It’s the Fourth of July weekend! In between celebrating our nation’s independence with family, friends and fireworks, there are many places to go fishing.
Fishing on the local rivers has really picked up with the warmer weather and clearer waters. Dry fly anglers are doing well on the Clark Fork, Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers. Check with your local sporting good stores on what dry flies are working the best.
“Rock Creek fishing has been excellent,” reports Doug Persico from Rock Creek Fisherman’s Mercantile. “Golden stones and green drakes are working well right now along with some other hatches”.
Lake fishing is also been good.
“When the wind dies down, lake trout fishing has been excellent on Flathead Lake”, reports Matt McCombs from Mo Fisch Charters. No sign of the lake whitefish bite yet, but look for whitefish to bite in a couple of weeks.
West of Kalispell, Bitterroot Lake is producing some nice kokanee salmon according Kirk from Snappys Sport Senter. Jig in 30-60 feet of water or troll cowbells with an orange wedding ring about four colors.
“The pike fishing on both Seeley Lake and Salmon Lake has been hit and miss this past week,” said Tom Jenner in his weekly report. Jenner recommends using smelt or spinner baits along the weed lines.
If the kids want to catch fish this weekend, then maybe perch fishing is the answer. Supply them with a small jig and piece of night crawler and the kids should have a lot fun. The perch are small but occasionally you might land a big one.
Jenner also reports that the trout fishing on Lake Alva and Rainey Lakes has been pretty good using small Thomas spoons in the rainbow pattern or a fly rod late in the afternoon.
Fishing on Georgetown Lake is also good for trout both from shore or trolling.
Trout fishing is still available on the reservoirs in the Helena area. Anglers trolling on Holter, Hauser, and Canyon Ferry Reservoirs are doing fair.
The walleye fishing is hit and miss on all the lakes but when the bite is on you will have a lot of fun. With the warmer summer time weather, fish in the morning and late in the afternoon and evening on your favorite river and lake.
A couple of Great Falls anglers came away with the $10,000 first place last weekend during the Canyon Ferry Walleye Festival.
Joe McMenamy and Lance Bethel caught 52.30 pounds of walleye in the two day event and beat out the second place team by about 14 pounds.
It was the first time in the history of the Canyon Ferry Walleye Festival that a team has won the tournament more than once. McMenamy and Bethel also took home first place in 2007.
Brant Hamernick and Lisa Kozak from Missoula won mixed couples with a weight of 20.56 pounds. Hamernick and Kozak caught a 10-pound-plus walleye Sunday with about an hour left in the tournament to move up to 11th place overall.
