Reflecting on 2014 and Planning for 2015: Captain’s Column (1.1.15)
By angelamontana

Posted: January 1, 2015

Today marks the start of a new year and with it I offer you my first column for 2015! It’s the day of the year that we take time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. A day where New Year resolutions are put into place or in my case a bucket list created.

Last year was another great year for me both on the personal and professional side of things. Once again fishing and hunting trips were on the top of the list for great times to remember, our Montana Outdoor Radio Show finished its 16th radio stations across the state and our web site montanaoutdoor.com continues to be the go to web site for hunting, fishing, and outdoor news. I spent quite a bit of my fishing time once again on Fort Peck Reservoir, Holter Reservoir, Canyon Ferry Reservoir and Flathead Lake. Those bodies of water have been a popular destination point for my fishing adventures for the past few years. The older I get the more I tend to like a routine, and these lakes offer good fishing at different times in the spring, summer and early fall.

So it works nicely into my schedule and I hope it continues that way this year. Holter is generally the first lake I visit in the spring. Anglers that fish the lake know that it offers some excellent trout fishing. It gives me an opportunity to make sure all the equipment on my boat is working properly and on top of that the fish are normally biting. By mid-April the perch bite is going strong on Flathead Lake as it is nice to catch some great table fare. Then it is off to Rock Creek on the Dry Arm of Fort Peck in May.  It’s the time of the year that you are more likely to catch a 10 pound plus walleye. June is by far the best overall walleye fishing month for me with trips to Canyon Ferry Reservoir and then back to Fort Peck planned, but this time my travels take me to the Hell Creek State Campground located in the middle of 134 mile reservoir. A return trip for a week at Hell Creek after the Fourth of July has always been great fishing. August finds me heading for big lake trout on Flathead Lake where each day trip normally produces at least one or to fish over 30 inches. The month of September is usually devoted to archery hunting with a day or two fishing trip on Holter Reservoir sandwiched in between.

This past year the fall weather remained great into October and the fall trout fishing was fantastic on Holter.  Waterfowl hunting during the opener which normally falls on the first Saturday in October is also a day for me to look forward to as we do our annual Goose Blind Broadcast on the Montana Outdoor Radio Show. By the time Montana’s Big Game Rifle season opens in late October I am ready to fill my freezer with an elk. Most years that effort takes me well into November to get it done.

I hope that your 2014 was good and as busy as mine. I also hope that in this New Year you will create some great memories with your family and friends fishing, hunting, or just enjoying the Great Montana Outdoors. Happy New Year!

(Written by the Captain)

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