It's that time!
- Thread starter Anthony
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SuperDaveMT
Well-known member
I'm not sure where in Montana you are headed, but the Helena Valley Regulating reservoir is pretty full at this point, and I caught 4 kokes and a big ling in a couple of hours in the evening 10 days ago or so. The water level is stabilizing which usually improves fishing and reduces the amount of grass, sticks, etc. floating around. I'm hoping to get out one evening this week but may have to wait until the week-end looking at the weather.
Where the fish are
hi Super Dave, We travel all over, been to many lakes there in the past. We are not afraid to travel. Use to enjoy Hauser, until they messed with the fish. All we catch there anymore are large trout. A favorite of ours is Little Bitterroot. I was wondering if any of the Lakes there were "hot" this year. Can you use a gas motor in Helena? Seems I remember you couldn't. Lakes we've been to in the past. - Hauser, Holter, Canyon Ferry - Thompsons, Mary Ronan, Georgetown, Salmon, Bitterroot, Swan, Kookanoosa, and a few others that escape me. We did catch a couple large Kokanee in Holter last year- fishing all day, (which surprised me) . We try and make it up there every year.
anyway, appreciate your reply.
Anthony
hi Super Dave, We travel all over, been to many lakes there in the past. We are not afraid to travel. Use to enjoy Hauser, until they messed with the fish. All we catch there anymore are large trout. A favorite of ours is Little Bitterroot. I was wondering if any of the Lakes there were "hot" this year. Can you use a gas motor in Helena? Seems I remember you couldn't. Lakes we've been to in the past. - Hauser, Holter, Canyon Ferry - Thompsons, Mary Ronan, Georgetown, Salmon, Bitterroot, Swan, Kookanoosa, and a few others that escape me. We did catch a couple large Kokanee in Holter last year- fishing all day, (which surprised me) . We try and make it up there every year.
anyway, appreciate your reply.
Anthony
SuperDaveMT
Well-known member
Electric motor only on the regulating reservoir ad it's a gravel ramp. There seem to be remnant populations of Kokanee in both Hauser and Holter. I see spawners every fall up in the river sections of these lakes. Not very many, but they tend to be pretty big. Which part of the Holter were you fishing - down by the dam or up by gates of the mountain?
Holter
Hey Dave, we were fishing just at the mouth of the gates of the Mountains. Only place we caught Koke's.
H
Hey Dave, we were fishing just at the mouth of the gates of the Mountains. Only place we caught Koke's.
SuperDaveMT
Well-known member
Hit HVRR Saturday morning for 4 hours. The water temp is up to 47.5 - 48 degrees. It was a beautiful morning and there were a few other boats out on the water. Ended up hooking up with about 15 and landing 7, all in the 12 -13 inch range. Had 5-6 drive bys that knocked the rig loose of the downrigger but didn't hook up. I got lazy for the first couple and tried landing them without the net because they were on the smallish side, but after the third or fourth one I realized the fish are just running smaller this year and that was probably as good as I was going to do. Most of the fish at 12 - 16 feet, a couple down to 20. They seemed to prefer something behind a dodger. Speed was in the 1.2 - 1.5 range. No big concentrations of fish, just slow and steady, one here, one there. Blackened Koke for dinner tonight. Caught the 7th while filleting this bunch.
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SuperDaveMT
Well-known member
Father's Day Miracle
It must have been a Father's Day miracle on the regulating reservoir - I went 12 for 12 on fish hooked to landed. I'm not sure I've ever done that before. Even with a balky release and one fish that wrapped the line in the ball troll, I landed every fish I hooked. Kicked one small fish loose early and landed a double at the end with only one fish to go for a limit. Kept 10, most were 14" - 16". The hot set up was a kokabow pink and chartreuse dodger with a pink scale blade and a purple and pink crappie tube. I also caught fish on a fire tiger apex, a purple apex and an orange and chartreuse wee tad. All tipped with corn and a green gulp maggot about 15' behind the ball trolls 12' - 15' down in 20 - 30 feet of water at 1.3 - 1.5 mph.
It must have been a Father's Day miracle on the regulating reservoir - I went 12 for 12 on fish hooked to landed. I'm not sure I've ever done that before. Even with a balky release and one fish that wrapped the line in the ball troll, I landed every fish I hooked. Kicked one small fish loose early and landed a double at the end with only one fish to go for a limit. Kept 10, most were 14" - 16". The hot set up was a kokabow pink and chartreuse dodger with a pink scale blade and a purple and pink crappie tube. I also caught fish on a fire tiger apex, a purple apex and an orange and chartreuse wee tad. All tipped with corn and a green gulp maggot about 15' behind the ball trolls 12' - 15' down in 20 - 30 feet of water at 1.3 - 1.5 mph.
