Author Topic: canyon ferry (Read 2956 times)

kingling · « **on:** Feb 07, 2011, 10:13 AM »

goin to the silos tuesday anyone been out? ill take any help i can get we will be targeting trout

waterloo · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 07, 2011, 05:04 PM »

I have been hitting CF about 2 or 3 times a week for the past three weeks and have been limiting every time out. I have been fishing south of the silos, and in any water between 4 and 6 feet. Early mornings have been most consistent, but fish have been feeding at all times just not as consistently. I tip all my jigs with maggots. It really hasn't mattered as to jig color or type, everything seems to be working. Active jigging has been getting the best results. A lot of light biters that give you only one chance. By the same token, most of the bigger fish seem to take your jig and run with it. Make sure that your rod holder will not allow your rod to follow the bigger fish into the holes. Have fun!

deer lodge · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 07, 2011, 05:43 PM »

I fished cf on sat. morning. The wind was terrible, and we fished for about 3 1/2 hrs. There were 3 of us and we caught 1 fish, with 2 other bites. Talked to the fwp guy and he said thato the fish we caught was only the 2nd fish hed checked that morning, but the weekend before it had been smokin hot. We were fishing just south of the silos. The water isnt very deep. Only about 3-4 feet of water below the ice. (And lots of ice!)

albo · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 08, 2011, 10:51 PM »

Hey Waterloo what are you limiting out on? trout?

waterloo · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 09, 2011, 01:39 PM »

albo - fishing strictly for trout. I don't have the best of luck on perch, and I don't know a thing about walleye (although I really would like to be experienced in both species). I would say that the average size over the past several weeks has been around 19 inches, with a few bing around 23 inches and more than a few being around 16 inches.

bowhtr · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 09, 2011, 01:59 PM »

Quote from: waterloo on Feb 09, 2011, 01:39 PM

albo - fishing strictly for trout. I don't have the best of luck on perch, and I don't know a thing about walleye (although I really would like to be experienced in both species). I would say that the average size over the past several weeks has been around 19 inches, with a few bing around 23 inches and more than a few being around 16 inches.

I was like you just fishing for trout and doing very good at it too. Then, I went fishing with a buddy that wanted to catch some perch. Neither of us knew what we were doing but I heard they hang on the bottom in deeper water and to use a Swedish pimple with a dropper teardrop or glow jig tipped with maggots and then after catching one use the eye of the perch. If luck wouldn’t have it we caught a few. Then I switched to using eyes as bait and as soon as my bait got near the bottom I was reeling up another fish.

That was just a year ago and now I’m into it really big getting a fish finder and changed some of my gear around. I would recommend talking to the guys on the ice that’s how it all starts. Don’t be shy the will help you. Plus perch and walleye taste so much better!

waterloo · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 10, 2011, 04:57 PM »

bowhtr - your post made me decide to put off trout fishing tomorrow and try targeting perch instead. I have only targeted perch a few times with negative results. The only perch that I have caught has been incidental to trout fishing in less than 15 feet of water. I know how to fish for perch, and I just purchased a vexilar a couple of months back (a great asset), but I don't really know where to look for them in the water (I read that they do prefer large flats, which is no problem in CF). Could you tell me at what depth that I should start working in? I plan to go out west or northwest of the silos and start in about 30 feet of water. I will be mobile (at least as mobile as you can be on foot) and plan on working out to 40 feet of water looking for fish. Any tips that you have will be appreciated. And of course, I will post tomorrow evening on my results.

Thanks.

icecrazed · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 10, 2011, 07:30 PM »

Fish in 30-60' close to the bottom. If u have a vexilar, try to get the fish to follow your bait up, so you can read them on the screen. Lots of times your vexilar will read the weeds as bottom, and not pick up the fish swimming through. Follow the herds of people out, they usually have a pretty good idea of where the fish are at.

waterloo · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 11, 2011, 05:55 AM »

icecrazed - thanks for the tip. Looks like I (and everyone else on the lake) will be fighting the wind today. Just checked National Weather Service in Missoula and the winds are cranking at around 20 mph already this morning (4:45a.m.). At any rate, I will post on my results this evening. Thanks again.

