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Author Topic: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows  (Read 4936 times)

Offline slickice

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Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« on: Dec 14, 2013, 02:27 PM »
Just got back from Nelson about an hour ago from a 4 day trip.  Fished 2 days & limited on Pike & Eyes with no thanks from Westside Sports in Malta.  They told me the night before leaving that they had plenty of minnows which was total BS.  I arrived at noon to find out that they had a few hundred tiny perch minnows - nothing for walleye or northerns.  Fished for two hours with their crap minnows with nothing but 2 fishstick sized walleyes and no pike.  Ran into a guy who when leaving the lake who has over 10 thousand walleye & pike sized minnows in stock.  He lives really close to the lake, is easy to deal with, and has whatever size bait you want for $5/dozen versus $6.50/dozen for dink minnows in Malta.  I killed the fish the next day with the proper bait.

His name is Arlen Rammell @ 654-4642.  He lives 2 miles south of mile marker 489 (1/2 mile before the entrance to Nelson).  Trust me when I say that he's got the freshest, best assortment, and lowest prices on the entire Highline including Fort Peck.  This is his first year of doing this and could use your support.

Offline MT JigMan

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #1 on: Dec 14, 2013, 05:15 PM »
Thanks for the info!  I too have had bad luck with Westside in the past and have since traveled with minnows in hand. 

Offline mackdog75

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #2 on: Dec 14, 2013, 06:21 PM »
Thanks for the info. We are heading that way first part of January so we will be sure to hit him up. Always like supporting new businesses to.

Offline Born 2 Jig

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #3 on: Dec 14, 2013, 07:41 PM »
Awesome. I was wondering what to do when I get up there. I heard the Sleeping Buffalo is closed.

Offline slickice

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #4 on: Dec 14, 2013, 07:47 PM »
Good to see you guys are reading this post.  It's been a struggle to get reliable bait and info on Nelson for several years now . . . especially with the travel involved.  The minnows this guy offers are awesome and so are the results.  He also knows where the latest hot spots are and I'll be using him from this point forward.

Offline sra61

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #5 on: Dec 14, 2013, 09:02 PM »
Thanks for the info. Nothing worse than getting up there and finding no minnows!

Offline JayHelfrich

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #6 on: Dec 15, 2013, 01:30 AM »
Heading up there Tuesday on my way home.  Nice to have good bait.  How was the ice?

Jay
Take a kid fishing.

Kids that hunt, fish, and trap don't rob anyone's grandma!


Offline slickice

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #7 on: Dec 15, 2013, 08:24 AM »
Ice was 10" thick but the lake had deep snow drifts in places.  Hard getting onto the lake w/my ATV (stuck twice & had to dig out) but once on, slow going and a little bumpy.  No pressure ridges that I could see.  Was fairly cold & making more ice.

Offline slickice

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #8 on: Dec 15, 2013, 12:49 PM »
Just finished cleaning my frozen Nelson catch.  Netted 24#'s of skinless & boneless filets.  Also gave a 5# Walleye to my neighbor.  Don't forget our new minnow supplier at the reservoir . . . Arlen @ 654-4642

Offline jevine

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #9 on: Dec 15, 2013, 03:02 PM »
Ice is 10-12 thick, was driving out in my pickup and hammering the eyes. Had bad luck with westside minnows before too. started trapping my own! thanks for his number.
Got Ice? Flag up! Fish Fort Peck

Offline ShoemakerBoys

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #10 on: Dec 17, 2013, 09:41 PM »
Hey guys, anymore word on if anyone is still catching fish?  We are planning a trip up there again over Xmas, last year we hammered them so just trying to get back in the loop and see what is happening on the ice.  Walleyes, Perch, Pike hoping to have a good trip, would appreciate any info.  I will post after we go up there, it wont be until close to the first of the year though.  Is the snow starting to burn off yet?

Offline wingnutty

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #11 on: Dec 17, 2013, 11:11 PM »
was warm and windy sunday/monday.  Snow is probably pretty much gone now, I would think, it was melting fast when we left monday am.

Fishing was good.

Offline Cornbread

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #12 on: Dec 18, 2013, 06:44 AM »
Do you need a snow machine or something similar to fish Nelson due to distances or can you walk with a sled? Also wingnutty and slickice where did you guys stay at while you were there?

Offline slickice

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #13 on: Dec 18, 2013, 09:31 AM »
It's tough getting around Nelson w/o a machine.  It can be done but difficult.  IMO the lakes north end is somewhat easier to navigate on foot (road is closer to deeper water).   I stay @ the Maltana but there are four other places which typically have rooms without having to call ahead.

Offline Cornbread

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #14 on: Dec 18, 2013, 09:34 AM »
It's tough getting around Nelson w/o a machine.  It can be done but difficult.  IMO the lakes north end is somewhat easier to navigate on foot (road is closer to deeper water).   I stay @ the Maltana but there are four other places which typically have rooms without having to call ahead.

Thanks! That is kind of what I suspected. I have only fished it in open water season though so I wasn't sure. I wonder if there are any places locally to rent snow machines? It's a long haul to drag one all the way up there from here if I want to spend a weekend fishing up there.

Offline slickice

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #15 on: Dec 18, 2013, 09:54 AM »
I'm not aware of anyone who rents ATV's or snow machines in Malta.  I don't even think that there's a dealer or shop who handles them.

Offline spear1

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #16 on: Dec 18, 2013, 10:26 AM »
There is a road that you can get basically around the whole lake anywhere you go its not much of a walk to find fish if you didn't have a machine... But the road on the back side of the lake can get drifty if there is a lot of snow.. chained up 4*4 can usually do it... Good luck..

