Helena Valley Regulating Resevoir 2014

[SuperDaveMT]

I finally got out on the water this past week. Monday morning the water was at 44 degrees and I managed 3 around 14 inches, Thursday evening the water was up to 46 and I got 3 more, and Saturday the water was up to 49 and I hooked 12 and landed 6, smallest was 13, biggest was 16. Lost a couple nice ones at the boat and had one break me off. Depth was 6 - 8 feet early and 12 - 16 later in the morning. Speed was 1.3 - 1.5mph. No one color was a stand out for me, orange might have had a slight edge. Saw a lot of fish, singles and small bunches. Some of the fish mark as a blue blob, some are blue with a yellow middle, and some are a blue outline with a flaming orange middle. I have a garmin 536 with an airmar 66 transducer. Any thoughts on what I'm seeing - the reservoir only has kokes, perch and ling in it.

 

[SuperDaveMT]

Went back out last night after work. Surface temp has finally hit 50 degrees. First line in the water about 5:30, and a limit of 10 between 13.5 and 15 inches in the boat by 8:30 - pretty steady action for 3 hours. I actually caught 11 when my second line hooked up just as I netted my limit fish, fortunately number 11 was hooked lightly, and vigorously swam off upon release. A spinner rig with a laquered silver blade and pink and white beads with 2 kernels of corn and a pink gulp maggot accounted for most of the fish. Somewhere around 1.4 miles per hour seemed to be the magic speed. I have always baited both hooks with as much corn as necessary to completely hide them, but after reading some "fishing with gary" advice I tried 2 kernels on the upper hook only. Overall I had more hits than usual, and a few more hits and misses than usual, but I landed every fish I hooked which was a huge improvement. Thanks Gary! I was fishing about 14 feet deep and 15 feet behind my ball trolls. The rigger that accounted for most of the fish had 2 sets of cowbell type flashers with an alabama rig with 4 blades at the end. I don't know if that was the difference, but even after going to identical setups on both riggers, the one with the alabama rig on the end continued to produce the best.

 

[SuperDaveMT]

Went out Saturday morning. Had 6 in the boat in the first hour, 3 more the next hours then scratched for 2 hours to get my limit fish. Most on a pink apex behind a wonder bread dodger, a few on spinner rigs. Ran between 1.4 and 1.6 mph, most from 12 - 15 feet deep. Hooked 12, landed 11, kept 10, all between 14 and 17 inches