YETI_MILK · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 11, 2011, 02:47 PM »

anyone ben tio the silos will take any help i can get

waterloo · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 11, 2011, 05:53 PM »

Well, the perch are still outsmarting me. After taking the day off from trout fishing to target perch, I came up completly empty. Felt like I walked 5 miles. Fished in everything from 25 feet of water to 38 feet. Would drill a couple of holes, drop the vexilar down, and jig for about 10 minutes. If I didn't see anything, I would move a few hundred yards further and try again. My friend and I did this from the north access north of the silos to about one half way across the lake towards Duch Creek, then towards Galzagorry Bay, then back past Hole in the wall and back to our starting point. The only positive thing was the weather. Absolutely gorgous, and contrary to what I had seen earlier on the wind, it was actually calm. Will go back to trout fishing tomorrow and try for the perch again later.

Bullelk34 · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 11, 2011, 06:15 PM »

I don't fish Canyon Ferry myself, but I heard from a friend today that said he's been doing well on perch up at White Earth. It might be worth a shot if anyone's interested.

bowhtr · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 01:19 PM »

Quote from: waterloo on Feb 11, 2011, 05:53 PM

Well, the perch are still outsmarting me. After taking the day off from trout fishing to target perch, I came up completly empty. Felt like I walked 5 miles. Fished in everything from 25 feet of water to 38 feet. Would drill a couple of holes, drop the vexilar down, and jig for about 10 minutes. If I didn't see anything, I would move a few hundred yards further and try again. My friend and I did this from the north access north of the silos to about one half way across the lake towards Duch Creek, then towards Galzagorry Bay, then back past Hole in the wall and back to our starting point. The only positive thing was the weather. Absolutely gorgous, and contrary to what I had seen earlier on the wind, it was actually calm. Will go back to trout fishing tomorrow and try for the perch again later.

Sorry to hear that you had a dead day. $:-\$ Did you mark any fish coming off the bottom? Not sure what you were using for bate or if you only fished one jugging pole? This might help… try setting up some dead sticks, small treble hook #12 or #10 and a very small bobber. Weight the line a foot above the hook so the bobber barely floats don’t forget the weight of the bait. Use small 2 inch minnows or night crawlers. It’s good to test them in a five gallon bucket at home before you get on the ice. Use your fish finder to set them so they are only four inches off the bottom. If a perch feels any resistance they drop the bait so I like to leave my bale open on the real so the fish can run with the bait.

Don’t give up!

waterloo · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 05:28 PM »

I took Bullelk34's tip and headed to White Earth today. Fished at the mouth of the cove that Beaver Creek empties into in 35 - 40 FOW. Just after getting set up at around 7:45, darn if I didnt' actually catch a perch. I thought my day off to a good start. She came in on my jigging pole set up under my vexilar, so I saw her and teased her in. That was it for the day. I spotted two groups of fish suspended in 15 FOW under the vexilar, but I am pretty sure that they must have been small trout. I also had one bite, but that was it.

Bowhtr - thanks for the tips. I usually use 3 or 4 poles, but I mainly concentrate on jigging the hole that the vexilar is set up in. If I don't see anything for a while, I will move the vexilar to the other holes and jig those for a bit. I see that they are light biters, but I didn't realize that they would spit the hook out if they feel resistance. If this current warm weather dosn't do too much damage to the ice, I will probably try again soon, and I will put your advice to the test, thanks!

I know it sounds riduclous, but not having eaten perch before, and not knowing if I would have any other chances at perch this year, I decided to fillet the one perch I did catch and fry up the two mouthsized morsels once I got home. Absolutely delicious! Too bad that it was only enough for the two mouthfuls.

