Heading to Holter

[IceRuki]

Thought about heading to Holter this weekend and giving it a try.  My wife is wanting some walleyes and we thought it might be a good place to try.  Any info on the ice, where to go (Log Gulch campground?).  We have been over by Silos mostly and fished for rainbows but now want to something different.  Any info is appreciated!  Is the road maintained past the first campground?

[Ice Freek]

The road should be fine. the ice might be a little scary in spots. A guy I know was up there the other day and his dog fell through or into open water or something, but he walked all the way across the lake from the first campground. Just be careful and use some common sense! Oh yeah good luck.

[copperjohn]

You're gonna want to find the drop off from the flats where ever you end up.  And you'll want to be set up either an hour or more before first light or same before evening.  Low light is the key for eyes and transitional depths.  They will come in from deep to feed in the shallows.  Set up salted minnows on tip-ups and jig raps or buckshots tipped with whole minnows or heads, working water from deep edges in toward shallows.  No live minnows allowed, of course.  If you're really ambitious, walk to the oxbow, cutting over the saddle in the hill.  Heard better fishing in that area.  All in all, Holter is a tough one in the winter.

[IceRuki]

Hey thanks for the info, we will figure out what we want to do.  May drive up to Helena Friday night so we can get an earlier start on Saturday and then spend the whole day on the ice.  How is the fishing for rainbows?  I know some friends of ours always pulled some big ones out but that was always during the summer.

[copperjohn]

Bows have been the easiest fishing this year.  People have been catching in shallows near shore by all three public accesses, the BLM boat ramp, Log Gulch and Departure Point.  I was catching them suspended while fishing deep for perch in 40 ft.  Seems bigger ones cruised the shorelines though.  Half a worm and a chartreuse marshmellow rigged on long poles(tied to something bigger than the hole) is my favorite trout rig.  Good Luck, the ice should be nice

[J_Edwards]

Good to hear about the ice, I've been out of state two weeks, fished Iowa, North Dakota and now it's back to Montana.  I've been hammering Perch in Iowa, Walleyes and Pike in ND and now I'm ready for some rainbows.

Be heading up tomorrow, can't get an early start so I'll be heading from Great Falls around 10 am and fishing well past dark, after the trout I'm going to see if I can't stir up some Wallys.

[J_Edwards]

I didn't have any luck but I admit I gave up pretty easily, I was just worn out from all the travelling.  I believe I talked to your wife, I hope you two had better luck after you moved.

[Bullelk34]

Holter fished really well this morning. Between the four of us we got 35 perch, a dozen walleye and 3 rainbows. We got started around 8:00 and it died off around 11:00, a great few hours.

The ice was still 9", though we saw at least 2 pressure ridges that looked a little dangerous to cross.

[J_Edwards]

I didn't show up until 10 or so, I take it you were part of the group fishing off Departure?  We fished Log Gulch in the shallows, was hoping to cross but it didn't seem like a good idea with the open water.  I had planned to fish all day but man I was whipped.  I came home and slept 3 and half hours, I'm glad I did too, I feel a lot better.

[IceRuki]

We didn't have much luck after we moved, thought about heading home but then we stopped at Silo's and fished until after dark.  Didn't do any better there either.  Fish seemed to be running along the shore for the most part but we couldn't get them to bite anything we tried.  That's why they call it fishing and not catching I guess.  Will have to give Holter another try one of these days.

[IceRuki]

Holter fished really well this morning. Between the four of us we got 35 perch, a dozen walleye and 3 rainbows. We got started around 8:00 and it died off around 11:00, a great few hours.

The ice was still 9", though we saw at least 2 pressure ridges that looked a little dangerous to cross.

Did you guys take off on towards Upper Holter on a 4 wheeler and a couple of guys dragging a sled?

[Bullelk34]

No, we fished the main lake. I do know the guys who headed up though, haven't heard how well they did yet.
 It was wierd yesterday, the first time I ever tried red maggots and the fish liked them better than 3-to-1 over regular.