Author Topic: Fresno Reservoir (Read 8504 times)

mtjohn · « **on:** Dec 06, 2009, 11:07 PM »

I have never fished this reservoir, but I would really like to catch some crappies. I am trying to plan a trip up this Jan. and I am looking for any info that might help a fellow shanty member out. $:-\$

Mt.Bucket · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 07, 2009, 12:26 AM »

fished it last winter hard for crappie, did not catch any. caught alot of nice walleye and some decent perch. i did see some nice pike come out of there but i did not catch any pigs. biggest we caught was 8 lbs. lots of good fishing to be had in that lake i do believe. if you haven't fished it before try and stay for at least a few days to figure it out as there is a lot of productive spots. i also am from helena and will hit that one again, its a fun lake. i'd like to know where the crappie are on that lake as i have seen some pics of fish that came from there and they were slabs! wish i knew more crappie lakes, cool fish to catch. good luck to ya. oh ya and you gotta go to blackies bar great lady and a good place to get some info.

mtjohn · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 07, 2009, 12:56 PM »

Thanks for the tip Da-Jigger. I haven't caught a crappie through the ice before and I am looking forward to trying. When you went, did you catch the walleye with spoons, jigging raps, or just minnows? What area did you fish, towards the dam or elsewhere?

Mt.Bucket · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 07, 2009, 01:41 PM »

we did use some live bait, if that was not working we'd cut the heads off and jig them on a spoon or pimple. fished the whole res. and did real well across the lake from the large ridge where the houses are. all those points and bays seem to hold fish. we also did good near the houses. pike fishing there is fun seems to be a ot of em. we fished 20 to 30 fow for the walleye and perch. like i said the crappie were hard to find we did mark some so we thought but couldn't get em to bite. if your not marking fish move. good luck and to ya, fun lake.

nacho · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 16, 2009, 03:29 AM »

I would watch using live bait. I've never heard of any one doing any good on croppie.

FishN4Eyes · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 16, 2009, 09:26 AM »

Quote from: Da-Jigger on Dec 07, 2009, 01:41 PM

we did use some live bait, if that was not working we'd cut the heads off and jig them on a spoon or pimple. fished the whole res. and did real well across the lake from the large ridge where the houses are. all those points and bays seem to hold fish. we also did good near the houses. pike fishing there is fun seems to be a ot of em. we fished 20 to 30 fow for the walleye and perch. like i said the crappie were hard to find we did mark some so we thought but couldn't get em to bite. if your not marking fish move. good luck and to ya, fun lake.

Not sure what live bait you're referring to but live minnows are not allowed on Fresno.

I'm sure you knew that Da-Jigger, just wanted to make sure someone else didn't misinterpet your post.

It's that time of year, good luck and be safe!

4Eyes

Mt.Bucket · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 17, 2009, 09:46 AM »

Thank You for pointing out my crappy wording and remember always check the regs.

Quantoson · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 18, 2009, 06:15 AM »

I'm sure he meant live maggots and worms.

hkdup · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 18, 2009, 09:23 PM »

i think he meant dynamite when he was talking about live bait those fuses sure look like a worm when you cut em off and jig em up and down

Greenbeans · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 08, 2010, 11:50 PM »

Has anyone fished Fresno lately...just curious if anything is biting? Thanks.

Dinga LING · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 10, 2010, 05:29 PM »

I was there Jan 9 and 10, pretty slow.

IcemanZ · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 30, 2010, 06:06 PM »

Any one been out to or have any luck recently??

Z

copperjohn · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 30, 2010, 10:31 PM »

Just got in from fishing the west side at Kremlin bay and off a clay bank about a mile south. Slow everywhere. Picked up one 11 in perch and that was it from 730 to 4 pm. Was nice driving on the 30 in of ice, though the shoulder's gonna hurt tomorrow from the 50 holes I punched. Had a lot of lookers from the bottom, one slam and miss and a couple of nibbles. Couldn't find minnows so we used maggots, smelt, and various gulp alive baits in waters from 12 to 20ft. Weather wasn't too cold and suprise...the wind wasn't blowin. That in itself makes it a fine trip. Being my second time at Fresno I Know it'll take some work to learn'er.

IcemanZ · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 30, 2010, 11:06 PM »

Copperjohn,
Thanx for the update; a day on the ice is always better than staying home no matter what you land!

Z

rustynailz · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 16, 2010, 08:52 PM »

I'm thinking of driving down there from Calgary to fish the last weekend of this month.

Think it'd be worth the trip? Can you fish there on foot or do you need quads to cover lots of water? I fished Peck last year and found it really different than what we're used to up here.

IcemanZ · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 17, 2010, 07:39 AM »

Rustynailz,
Guess I never thought an ice fishing trip wasn't worth it no matter what the take home was but, I've never made a trek with the distance of Calgary to Fresno Reservoir. Got sonar? This could help out a lot, but I fished 3-4 years before I saw the light and still had a blasted doing it. I think the trip would be worth it because you have 3 bodies of water to try all within short drives of Havre. Fresno is what, 12miles north west of Havre and then you have Beaver Creek which about 8 miles south of Havre and a bit further is the Bear Paw as well. All I think can be fished without a 4wheeler, they help but not impossible. At Beaver creek fish straight out the pavilion about 250yds or if you got a 4x4 drive vehicle you can close that distance and keep heading down that road and turn left at that 250yd distance; there's a hill and sharp curve you can park at the bottom there and walk out 40-50yds and drop camp! Good Luck Brother!

