Winter is near!

[mtgrant]

I woke up to 6 inches of snow and more on the way. SW Montana is going to get cold this week. Normally ice is available the last week of November. This year may be a tad earlier. After shoveling the snow, I went into my fishing room and started getting organized. I will be tying some jigged up muddlers that seem to work well at Canyon Ferry. The ones I had got torn up from the early big bows. I also will be checking reels and rods for line condition, drags, and function. New strike indicators will be added. Preparation and planning is all a part of getting ready for another year of hard water fishing.

[BigSage]

I've given some thought to ice fishing with this little blast.  As is pretty typical, this is just a teaser of winter.  I'm sure we will still have some 50's on the way.
I need to get an elk first, then I'll get ready for some hard water.  I bet Ol' Hippy Fish has a boner right about now

[PerchPounderMT]

I woke up to 6 inches of snow and more on the way. SW Montana is going to get cold this week. Normally ice is available the last week of November. This year may be a tad earlier. After shoveling the snow, I went into my fishing room and started getting organized. I will be tying some jigged up muddlers that seem to work well at Canyon Ferry. The ones I had got torn up from the early big bows. I also will be checking reels and rods for line condition, drags, and function. New strike indicators will be added. Preparation and planning is all a part of getting ready for another year of hard water fishing.

tags are cut,meat is in the freezer,bring on the ice!

[FishingCowboy]

Been getting ready since the hardwater left last May....... Upgraded the Livescope to a 93SV head, installed the old 73SV head on the 4-wheeler so I can use it to get around to good marks from previous exploits, installed the otter slide releases (looks like I won't be taking of the gloves when I take down the flipover), and got a sweet deal on a 10-inch Ion Gen 3 auger..... Started watching weather reports 2 weeks ago....

[albo]

won't be doing any ice fishing around Helena for a while, way too warm here and the forecast is saying no to ice for the next week

[RuralMT]

Same thing for the great northwest. October, unfortunately, was just a tease    Good to see some of you fellas returning to the forum though!

[missoulafish]

Saw a bit of ice here and there between Missoula and Three Forks...

[RuralMT]

Saw a bit of ice here and there between Missoula and Three Forks...

Was it thick enough to venture out on MFish?

[missoulafish]

A couple looked like they had potential but the temps are in the 60's now over there

[skifisher]

Cold front prediction for the end of the week. Low pressure off California coast headed east!

[albo]

35 degrees when I drove past Jim Darcy school in the North Helena Valley this morning

[PerchPounderMT]

35 degrees when I drove past Jim Darcy school in the North Helena Valley this morning

skim of ice on the HS pond this am   

[enderst]

Thanksgiving used to mark opening weekend on Big Mountain. Now it seems the norm is to get that winter tease in October then warms up and no ice until after Christmas