IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Montana => Ice Fishing Montana => Topic started by: RuralMT on Mar 01, 2018, 03:39 PM
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A while back, I commented on a post regarding how slow salmon fishing was back in early February, despite the daily crowd that targeted them on a nearby lake. At the time, I had only tried them in the late afternoon-sunset hours and marked 2-3 schools in about 10 attempts. However, feeling satisfied with my perch supply, I've been devoting my morning-outings to salmon and have had remarkably better success targeting them from early morning to early afternoon. I realize it may vary lake to lake or for any number of other reasons, but when do you lot have better luck, closer to sunrise or sunset?
Edit: and by salmon, I'm referring to kokanee that average 9-11" (roughly estimated)
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Before sunrise has been my go to
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I've always had my best luck from 7-10 in the morning. It seems like after 10 the bite dies.
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We fish for landlocked Atlantic salmon where I live, but I believe in general that all salmon eyes function in about the same way. That being said our best time to fish for them is always daybreak, and in the afternoon right before dusk. Mornings generally are always better.
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I've always had luck very early till about 10 am at the latest.
Never luck in the evenings.
If you really want to have fun, go for an all nighter. Many lakes around here have an excellent night bite.
We set up about 1/2 hour before dark and put the lights out. 10:30 till just before midnight.
Have your catch back at your truck at or just before midnight, then go back out, as 12:01 is a new day with a new limit :)
I dont know why some lakes are hot at night and some are not. Lake 5 ( & others) is awesome at night,
Ashley has sucked for me at night
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how is Georgetown at night?
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Georgetown at night is why I started this thread to begin with. I read an older thread in which it was stated that night-fishing on Georgetown isn't worth your time. However, there was an article in the Missoulian a while back that featured night-fishing on Mary Ronan and how productive it was.
Good to know about Lake 5 being productive...I haven't tried it out up here on Dickey Lake, but have heard of folks at least attempting it.
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I know this is the start of the next season, but georgetown at night for me has actually not been that bad to fish. There is a noticeable drop off in the bite right after sun down, but if the day fishing was good, the night is usually close to the same. I usually catch less but that is more to do with me fishing in a tent at night rather than the bite actually being bad.
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Morning has always been my favorite! Good luck!
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the only reason to nite fish for salmon is either you are trying to take advantage of a daily possession limit..or freezing your balls off in your truck and its warmer in your shanty....in my experience...you will never catch more than first light till early morning...but is kinda fun being out at that time of nite..just be prepared to sleep for 14 hrs when its done...if its about succesfil fishin..iwould think a few extra hrs of sleep would be more beneficial than being on the ice in the middle of the nite...unless like I mentioned..you were bored and freezing your balls off or trying to take advantage of a possession limit....….
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I typically do best between 9:00 and 11:00 am, but also have done good in the afternoon too. Night seems really hit or miss. I’ll fish the Helena regulating reservoir at night but that more because it’s close and fun to do after work I’ve never done great at night but it’s more fun than watching tv at home. I treat fishing like hunting and try to go whenever I can.
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The consensus seems to be the morning, which backs up my fishing log. I've definitely experienced hot bites in the late afternoon, but nothing like that 7-10 a.m. window mentioned above, and any late afternoon bite usually tapers off/dies during that half-hour after the sun goes down. Any theories why? What does plankton do in the evening?
I agree though, I'll continue to go out after work and whenever I can. I'd rather stare at a hole in the ice than a screen on the wall.
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Definitely, the most consistent kokanee bite on the lakes in NW Montana is from daylight until mid-morning, but the hottest bites I have ever witnessed on Ashley, Bitterroot or Mary Ronan have occurred early afternoon, down only 12-15ft and last about 1/2 hour. I'm talking....4-5 guys, two poles each and total chaos !!
I made some interesting discoveries last year, in regard to plankton. I had never put the camera down while salmon fishing, but last year I used it to do some research and found that the hottest bites were when I could see no plankton in the water. When you could visibly see the plankton, the salmon would only bump the jig/hook with their nose and not even open their mouth. It gave the look/feel of a "lite bite", but you could see that they weren't even close to bites. It didn't stop me from fishing, but at least I knew I wasn't just missing 'em on the bite.
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Fascinating jign...very similar to my experiences, including the rarity of an admittedly red-hot afternoon bite. Why do you think they were just bumping when plankton were present in abundance, a case of too much food distracting them?
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Definitely, the most consistent kokanee bite on the lakes in NW Montana is from daylight until mid-morning, but the hottest bites I have ever witnessed on Ashley, Bitterroot or Mary Ronan have occurred early afternoon, down only 12-15ft and last about 1/2 hour. I'm talking....4-5 guys, two poles each and total chaos !!
I made some interesting discoveries last year, in regard to plankton. I had never put the camera down while salmon fishing, but last year I used it to do some research and found that the hottest bites were when I could see no plankton in the water. When you could visibly see the plankton, the salmon would only bump the jig/hook with their nose and not even open their mouth. It gave the look/feel of a "lite bite", but you could see that they weren't even close to bites. It didn't stop me from fishing, but at least I knew I wasn't just missing 'em on the bite.
agree...those afternoon schools that come in a few feet under the ice are exciting..and fun as f.....