Z

Quote from: rustynailz on Feb 16, 2010, 08:52 PM

I'm thinking of driving down there from Calgary to fish the last weekend of this month.

Think it'd be worth the trip? Can you fish there on foot or do you need quads to cover lots of water? I fished Peck last year and found it really different than what we're used to up here.

rustynailz · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 18, 2010, 11:30 AM »

Sounds great...you've made up my mind.

We'll be coming down on the 26th by the sounds of things.

You guys ever fish any of the big lakes north of the border?

IcemanZ · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 18, 2010, 11:37 AM »

Rustynailz,
Good luck to ya Brother! As for fishing north of the border, haven't had the chance to yet with work schedule in all. What are some of the close ones I could get to right over the border if any? I have been wanting too!! What you gotta do about a licence in all? What's one cost?

Z

Desperado · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 18, 2010, 06:59 PM »

If you drive all the way from Calgary, it would probably be worthwhile to make the trek to Tiber for one of your fishing days.
Maybe the last day; if you come through Shelby, Tiber isn't too far out of the way on your route home.

IcemanZ · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 21, 2010, 11:31 PM »

Good point but, haven't heard or seen anyone catching anything worth talking about so I haven't made a stop there yet this season. But, the MT state was caught there so you never can tell!

Z

Quote from: Desperado on Feb 18, 2010, 06:59 PM

If you drive all the way from Calgary, it would probably be worthwhile to make the trek to Tiber for one of your fishing days.
Maybe the last day; if you come through Shelby, Tiber isn't too far out of the way on your route home.

rustynailz · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 22, 2010, 08:47 PM »

There are some pretty good lakes within a couple hours of the border. Chin and Keho come to mind, but we spend a lot of time at Badger and Newell. Here's a really good pike out of Newell from Saturday, caught on a 9" sardine in about 8' of water:

The picture really doesn't do the fish justice...I taped it at 43 1/2" long and it had a girth that made it a tight squeeze for the 8" hole.

I don't know what the license costs but it's pretty reasonable. We pay about $25 to fish in MT for the weekend, which we make up for in savings in gas and beer alone.

Pike are a little bigger here on average because they have to be 25" before you're allowed to kill them. That said, nothing here even holds a candle to Fort Peck. Some of the walleye we saw there last year were just simply amazing. I held a 35" fish in my hands that a guy from Bozeman killed. We didn't get any good fish but it took us the whole time there to figure out what we were doing.

Our goal this weekend will be to take a few walleye home. The regs are really restrictive here - 2 lines each, no live bait, mandatory barbless, and you have to be within 100' of your lines at all times. It's like a different world down there.

Desperado - I will definitely look into Tiber, if not for this trip then for the next one. It's a good hour closer to home than the Havre area.

IcemanZ · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 23, 2010, 12:24 AM »

Rustynailz,
Wow, that's a nice fish!! That settles it as well, gotta a make a trip to Newel!!! LOL How far is that one over the border, maybe a 3-4hours ride from Great Falls?

Z

rustynailz · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 28, 2010, 09:31 AM »

Well, I'm back!

We fished Kremlin Bay from about 2pm on Friday until 10am yesterday. It was pretty good - we caught 5 nice walleyes and about a half dozen dinky little northerns. I absolutely love the whole 6 lines each, no maximum distance thing. It's so exciting driving up to the tipups at night and seeing a bunch of sprung flags. We got a lot of hit and runs but will set up better next time.

We went to that Bing n' Bob's shop in Havre and the guy there was incredibly helpful and really nice. I cannot believe the price of groceries and beer...much better cost of living down there than up here.

We'll definitely be going back next year.

I'd say Newell would be 3-4 hours, depending on how much trouble the rentacops give you at the border.

IcemanZ · « **Reply #23 on:** Mar 06, 2010, 05:44 PM »

Rustynailz,
Cool, glad you had a good time caught some fish! Yeah, love running 6

's! We should plan to same time next year. You noticed that much of a price difference just over the border huh? Three or four hours aint' bad for a few day trip. Just checked out my passport, it expired this past SEP...need to get that squared away soon if it's to be back for use by next season!

You on the open water site? I kept the same name in all....easier that way. Well keep in touch. I be on both site throughout the year...

Got any pics?
Z

fishinginMT · « **Reply #24 on:** Mar 24, 2010, 10:53 PM »

Quote from: Da-Jigger on Dec 07, 2009, 01:41 PM

we did use some live bait, if that was not working we'd cut the heads off and jig them on a spoon or pimple. fished the whole res. and did real well across the lake from the large ridge where the houses are. all those points and bays seem to hold fish. we also did good near the houses. pike fishing there is fun seems to be a ot of em. we fished 20 to 30 fow for the walleye and perch. like i said the crappie were hard to find we did mark some so we thought but couldn't get em to bite. if your not marking fish move. good luck and to ya, fun lake.

Live bait is illegal on fresno. don't get caught

the fish man · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 02, 2013, 02:16 PM »

Heading up there this weekend any pointers on where to start never fished it before

Kevinski406 · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 02, 2014, 05:09 PM »

We went to Kremlin bay 12/28/13 and didn't have a single flag or nibble on the jigging poles. Couldn't even catch me a perch. got a speeding ticket on the way home to top it all off..... never again FRESNO!!!!

Kevinski406 · « **Reply #27 on:** Feb 06, 2014, 03:16 PM »

I guess the ice is great at Fresno but the bite was slow.

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=107233.0

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Author Topic: Fresno Reservoir (Read 8504 times)