Lake whitefish on the move

Lake whitefish are now on their annual spawning trek up the Flathead River.

According to Chancy Jeschke at Snappy Sport Senter in Kalispell, anglers willing to spend some time are “doing good!”

“Actually,” said Jeschke recently, “the river dropped a bit, then came back up and the most recent rise has pushed a lot of fish up into the river.”

In addition to lake whitefish, anglers are also catching lake trout.

For lake whitefish, Jeschke recommends a Pete’s Crayfish, Pete’s Tube, or Gitzit on a 1/8 – ¼ ounce leadhead jig.

Most popular colors are green, purple and watermelon.

The lake whitefish “take” is very subtle. Don’t expect these 3-pound fish to slam your lure like a rainbow trout.

In most cases, the fish simply picks up the jig as it falls to the bottom or is slowly dragged across the bottom.

Tight line control and a sensitive rod tip are needed to feel the bite.

A 7-to-8-foot lightweight or ultra-light spinning outfit with 4-to-6-pound test monofilament works fine.

• As an alternative to monofilament, Jeschke prefers Berkley Nanofil, a low-stretch uni-filament line that casts well and is abrasive resistant.

• Early morning fishing is generally the best.

• Even with the high water, anglers are finding lake whitefish at the usual places, including Old Steel Bridge, Kokanee Bend and the Highway 2 bridge east of Columbia Falls.

Floaters have a real advantage finding holes downstream from Pressentine.

Lake trout, up to 5 pounds, are being taken incidentally by anglers targeting lake whitefish.

Anglers who want to catch lakers should step up the size of their jigs to 3/8-ounce and try 3-inch white twister-type tails.

“Larger Panther Martins will also fool lake trout,” adds Jeschke.

Jerry Smalley’s Fishful Thinking column appears weekly in the Hungry Horse News.