baked stuffed lake erie whitefish was our Good Friday traditional meal growing up.  Spent many a Good Friday afternoon sewing the fillets together after they were stuffed, at least we had smoked whitefish to pick on while we were doing this.

Erie_flyfishing
The whitefish are up to rt five

Nothing you say is funny or original

Dive, real good article on Whitefish in the Dec/Jan/Feb 2018 In-Fisherman by Matt Straw. Lots of good tips and info on that species. Check it out...........worth reading.

Tree what was the average size of those Whitefish netted ? What about any other species netted ?

Might have to target them this year! I’ll let you know Sean if I am successful

treesparrow, I caught a Lake Herring (I’ve always called them Cisco, same fish) in the St. Mary’s River last June, along with several Whitefish and other misc. Salmonids. Little guys put up a heck of a fight for their size. Pound for pound the one I landed fought better than a jack Steelie.

Pic: http://www.roughfish.com/...t/files/IMG_5534_0.JPG

tree ......thanks for all the info .....that's interesting stuff. Never really heard much about Whitefish and I'm amazed they get to that size! I also never heard of Lake Herring. Don't think I've ever ate any Whitefish or Herring. Are those Herring in our stores the same ones ?  They are smoked and salty (blind robins ) and I have ate them on occasion . Must oily fish don't freeze well, but put smoke to them and they are very good. Maybe I've had Whitefish in restaurants or frozen fish sticks just not sure. Did a lot go overseas or were there processers here ? 
 
Feel free to share more stories about Lake Huron. How is the overall fishing there as far as the lake or tributaries ? I've fished Ontario and Erie for many years, but know little about the others.    

CAPTAIN HOOK
Nice Dive.......they look like silver bullets! Jumpers....or line burners...or both  ?

Definitely runners! They’re closer to Bonefish in appearance and behavior than any other freshwater fish I’ve encountered. Really felt like I had a saltwater fish on with that guy.

Divemaster, That Cisco does not look like the Herring we used to catch. It could be and just is smaller than what we caught. I am told that the Chubs ( Deep Ciscoes) are gone from where I was. That was the summer staples of the few Commercial fisherman in the 70's.
C.H.,         Those blind robins I do not know. The Lake Herring is different than the supermarket herring which are Ocean. Also the whitefish you get in the supermarket or restaurant are both Ocean. The Whitefish we caught were shipped to NY for a Jewish market. I guess they somehow got a taste for them and kept the yearly supply coming.
The best way I ever tasted Whitefish was baked stuffed with onions. Oh my, they are good. I have eaten them boiled also . Tried one I bought couple years ago filleted and grilled that was good however my favorite is baked. I had to grill because I was serving relatives that wanted no bones. I overcooked it to boot, and it was still good.
                   I still every year go up to the little town of Britt. Town that's funny. Many of my old friends have past away. The son of the Gentleman I fished for still does some seasonal Commercial fishing mostly Whitefish. He and I both fished for his father. If I fished a hundred years I wouldn't make the fisherman he is, and the skill with a boat that I have never seen equaled. That said I worked a few years on Riverboats with some great Captains that I know would be impressed with his skill. He asks me often when I am coming back up for the November Whitefish run to Com. fish with him. I guess my days of jumping the border and working up there are over. I worked up there because I loved it not to financially better myself. My brother and I guided and I commercial fished. Back then in late 60's into 70's the Canadians didn't seem to care. As the 80's came things changed and I was getting a hard time at the border with some nervous crossings. I had to quit because I didn't want to get the people I would work for in trouble. Some friends had a sport fishing camp on an island and the husband died. His wife asked me if I would help her run it the next season. I was nervous and said we would need to do it legal. We couldn't get the papers and I gave up my border jumping. Maybe its a good thing I am not President or I would have a real soft spot in my heart for the dreamers and others especially those that were accepted in our military served and now are rejected. In my opinion shame on us.   

Porktown, I fish Georgian Bay where a 17 ft boat is large for what I do. I have fished a 14 ' for years and it is a little small. A Canadian friend that couldn't swim insisted we fish his 18' with 115 Yamaha and I was a nervous wreck. He didn't know the waters I did the boat running. I refused until he told me the boat was fully insured. I now have a 16' that is fine running around the shoals and Islands. It is treacherous water with shoals and small cuts you have to go through and granite is very unforgiving. 
             I have a free place to stay however rent a cabin for $900/ week split between 4, because I go with to many adults to stuff in the freebe. The fishing is different every year.
             Some years the bass fishing is great, and no pike. Next year the Walleyes are the ticket just neat how it changes. Walleyes they call Pickerel or Yellows in the Commercial trade.
             Spent some time around Superior and it is a deep big Lake. It is for trollers and such. I favor rod in hand kind of fishing maybe just because that is what I am used to.
             PA. has some good fishing just differen, and a lot more competition.

CAPTAIN HOOK
Nice Dive.......they look like silver bullets! Jumpers....or line burners...or both  ?

 
Whitefish can't jump.
 
 

Porktown, You know how you get used to fishing certain areas and ways, well that I guess is how I  have become. I like to fish the outer Islands shoals and bays of the 30,000 Islands. Everyday we head out down the Magnetawan River and head either North or South to fish the shoals and Bays. We rarely fish The Magnetawan even though it is world class musky water. In the almost 50 years I have fished there I doubt I have fished for Musky three hours. There are fishermen that fish there with the goal of a World record Musky. Group of young guys from Toronto used to spend the weekends sleeping in vehicles and fishing Musky all weekend. The biggest ones are caught in the fall when the water is cooling and they gorge.
              I just never bothered with the inland lakes. I think the Islands are so beautiful and with the usual breeze it is far less buggy.
              I once bumped into a fella up there from Meadville as I was fishing my favorite shoal weed bed. I noticed him due to the pa boat. He proceeds to tell me it was his favorite spot. Coincidence ay. Well we shot the bull for a while and many other recollections were similar. We both were camping years ago on the Islands there during Hurricane Agress in the 70's. He with boy scouts a little south of where we were and me with a friend and two youngsters one my brother. I regret not getting his name.