Anyone out yet?

[MTmountainman]

New downrigger and electronics on the boat and I'm getting the itch. Anyone else?

 

[Neptune]

Went to Koocanusa yesterday, Kokes weren't the primary target but always run a Koke rod when trolling. Didn't find many returns in the usual places for this time of year north of Rexford. Caught three Kokes 9" or less, hot pink was the active color.

 

[MTmountainman]

Koocanusa is supposedly fishing well for kokes. Hope to make it up soon, but having two babies is slowing me down a little.

 

[Neptune]

There are Kokes being caught but they are all very small...lots of 6-7" fish...

 

[MTmountainman]

That is the norm for there, right? Sound delicious, and the limit is generous, but still not that much fun.

I'm in the process of buying some equipment right now and this site is helping me out so much.

 

[SuperDaveMT]

Hvrr

I tried out Helena Valley Regulating Resevoir yesterday - too windy to fish effectively, but had to get out and try out some of the new toys - glad I added the I-pilot to my trolling motor. I marked a lot of fish in the deep water near the dam holding at about 30 feet, but it was just too brutal to fish out in the open. I did catch 5 and kept a 13" and 15" fish for dinner tonight. No real pattern developed, caught fish on 4 different rigs at depths from the surface (one hit before I could hook up to the downrigger) down to 20 feet. Looking forward to the next trip - hopefully without the gale force winds!

 

[MTmountainman]

Thanks for sharing SuperDaveMT!

 

[SuperDaveMT]

Went back out to the regulating resevoir on Sunday and made a day of it. Just enough hits in the morning to keep me at it - all on a baby cowbell and a green bladed spinner rig tipped with corn. Either the fish turned on or I figured out the right set up about one - most of the fish on a Seps watermelon dodger with a lime green hoochie + corn. I'm not sure if it was the color or the more erratic action of the Seps dodger. No hits all morning on a variety of sling blades. Caught a couple on a Dees Flasher and a gold bladed spinner as well. Ended up with a limit of 10 between 13 and 16 inches. I talked to one fisherman last year who was surprised that I was catching fish on the large profile, flashy set up early in the year. His opinion was that less is more early in the season and he was fishing a glow hook, one kernel of corn and a tiny spinner. He was catching limits, but mostly smaller fish. Rabideau's book would seem to suggest that bigger and flashier (along with a color that can be seen in the water conditions being fished) is the way to go early when the water is cooler. What is the general concensus out there?