The lakes and rivers are coming alive with biting fish. Deciding where to spend time fishing is sometimes the hardest decision that anglers have to make.
The Mr. Pike Classic will be held this Saturday and Sunday in Seeley and Salmon Lake. Anglers will be competing for $500 first place prize.
Ron Zachariasen, the tournament director, is expecting over 100 anglers to compete in this year’s derby. The last Mr. Pike tourney was held a couple of years ago and won by Missoula angler Neal Cote.
If the northern pike are biting, nobody is talking much about it. That’s normal strategy if you hope to win big. The tourney, which is put on by the local Big Sky Bassers, is looking for the heaviest limit of northern pike over two days.
You still have time to enter. The entry fee is $20. Applications can be found in Missoula at Bob Wards and Sportsman Surplus and in Seeley Lake at Rovero’s. You can also still enter online at www.misterpike.com.
A limited edition Mr. Pike T-shirt will also be given to you for entering. The hours are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. We will be broadcasting the Montana Outdoor Radio Show frin there this Saturday morning from 6-8 a.m.
SPRING MACK DAYS: The Spring Mack Days are in their final days on Flathead Lake. The 15-day derby is winding down on Saturday, June 14. You still can enter the event. It only takes one lake trout to enter into the drawing for prizes, where the first place prize is $1000.
The entry fee is $15 for adults and $5 for kids less than 17 years old. Contact S-K Marina to enter in Polson at 406-883-1902. And for updated tourney results, go to www.s-kmarina.com
HELENA AREA LAKES: East of the mountains, the walleye bite is going well, for the most part, on both Canyon Ferry and Holter lakes. Trout anglers are also doing well on both lakes.
Holter Lake, which has a slot limit of 20 to 28 inches for walleye, has been producing fish from various parts of the lake. Bob Culp and I caught 15 walleyes last week in two and half days, most of the them on a Northland Gum Drop jig tipped with a leech.
Jim Farrington, from Stevensville, fished last weekend and did well with nightcrawlers on a dark green floater and smiley blade spinner. Some anglers pitching jigs into shore area having success.
Paul Beister, at the Canyon Store in Wolf Creek, has current fishing information at 406-235-4111.
Canyon Ferry Lake walleyes are starting to bite on the south end of the reservoir. The West Side is producing the best around dike number four. The water is clearer there than the rest of the south end.
Walleyes are running around 13 to 16 inches with some larger ones being caught as well. Leeches seem to be working better than crawlers for some anglers. Call Lisa or Gerry at Silos RV Park for updated information 406-266-3100.
TOURNEY WINNER: Missoula’s Rob Jimenez teamed up with Helena’s Eric Beyer to win the Fresno Walleye Challenge on Fresno Resrvoir recently. The duo caught 15.78 pounds of walleye for the two-days to top the 50-team field. They won $2500 for their efforts.