Offline PJB_Montana

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #17 on: Dec 18, 2013, 01:17 PM »
Awesome information! Thank you very much for this post and to everyone who continues to contribute to it!  :tipup:
PJB

Offline mthuntr

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #18 on: Dec 18, 2013, 02:36 PM »
We stayed at the Maltana...Nice and clean.  The Minnow Man (Arlen Rammel) has a cabin near Sleeping Buffalo that he rents out.  You can find his information over in the Reports section

Offline Cornbread

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #19 on: Dec 18, 2013, 03:53 PM »
We stayed at the Maltana...Nice and clean.  The Minnow Man (Arlen Rammel) has a cabin near Sleeping Buffalo that he rents out.  You can find his information over in the Reports section

Thank you! I camped there in summer with my brother but we were thinking about maybe doing a winter trip. It helps a lot to have info from you guys who have already gone.

Offline wingnutty

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #20 on: Dec 18, 2013, 06:19 PM »
Getting around nelson is easy if there isn't snow.  Get much snow and even getting on the lake is difficult.  There are plenty of good spots right near roads/cabins/parking areas.  Get a lake map and find the structure.  Bring chains and a shovel though, I have had some terrible episodes of getting stuck and such when there is drifted snow!

The maltana is great, but there are plenty of other places in malta.

It is a long ways to bring a sled or quad on a trailer, farther than I want to drag one and I'd rather walk the extra 1/4 mile or more than drag a trailer 400 miles across the highline in the winter.  I don't fish the northwest end of the lake very often but if the road is passable, there is lots of good fishing in that area.  If the road isn't open, then just fish the easier to access areas and you'll probably still catch some fish. 

Offline steelerod

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #21 on: Dec 18, 2013, 11:03 PM »
There is a road that you can get basically around the whole lake anywhere you go its not much of a walk to find fish if you didn't have a machine... But the road on the back side of the lake can get drifty if there is a lot of snow.. chained up 4*4 can usually do it... Good luck..
Cornbread,I personally think its is one of the easiest lake around to access without a wheeler.I have gone up there multiple time with just the truck not wanting to pull a trailer 300 miles plus. The access on the south end is limited but there is nothing from the campground north that isnt within walking distance (with a little ambition)for whatever you want to catch. The road on the west shore can get iffy later in the year but when there isnt alot of snow you can cover alot of that place with ease.  What are you looking to catch? Have spent many a night at the ole sleeping buffalo but anymore really cant beat the Maltana.

Offline Cornbread

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #22 on: Dec 19, 2013, 06:47 AM »
Cornbread,I personally think its is one of the easiest lake around to access without a wheeler.I have gone up there multiple time with just the truck not wanting to pull a trailer 300 miles plus. The access on the south end is limited but there is nothing from the campground north that isnt within walking distance (with a little ambition)for whatever you want to catch. The road on the west shore can get iffy later in the year but when there isnt alot of snow you can cover alot of that place with ease.  What are you looking to catch? Have spent many a night at the ole sleeping buffalo but anymore really cant beat the Maltana.

Myself I am just looking to catch big perch and pike but I am pretty sure my brother will want to target walleye. Last time we were there in summer we ended up also catching whitefish too which was fun and they were quite large compared to what I am used to for whitefish. Those were pretty tasty and I wouldn't mind catching more of those for the smoker.

Offline ShoemakerBoys

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #23 on: Dec 19, 2013, 07:42 AM »
Thanks for all the info guys, if you guys have any tips on where to head to try and get into some bigger eye's.  We had awesome luck last year catching perch and northerns.  Only caught small eye's and a couple 15"ers, would like to find a couple in that 18-20 range.  Good luck to all you guys heading up there.  Like everyone has posted it is a pretty easy lake to just walk from the roads, within a half mile you can be in about any kind of fishing it seemed like.  We take the four wheeler but its cause we pull our popup out on the ice by our shack.  Fish-on-boys!!!

Offline Slim Trout

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #24 on: Nov 23, 2020, 09:27 AM »
Any chance Arlen is still around? Just saw westside shutdown...

Offline slickice

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #25 on: Nov 23, 2020, 04:08 PM »
Arlen is well over 80+ years old.  I seriously doubt he's going to be hauling traps, buckets etc., up & down creek banks anymore.  I'm in my mid 70's, in good shape yet it would be a struggle for me.  The past few years I've been picking up good minnow from Roberts baits in G. Falls.  Chester, Mt has minnows (dry cleaner shop) and sometimes the gas station in Lothair has them too.

Offline doublehaul

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #26 on: Nov 24, 2020, 06:48 AM »
Arlen is out of the bait business. Please don’t call him bugging him for live minnows.
So many fish, so little time.

Offline sra61

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #27 on: Nov 24, 2020, 01:00 PM »
Yeah Westside is gone, and Arlen gave it up. Minnows around Malta are gonna be a challenge. There was a guy in Hinsdale that could provide a few. I heard last season that the guy at Sleeping Buffalo was thinking about possibly carrying some. I don't know for sure, it might be worth asking him. Other wise bring em from wherever home is. There are a few places in Havre. Big Al in Lothair has quite a big setup at his place now. I can't see him running out under any circumstances. He's gonna be our source out of Kalispell now. There's always Lakeridge at Fort Peck.

Offline rkymtnfisher

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #28 on: Nov 24, 2020, 07:07 PM »
I am wanting to fish Nelson but know nothing about access or how to fish it. Any help much appreciated. Also curious about ice fishing the north side of Peck. Is a sled or ATV pretty much a must??? TIA

Offline BobberdownMT

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Re: Nelson Res. & Highline Minnows
« Reply #29 on: Nov 24, 2020, 09:39 PM »
Make sure if you find a good source (guy in hinesdale sounds like a good example) you spread it all over the internet and overwhelm and push people out of doing it

 



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