By the way, if anyone is interested in the conditions today. Ice was measured at 14 inches, but it is getting to be pretty soft ice. There were several areas that I broke through the top newly formed ice from last night into 2 inches of standing water. That is a little more unerving when you are used to standing over 4 to 6 FOW while trout fishing and now find yourself in 35 FOW. Winds were pretty stiff at about 20 mph later morning as well.

Bullelk34 · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 07:10 PM »

waterloo-

What are you using for bait on the perch? I saw in another post you mentioned a bare spoon for trout, perch like maggots and perch eyes. Some tips I can give you for perch. I use a buckshot spoons most of the time, tipped with maggots, perch eyes, or minnow heads. Thump it on the bottom quite a bit, it stirs things up and attracts them pretty well. Also, I often reel up almost to the hole, then let it free fall all the way back down. Alot of times it falls way off to the side, which is great. Then you reel up a bit at a time, in essence dragging the bottom. This has proven a very effective technique with the walleyes this year.

Good luck-

waterloo · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 07:22 PM »

Thanks for the additional tips. No, I don't use spoons on the perch. The only bait that I use is maggots (I will try the eyes if I get another perch on the ice). I do use some buckshot jigs, swedish pimples, and some small jigs such as moonglows (I think that is their name). I have been pretty well on the bottom, and jigging upwards only 6 to 12 inches. Other than todays perch, I havn't seen a thing swimming on the bottom. Good idea about bringing the jig up and letting it freefall. Hopefully I will be utilizing these tips and the ones from bowhtr the next time out (probably the beginning of next week).

kingling · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 08:00 PM »

where do i find these buck shot spoons i have looked for them everywhere?

fishforfood72 · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 08:10 PM »

sportsmans, silos, rocky mountain supplies in townsend, Northland website, check fish USA that's just a start .
.
good luck

Bullelk34 · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 08:10 PM »

I got most of my buckshots at Wholesale Sports, though they are out of them now. They have hardly any ice fishing jigs left. But you could use any spoon for perch, pimples work well too. I just think the rattle helps.

steelerod · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 14, 2011, 10:03 PM »

Kingling if your coming from Whitehall Rich's Tackle, in Old Town(on the edge of Three Forks), has em. Also any other type of jig you might want. His selection is as good if not better than anywhere around. Good prices too. Only a couple extra miles from the junction for ya.

JayHelfrich · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 15, 2011, 12:48 AM »

I always do really good on a #2 jigging rapala too. Bright colored ones and perch colored ones with the treble hook tipped with either maggots or perch eye's. Rig on 4# test and jig with 2 foot strokes then stop and pound it with sharp 2-3 inch strokes and then stop it dead and watch for a hit.

Jay

waterloo · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 15, 2011, 05:17 PM »

kingling - I think that I got my buckshots at either bob wards or 3 bears alaska in Butte.

TheGreenHornet · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 19, 2011, 11:06 AM »

Out on the lake now and it blows...and not the good kind. Anyone have any luck out here. Low pursue is killing the fishing.

kingling · « **Reply #23 on:** Feb 19, 2011, 12:03 PM »

was there wednesday south of the silos with waterloo and we caught ten together but they were tuff to get to bite

icefishdave · « **Reply #24 on:** Feb 19, 2011, 06:02 PM »

Anybody driving out with trucks yet? This cold harden the ice back up?

ah gee bobba · « **Reply #25 on:** Feb 19, 2011, 07:56 PM »

Two trucks went through the silo's today. The county sheriff has closed Canyon Ferry to vehicles.

Bullelk34 · « **Reply #26 on:** Feb 19, 2011, 08:07 PM »

No kidding?!? Do you know if everyone is OK?

Bullelk34 · « **Reply #27 on:** Feb 19, 2011, 08:10 PM »

Just went to the HelenaIR and saw the blurb. It looks like they are still searching for a male- not good.

News:

Author Topic: canyon ferry (Read 2956 times)

Bullelk34

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