Trout fishing has been very good
By Hookemharry

Posted: April 15, 2004

Trout fishing on lakes has been good in recent weeks.

The Macman – Dick Zimmer of Pablo – reports lake trout fishing on Flathead Lake to be very good in the morning, not so good at midday and then it picks up again from late afternoon into early evening.

In news out of Spring Mack Days’ headquarters, the catch rate this year has been the best in the short history of the lottery-based derby. Instead of awarding the top prize to the biggest lake trout, each lake trout you catch is an entry into the drawing for prizes. The more macks you catch, the more chances you have to win.

Aimie, from S-K Marina, reports that after the third weekend they will have checked in nearly 2,000 lake trout. That’s not bad considering those fish are being caught by 110 anglers that have registered so far.

Mack Days runs from Friday through Sunday for two more weekends, ending on Sunday evening, April 25. To enter call S-K Marina 883-1902 or log onto mackdays.com.

“Lake trout fishing has been good at Rocky Point; northwest Bird Island; Gravel Bay; with the larger lake trout being caught near Painted Rocks and Cedar Island,” says Zimmer. A one and half ounce Rattle-Disaster all glow-color jig, tipped with cut bait and maggots on a fly about six inches above it seems to be working the best.

“Early in the morning the Macs seemed to be more active so they are more likely to hit the jig,” adds Zimmer, “then later in the morning they start hitting the fly when they become less aggressive.”

Zimmer recommends that on the other rod, which he calls the “dead rod,” should be rigged with a one ounce Zorpedo or Doodlebug.

“The water temperature out in the main lake is 40 degrees,,” says Zimmer, “but in Polson Bay, the temperature is running closer to 50 degrees.”

When the temperature hits around 55 degrees, the perch have normally started to bite in past years out of Polson Bay. Zimmer reports that they have been catching perch, lake trout and Lake Superior whitefish off the city docks in Polson.

Browns Lake has started to produce some nice catches of trout. Fishing has been good near shore.

Lesa Adams, at Silos RV on Canyon Ferry Lake, says the trout fishing has been slow on the south end and a little better up in the middle to the north end of the lake near Cemetery Island.

The first walleye netting results are in from Canyon Ferry with the nets catching 27 walleyes. All the fish were pretty good in size from 3 pounds on up, with the biggest running 10.2 pounds.

If you would like to volunteer to help out with the netting, call Eric Roberts at 406-495-3272. Netting is done each Wednesday and Friday night for the next couple of weeks – wind and weather permitting.

Bob Culp, from Frenchtown, had great luck at Holter Lake last week and reported that he did very well fishing for trout, while the walleye action was nonexistent.

Culp and Vince Pernicano from Clinton had some real nice days of catching their limits of trout. “The trout were running from a pound to three pounds on average,” says Culp. “On Thursday, we ended up catch and releasing close to 70.”

Culp was having most of his luck trolling a couple of colors with a Rapala. He suggests using a long leader.

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