Ice fishing Char strike caught on video underwater (not kayak...duh!)

Sorry it's not kayaking.  I should apologize as there actually are a few open water opportunities....

Haven’t been fishing in a while so I had to give it a go at Big Lake.  Took the Qwikfish shelter but it was warm enough that I didn’t need it.  Besides you can see a lot more if you have your face right up against the water. 

Get there about noon.  Set up in about 15 feet of water.  Water was pretty murky and it was hard to see the bottom.  Started off with a large doctor spoon.  I catch my first fish, about a 20 incher, while checking the depths.  While fast action is always welcome, I didn’t have my underwater setup ready. 

I manage a nice fat rainbow that might go 18 inches.  I may have underwater footage of this fish but I didn’t get it on this sequence.  Too much footage to go through. 

But the final fish of the day pays off.  I had felt bumps on my spoon and when I peered down the hole I could see smaller fish cruising by.  So I switched to a home tied jig and sent it down. I usually fish under a small dodger but I forgot mine this trip.  You can see the small sticklebacks attacking my swivel and jig.  I had a hard time seeing from directly above.  Pretty impressed with the gopro 2.  Haven’t picked up the third generation yet.

Here’s the video of the largest Char:

Daaaaamn! You ice fishing guys really reef on this tiny rods! I thought for sure it was gonna snap! That looks like a lot of fun. Always wanted to try ice fishing.
Are Char good eating?


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It's the worlds best video game.  I lie on the ice and look down.  Fish that size striking in full view anywhere from 6 to 20 ft away from you is awesome.  When it gets cold we put up shelters for get nd darkness so we can see down.

That rod is a little light. I think it was 6 lbs test. 

Here's how it looks from the fishers perspective.

Very cool vids.  That is one type of fishing I am totally unfamiliar with, so these videos are great insight.  So do you C&R all the fish you haul up?
Also, can any of you ichthyologists tell me what the difference between dolly varden and arctic char is?  they basically look the same to me.   And when yer done with that, explain how bull trout differ.

K84, if you do eat the char, how do they taste?  I've been tempted to keep a dolly since they are legal in the upper skagit system, but I keep thinking I need to keep my 2-trout limit open for 2 steelhead!   That'll happen.. for sure.

Very cool vids.  That is one type of fishing I am totally unfamiliar with, so these videos are great insight.  So do you C&R all the fish you haul up?
Also, can any of you ichthyologists tell me what the difference between dolly varden and arctic char is?  they basically look the same to me.   And when yer done with that, explain how bull trout differ.

K84, if you do eat the char, how do they taste?  I've been tempted to keep a dolly since they are legal in the upper skagit system, but I keep thinking I need to keep my 2-trout limit open for 2 steelhead!   That'll happen.. for sure.

The difference is hard to tell.  In fact I think you need to count gill rakers or fin rays to know.  Although wrong, it is used interchangeably here in Alaska.  I'll defer to the experts.

Most of my friends prefer char to rainbows (Not steelhead, oil content is different).  But if you look at the video, the spawning phased colored dollies are terrible to eat like the large one.  The smaller char that still had the silvery appearance would have been fine.

But at the end of the day, I have enough salmon in the freezer so I release most of them.  On Big Lake, you can't keep them until 20 inches and frankly I'd prefer two or three 14 inchers for a pan fry.

Do they taste more like a trout or a salmon, or neither?  What color is their flesh?

Do they taste more like a trout or a salmon, or neither?  What color is their flesh?

It should be pale orange to pink.  Depends on food source.  I'd compare them to pinks.  But I also think fresh pinks from the ocean are great food fresh on the grill.  I never freeze trout. 

 And when yer done with that, explain how bull trout differ.

To tell the difference between Dollies and Bulls in the field you can look at the maxilla. It will extend pass the eye in Bulls and just reach the eye in most Dollies, similar to Largemouth vs Smallmouth bass.  Body shape, gill rakers, and number of anal fin rays are also different.

To tell definitively you either kill the fish and count pyloric caeca or use DNA analysis.

I've only eaten dollies when they were silver.   I thought they tasted great but I was hungry at the time.  Much better than pinks, but not nearly as good as reds.

Niiiiice catch, Rudy.  Happy New Year! 

If we don't get some snow this week, that ice fishing thing might just lure me out.  For now, still focused on skiing rather than fishing to keep me semi-sane.

Nice ! I went the same day to finger lake. Managed 6 landlocked salmon and that was it

Managed 6 landlocked salmon and that was it

Something you will NEVER hear us lower 48 guys say.


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Niiiiice catch, Rudy.  Happy New Year! 

If we don't get some snow this week, that ice fishing thing might just lure me out.  For now, still focused on skiing rather than fishing to keep me semi-sane.

Happy New Year to ya Pam!  You should give it a try.  It's a great lesson in fish behavior.  We can make it so its relatively comfortable!