Hello, Angie here from Bob Ward & Sons, & here’s where BUTTE & BOZEMAN are fishing:
BUTTE says a few of the die-hard locals are hitting the BIG HOLE & incorporating ice fishing technology to land some nice trout. If ice shelving makes it difficult to reach the open water safely, then rig up your flies on a bait casting or spring rig & add a few small split shot about 14″ above the hook, to gain some distance with your cast. Sz 8 Whitefish Flies tipped with a maggot for scent will produce big hits. GEORGETOWN has been quite active this week…Rainbow trout patterns & Buckshot Rattlespoons have been the bait of choice at Dentons…small balls of RED Powerbait have come in a close 2nd. Shrimp is an amazing bait near the Pump House. The Ling are spawning & biting in CLARK CANYON RESERVOIR. Sucker meat is a great bait, fished 40-50 ft deep. DELMOE is producing sizeable Cutthroat with Nuclear Ants or Ratfinkies tipped with maggots!
BOZEMAN likes the UPPER MADISON, where there is plenty of open water, if you are willing to do a bit of hopping around for the slower waters! On the LOWER MADISON, nymph something big on top…a Sculpin or a Yuk Bug with a small lightning bug or baetis nymph dropper, for example. The YELLOWSTONE has some nice open water as well, jut stick to the deeps & keep watching on the warmer afternoons for Midge swarms….be ready with your Midge patterns! The GALLATIN is still really excellent up thru the Canyon where it remains mostly open, get your Pheasant Tails, worms & egg patterns out!
On HYALITE, move around a bit til you find fish, then jig constantly with something fairly big until they come near….then switch to smaller stuff to catch them, otherwise they’ll just look at what you’re offering, or flash away when you jig it…Small red or pink jigs with 1/2 a crawler is working well!
The BOZEMAN snow is amazing, so get out there to BRIDGER, MOONLIGHT or BIG SKY & ski your heart out! BRIDGER has a 56″ depth, & new powder this week…BIG SKY is sitting on 43 good inches, & MOONLIGHT has 49″…all three have had excellent snow this week, for your skiing pleasure! Get on out!
Stop by the stores for all the warm, techie clothing you need for your cold-weather adventures….& check out the 20% off ice shelter sale! We’ve got the perfect hut for YOU, & it’s a good time to buy right now. It’s a good week to fish, so find yourself a spot & ENJOY! Back again next week!
