Ft. Peck Ice Fishing

[AirManCam]

Gilles, Wow you have had some wonderful fishing yourself those are some awesome fish. Are those cuts? beautiful color. Great Laker's, great pic's.


Pickeral Pete,
                    I was wondering, There is not a bunch of hard core Peck fisherman out there,It becomes a small world. Also there is a group that comes out of Sheridan that is pretty serious about fishing Peck. I took a guy a that lived in Story years ago and he got hooked, and started that bunch, he has since moved away.

Do you have some measurements on some of them fish? Like them pike, and laker?

[PGKris]

While we're sort of on the topic of hole size......I pulled a 5 pound rainbow out this weekend on a lake that I know 10 pounders come out of and when I was leaving I saw a guy drilling holes with a 4" auger!!! LOL I almost died. He probably got the shock of his life later that afternoon!
You think those lakers are big? Well ok, they are. Really big, I'm not trying to diminish the size of those fish but you guys should see some of the pictures I have of my grandma's from the 20's and 30's of lakers that were OVER 100 POUNDS! She always tells how they used to cut holes with saws because they couldn't get augers big enough! I tell you, some of the fish from up here in Babine, Takla and Great Bear lakes are monsters. I think the current all tackle world record is a 97 pounder out of great bear. Correct me if Im wrong.
I wish I had money and time, I wouldn't mind hooking up with that kind of fishing!
KRIS

[Cargo]

Laketroutmaster,
                       Sorry to say no measurements or weights on the Pike or Laker. the Walleye I'm holding was 14lbs. and the the Walleye my friend is holding is 15lbs.  We had caught fish like that before on other trips just thought it was the norm. We did take notice when one seemed a little bigger than normal and we started packing a camera.
               On some of our early trips we caught some huge pike wish we would have had a camera.

PGkris,
         If you could get a hold of some of those pictures of your Grandmas and scan them you could post them on the Ice Shanty we would love to see them!

[Gilles]

Big Ice, Most of those rainbows are a cut/rainbow mix there is however one true native cutt which is the really colorful one. It was caught at a high mountain lake in the Sangre Di Cristo Range. I'm still amazed at those walleye and lakers you caught!

IceTroll, Yes wiper are the hybrid between striped and white bass and they peel drag like nothing else there size. Its a must to keep a loose drag, even 4 to 5 pound fish can snap 12lb test like its wasn't even there. The intitial run is pure adrenalin. The lakes around here have huge gizzard shad populations and from April to November the top water action can be explosive. The prime time is from August to November when all the baby shad school up in huge groups. Schools of wiper from 20 to 200 boil its pretty awesome. The schools of wiper run together in roughly the same size so one day its all 2 to 3lbers then all 4 to 6lbers and others days nothing but 7 to 10 pound fish and its all top water action and they are as good as walleye fillets.
Glendo would be a perfect place for them, they get along well with all other warm water species and they are capable of endureing cold temps. Since they are sterile there's no chance of causing any major collapses. I know the Colorado division of Wildlife gets the wiper fry from a hatchery in Texas. You might consider talking to fish and game to see if there's any chance of getting them. Let me know if you need any more infomation.

Good fishing,
Gilles

[IceTroll]

Gilles,

I have tried to catch Wiper before in Pueblo Reservoir when I was stationed at Ft. Carson but never did catch one. I really didn't have much of a clue back then how to really catch any kind of bass since I never had fished for them before. I have, since then, gained some bassing experience and would love to try them again someday. I have been told that due to the Striper in them, they can obtain some pretty immense size. They sound like they would be a kick in the pants to catch. I bet Glendo would be a great place for them but the Wyoming Game and Fish are pretty set in their ways. The chances of them introducing a new fish species, even a hybrid, are slim to none and slim just left town. Maybe someday it would be worth me going back to Pueblo and trying again.

IceTroll
     

[smeltshack]

INSANE!!!!    who's pumping em full of steriods
awesome fish

[Gilles]

IceTroll, let me know you need any help planning a wiper trip. The problem with wiper is that they are the most difficult fish to pattern. Most of the action happens a couple hours before dark and after or very early in the morning. When they boil they might hit one area for a few days and then disapear for a week before they come back or find another school of shad. When they aren't boiling I can still pic up a few fish on average trolling most days but when they arn't showing up on top there hard to locate. Do you happen to know how the Reef or Mile has been fishing lately? I've heard mixed reports about the mile, has it improved?

[baginwal]

Hey Big Ice:  Wow!  The family and I were in Bozeman over the President's day weekend.  I actually thought about taking my father-in-laws truck and heading up to Ft. Peck for some ice fishing..........until he told me how far it was   Oh well, maybe next year!

[IceTroll]

LMAO Baginwal. Too bad for you that Montana is such a looooooong state. You are pretty far West in Bozeman and Peck is pretty far East. I bet it was more than 400 miles wasnt it? I havent heard much about the reef or the mile lately but with this spring time weather we are having I guarantee they will both be turning on real quick. All the shore ice is gone now so the river can be accessed about anywhere. I dont know if the fishing could ever possibly be bad in either place. Its still too early for the Walleye run at the mile though. Another 3 weeks or so and the walleye fishing will kick in for those spawners moving up the river. I will keep the Wiper trip in mind Gilles.

IceTroll