by John Kruse, February 24, 2005

Whitefish are not a real popular sport fish here in Washington. In fact, in some places they’re considered more of a nuisance than a good catch. Personally, I think these fish don’t get the credit they deserve. Colored tan, silver and white, mountain whitefish inhabit fast flowing streams throughout the Cascade and Rocky Mountain ranges. They generally run 10 to 12 inches long, though 16 to 18 inch fish are not uncommon. Even though they have small mouths, they readily bite flies and spinners and I’ve had more than one poor day of trout fishing saved by aggressive whitefish who were happy to smack the offerings at the end of my line. And did I mention that they also taste good? They do, especially when cooked in a smoker.

Here in Central Washington, you can fish for healthy populations of whitefish in Yakima, Wenatchee and Methow Rivers during special winter fisheries that are available for them. Most of these fisheries run through March, but it pays to check the regulations closely because all three of these rivers are under some stringent regulations.

In the summer, you can easily catch whitefish with small spinners or trout flies. During our Central Washington winter fishery, tactics for success change. To start with, the fishing regulations require you to use a small hook that measures no more than 3/16ths of an inch or a size 14 fly. Most anglers drift a couple of whitefish flies above a sinker that bounces along the bottom. Tipped with maggots or stonefly nymphs, a good angler can catch a dozen fish, more than enough to warm a fisherman on a cold winter day.

One of the most successful whitefish anglers I know is Don Talbot. Don works in the fishing department at Hooked on Toys in Wenatchee and is happy to share his knowledge of fishing with anyone who asks. I talked to him recently about whitefishing. His favorite bait is the small white or yellow hellgrammites you find under the rocks in our local rivers. He uses a screen and dredges for them. Once he has enough, he’ll put them on small hooks above a sinker and let them drift downstream.

If you go to Hooked on Toys, you’ll find a rod rigged up for whitefishing, so you can see exactly how you should set up your tackle for success. Better still, if Don is there, he says he’ll actually set you up your rod for whitefishing success. All you have to do is buy the tackle he puts on the end of your line and go fishing! Now that’s customer service!