikemonnow  i think lol    it's big i know 

[Nina]

There are NO whitefish in Lower Fraser. Please get your fish ID in order! It irks me more than it probably should when people don't call things by their right names.   

Rodney has posted some nice photos - look at them and memorize 

[mzmann]

There are NO whitefish in Lower Fraser. Please get your fish ID in order! It irks me more than it probably should when people don't call things by their right names.   

Rodney has posted some nice photos - look at them and memorize 

@ Nina.....mountain whitefish are prevalent throughout the entire fraser system whereas the lake whitefish are only found in the middle and upper reaches

 http://www.ilmb.gov.bc.ca/risc/pubs/aquatic/freshfish/fresht-16.htm