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Montana => Ice Fishing Montana => Topic started by: my-marty on Feb 03, 2019, 09:12 AM

Title: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: my-marty on Feb 03, 2019, 09:12 AM
Why is 90% of the fish stocking in eastern montana trout. I got the pond book a couple of months ago and almost every pond that is near glendive or most of eastern montana is annually stock with trout. Most of these ponds are shallow and not a good environment for trout. Personally I would rather see FWP abandon half these ponds, work to make the other half deeper and more sustainable, then stock them with fish that can actually survive in eastern montana like crappies, bluegills, bass, maybe even walleye or pike. Most of the ponds near me winterkilled last year or they quit stocking them because the are too shallow. This season I have been doing most of my pond fishing in North Dakota which is unfortunate since I pay taxes and support montana.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: meandcuznalfy on Feb 03, 2019, 09:23 AM
Trout unlimited probably helps them foot the bill for stocking.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: my-marty on Feb 03, 2019, 01:06 PM
If the trout are stocked just to die off then what is the point. It’s like wiping before you poop, it doesn’t make any sense.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: meandcuznalfy on Feb 03, 2019, 01:11 PM
No it don't make sense, think they would try and make some viable fishing spots for people in that area. Too bad you have to spend extra money to go east to fish.  :'(
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: my-marty on Feb 03, 2019, 01:36 PM
We do have Gartside reservoir which has small bluegill, small perch, some pike and largemouth and is a 45 minute drive. There is also South sandstone reservoir which has small perch, pike, supposedly some crappie and walleye and is a 1.5 hour drive from glendive. So I can’t say we have nothing but there is some ponds closer that have potential with some investment. My experience with ponds in western North Dakota is bigger fish and more variety.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: meandcuznalfy on Feb 03, 2019, 01:39 PM
Yea, be nice to have that closer. What's the nd license cost
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: my-marty on Feb 03, 2019, 01:56 PM
45 for annual
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: meandcuznalfy on Feb 03, 2019, 02:02 PM
That's not bad, still a shame you to shell it  out to get some decent fish, do buy bait or anything else in nd.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: BigSage on Feb 03, 2019, 02:03 PM
Lots of trout hatcheries
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: my-marty on Feb 03, 2019, 02:11 PM
Illegal to transport minnows across state lines for both North Dakota and montana. The good news is minnows are dirt cheap in North Dakota so a guy doesn’t feel as bad dumping them or giving them to someone else on the ice before you leave.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: meandcuznalfy on Feb 03, 2019, 02:20 PM
Illegal to transport minnows across state lines for both North Dakota and montana. The good news is minnows are dirt cheap in North Dakota so a guy doesn’t feel as bad dumping them or giving them to someone else on the ice before you leave.

More revenue lost for locals then, glad they're cheap so it's not costing alot to get rid of them.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Wenger on Feb 04, 2019, 10:53 AM
Those ponds can produce some massive rainbows if we are not in drought cycle. That said when the trout winter kill so do the bass and panfish. Before the big drought in the 00s we enjoyed great bass and trout fishing in many ranch ponds around Jordan and sand springs.

FWP has far more trout hatchery space than warm water. The tide is turning in terms of what anglers like to catch and they are kind of behind that curve. Trout were very popular in eastern MT not that long ago and still are with many folks.

Even if it takes a new source of funding like the old warm water stamp I think they need to catch up. (And stock Cisco’s in CF!!!!)

That said if conditions are right panfish, bass and pike will self sustain while trout won’t. But those trout in eastern MT ponds can grow to huge sizes.  A nice mix is fine.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: KDW on Feb 04, 2019, 04:21 PM
Montana seems to have a pretty bad attitude when it comes to a lot of fish other then Trout, it certainly
rules at all cost. I hope as was mentioned that that is starting to soften. There are a lot of us who love
to fish for all kinds of fish and would much rather eat warm water species, including Pike which seems to
be a dirty word here. We travel lots of miles to fish anything but trout, nothing against trout there are
just hundreds of places where they thrive and would like to see warm water stuff thrive where they can
without putting trout in those waters.

