WHAT ALEWIFE ARE

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WHAT ALEWIFE ARE

Alewife are small, schooling baitfish closely related to herring.
They spend most of their lives in open water and move into rivers and shallow areas to spawn.

Alewife are a primary food source for lake trout, salmon, walleye, and striped bass, making them important both as a target species and as bait.

They travel in tight, moving schools and are extremely sensitive to light, temperature, and current.

WHERE TO FIND ALEWIFE

Alewife follow migration routes and prefer cooler water.

Best locations:
✔ River mouths
✔ Tributaries during spawning runs
✔ Shallow bays near deeper water
✔ Current seams and gentle flow
✔ Near shorelines at night

If you don’t locate schools, you won’t catch alewife.

BEST TIMES TO CATCH ALEWIFE

✔ Spring spawning runs (prime time) ✔ Night fishing (very effective) ✔ Dusk through early morning ✔ Calm conditions with stable water

Alewife are strongly attracted to light after dark.

BEST WAYS TO CATCH ALEWIFE

🌙 DIP NETTING (MOST COMMON)

✔ Fish at night ✔ Use lights to draw schools in ✔ Net near shore or in current

This is the most efficient method where legal.

❄️ ICE FISHING

✔ Fish shallow to mid-depth water ✔ Use glow rigs or underwater lights ✔ Small, subtle jigging motions

When schools pass through, action can be fast.

🎣 LIGHT JIGGING

✔ Ultralight rods ✔ Tiny hooks or micro jigs ✔ Gentle movement

Alewife bites are light and quick.

BEST RIGS & BAIT

✔ Multi-hook alewife / herring rigs ✔ Small glow hooks ✔ Micro spoons ✔ Wax worms or maggots ✔ Small pieces of shrimp

Light and flash trigger strikes — not scent.

GEAR SETUP (SIMPLE & LIGHT)

✔ Rod: Ultralight or light ✔ Reel: Small spinning reel ✔ Line: 2–6 lb mono or braid ✔ Light source: Dock light, headlamp, or submersible light

Alewife fishing is finesse fishing.

WHY PEOPLE STRUGGLE

❌ Fishing too deep ❌ No light at night ❌ Hooks too large ❌ Not staying with moving schools

Alewife success depends on timing and positioning, not force.

THE KEY TO SUCCESS

✔ Find the school ✔ Fish shallow ✔ Use light ✔ Keep movement subtle

When alewife move in, the bite can be nonstop.