Ken
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Noon on Feb 04, 2019, 04:37 PM
I'm chiming in just to show there is another Montanan who is in support of all fish, not just salmonoids. Yes, I appreciate the native fish and also fly fishing in the rivers and all of the trout things that make Montana so special for fishing tourism. But I don't know who needs to see a signed petition saying we all want cisco in CF or we would like some warm water species in some of the bigger bodies of water. Trout are neat and all, but there is something way more exciting about catching large predatory warm water species or eating pan fish.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: RuralMT on Feb 04, 2019, 06:42 PM
Quote
Trout are neat and all, but there is something way more exciting about catching large predatory warm water species or eating pan fish.

I completely agree and would like to add that everyone talks about the perch coming out of Cascade Lake but it produces some dandy rainbows as well.  They seem capable of cohabiting a body of water...maybe we should just let them mingle.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Wenger on Feb 04, 2019, 07:27 PM
Okay not to get political to the sake of being political but there is a direct coorilation between which party is in the governors office and how agencies like FWP operate.

Look at who runs various commissions such as Fwp and then the Parks board and who appointed them. Then look at who the donors are and what their priorities are. 16 years of single party rule in the governors office has resulted in an ingrained mindset on both commissions. Both folks in charge of the respective commission/board are hardcore Democrats, both very active in party politics and thus also beholding to the donors. The State Park board has five appointees all pretty far left. Tom Towe who ran it until being fired is guy who has been giving Clint such a hard time at Hell Creek. Now chances are that Hell Creek will not even be open in the future.

So perhaps if we want a say then we need to make our voices heard above those who have recently moved to Missoula?  I for one will be quizzing both candidates next time around on FWP issues. It is the only way to changes the culture I suspect.

Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: wyogator on Feb 04, 2019, 07:42 PM
I like things just the way they are. Ponds around here have a nice variety of fish. We have trout ponds, perch ponds, bass and bluegill ponds and some with walleye and pike. We also have ponds with some of these species mixed together.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Quantoson on Feb 04, 2019, 07:50 PM
Okay not to get political to the sake of being political but there is a direct coorilation between which party is in the governors office and how agencies like FWP operate.

Look at who runs various commissions such as Fwp and then the Parks board and who appointed them. Then look at who the donors are and what their priorities are. 16 years of single party rule in the governors office has resulted in an ingrained mindset on both commissions. Both folks in charge of the respective commission/board are hardcore Democrats, both very active in party politics and thus also beholding to the donors. The State Park board has five appointees all pretty far left. Tom Towe who ran it until being fired is guy who has been giving Clint such a hard time at Hell Creek. Now chances are that Hell Creek will not even be open in the future.

So perhaps if we want a say then we need to make our voices heard above those who have recently moved to Missoula?  I for one will be quizzing both candidates next time around on FWP issues. It is the only way to changes the culture I suspect.



You mean the powers may be leaning to the $$$$ donors groups that have 20,000 years of study chiseled into rock and now is data who won't allow scientific review......Trout Unlimited?  ???
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: my-marty on Feb 04, 2019, 08:12 PM
I like things just the way they are. Ponds around here have a nice variety of fish. We have trout ponds, perch ponds, bass and bluegill ponds and some with walleye and pike. We also have ponds with some of these species mixed together.
I bet you do lol, there are many times a year I wish I lived in Malta instead of glendive lol.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: missoulafish on Feb 04, 2019, 08:13 PM
Wenger hit  that nail on the head...
There's initiatives coming down the pipe that will absolutely eff all of us....
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Quantoson on Feb 04, 2019, 08:22 PM
Wenger hit  that nail on the head...
There's initiatives coming down the pipe that will absolutely eff all of us....

Yeah, those were suppose to be secret.  If I would have stated that they would have banned me for 200 years and taken away my bait.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: The Linguist on Feb 05, 2019, 07:56 PM
I bet you do lol, there are many times a year I wish I lived in Malta instead of glendive lol.

Kuester’s and Johnson’s reservoirs used to be good perch producers back in the day. I don’t see any recent stocking info for them at fwp.mt.gov.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: my-marty on Feb 06, 2019, 10:36 AM
Johnson winterkilled last year. It was 5 ft deep, 6 ft from from full in 2017. I have never heard of Kuesters.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Wenger on Feb 06, 2019, 12:05 PM
It's all about water for fish. Many of those ponds have silted in a lot since the 80's as well.  Krieder Ranch had two ponds that FWP stocked with trout and bass, both dried up as did the ponds off Valentine Rd in the Dry Blood drainage.  Used to be full of smallmouth and largemouth plus bluegill which are gone now.  Dried up muck holes last summer. The same problem has occured over much of eastern MT.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: bigsky on Feb 07, 2019, 09:18 AM
I also believe a lot of the reason for stocking trout is because many of these ponds and reservoirs have silted in to the point that they typically winter kill every couple years. Trout have faster growth rates than bass and a lot of other warm water fish, so they stand a chance to get to a decent size before the pond winter kills.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Quantoson on Feb 07, 2019, 09:51 AM
Kuester Lake (66 acres) and Krieder Reservoir (44 acres) are for irrigation.  Both are surrounded by private property. Was there or is there public access?
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: The Linguist on Feb 07, 2019, 11:24 AM
Not sure about these days, but Kuester Reservoir used to have a boat ramp. It produced some quality perch (1 lbers) in its heyday.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Wenger on Feb 07, 2019, 05:10 PM
Kuester Lake (66 acres) and Krieder Reservoir (44 acres) are for irrigation.  Both are surrounded by private property. Was there or is there public access?

Yes they had public access with notification of the ranch. Part of the Fwp program.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: The Linguist on Feb 07, 2019, 06:31 PM
This is from 2017. Rattlesnake, Grants, and Prairie Goat might have some potential: https://myfwp.mt.gov/getRepositoryFile?objectID=84265

Is Camel’s Hump by Dickieville where you go, my-marty?
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: wolfdent1 on Feb 09, 2019, 07:20 AM
Mystery
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Quantoson on Feb 09, 2019, 07:56 AM
The reason I was asking about access is the rule is stated as below if public funds are used to stock or improve a pond.  Having to chase a property owner down to get access could be a bummer if they are not immediately available.

The project sponsor is responsible for providing the property or access to the property where the project is located. Projects may be located on private property, but public fishing access must be guaranteed through easements or binding written agreements.

 Community Pond Program funding may be used for costs of design, construction, repair, or enhancement of ponds for which public angling is a primary purpose. Improvements that enhance handicapped access or safety may also be funded.
    Funds may be used only for those portions of the project that are necessary to create or enhance    angling opportunity.
    The project must be located near a community and should involve a pond-sized waterbody.
    Funds may not be used for acquisition of property.
    Project sponsors are responsible for routine maintenance of the completed project.


Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Wenger on Feb 09, 2019, 08:23 PM
It's still their land and they have a right to know who is running around and possibly leaving gates open or starting fires.  The pond access guide gives phone numbers, regulations etc much as Block Management guides do.  Not all ranches required you check in, some do.  It's a good program.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Quantoson on Feb 09, 2019, 08:29 PM
It's still their land and they have a right to know who is running around and possibly leaving gates open or starting fires.  The pond access guide gives phone numbers, regulations etc much as Block Management guides do.  Not all ranches required you check in, some do.  It's a good program.

I did not dispute "good program".  I did not state otherwise.  It was a curious question.  It was a statement I read that public fishing access must be guaranteed. 
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: my-marty on Feb 09, 2019, 08:43 PM
This is from 2017. Rattlesnake, Grants, and Prairie Goat might have some potential: https://myfwp.mt.gov/getRepositoryFile?objectID=84265

Is Camel’s Hump by Dickieville where you go, my-marty?
yes I have been going there and odland. I talked to a coworker who used to fish kuesters and he claims it was drained. That would explain why I can’t find it on the pond fishing book.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: RuralMT on Feb 09, 2019, 11:15 PM
My apologies for the random question here, but I didn't want to start a new thread for it.  Does the windmill program work?  When I lived in Circle, I took the Terry cutoff frequently and drove by Homestead Reservoir.  I never bothered fishing it with Fort Peck, the Yellowstone, and their tributaries nearby, but was always curious if fish swam in there.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Wenger on Feb 10, 2019, 04:26 PM
I did not dispute "good program".  I did not state otherwise.  It was a curious question.  It was a statement I read that public fishing access must be guaranteed.

Why so tense?  I was simply saying that there were some restrictions that allow a rancher to be notified when and who was on their land.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: Quantoson on Feb 10, 2019, 04:59 PM
LOL.  I was smiling when I wrote it, but I do have the 'pushing a good one out' expression when I smile.
Title: Re: Trout stocking in eastern montana
Post by: sbschindler on Feb 21, 2019, 10:02 AM
I didn't read all the posts but to answer the original question, "why do they plant Trout" they are cheap and they grow fast" was the original idea and now I just think its a habit, and a bad habit at that