Bozeman area ponds

[eroknroll]

Has anyone been out at bozeman ponds or the "bozeman beach"?  Whats the skinny?

[RobG]

I've been out a few times with my daughter. 4-6" ice or so on the Oak Street and the Mall ponds. Lots of stockers to be had on worms. Lots of dogs running free to make life interesting.

[icebugler]

buddies have been on the beach a few times with no luck. prolly will head out there tomorrow afternoon if my morning for ducks pans out well. ill post back what i run into. last year we landed a couple largemouths almost hitting 5 lbs!!! hopefully find those ones again!

[eroknroll]

that's a riot.  I will have to run out there sometime, can't beat the access... ha ha.  I will go over there to dink around on occasion in the summer when I am really short on time/motivation to work for fish, so might as well give it a try in the winer too right.  anything to get away from hyalite

[RustyWaterDogs]

What are all the species of fish in the mall and oak street ponds.  I have caught trout and bluegill.

[RobG]

I think Oak is just trout and suckers. Mall has at least perch, bluegill, LM bass and trout.

[fishinwithbrittanies]

I fished the beach a lot last year and a few times this year.  They are sorta jerks about dogs there now so I don't want to risk getting busted.  5 lb bass though.  I had heard of a guy catching nice ones but thats friggin huge for around here.   If a guy was to go out there searching for those bass.........Where could he go?  I had been told by one of the ice skaters to go on the other side of the ice skating circle from the close parking lot in the shallow water (manly road side?).  I've caught a few little bass over there in the summer messing around with new flys I tied.  I rarely catch bass through the ice and it sounds fun.  I guess I'll just have to head out there and mess around!!

[Hardwateraddicton]

I had been wondering about Oak St. thanks for the info... how about the pond off of N. Davis?? Anyone been there? As for the "Beach" I usually take "newbies" or the kids over there just cuz its close and you used to be able to catch fish all day long.... those days are gone as of last year!! With the huge increase of ice fishing popularity Im affraid there is a good chance it has been fished out by greedy irresponsible "sportsman"! Fishing there the last several years I have seen dozens to buckets full of 6-8" perch being taken. As fun as it is and as tasty as they are they are one of the slowest growing fish around as it takes 7-9 yrs to produce a 12" fish in most cases. What exactly do you eat on a 6" perch?? I have been out 4 times this year and have only caught 1 and marked only a few   Im thinking maybe this little pond should be catch and release or maybe restricted to youngsters with a low limit?? What say you?

Happy New Year!!

[icebugler]

when we caught those bass we were in the far parking lot and would walk south down to the willow line along the bank. we saw several good bass on the camera. there really isnt much structure along the bottom, the fish mostly were just cruising along. either close to the will bank or we would go out in the middle. hard to explain and hard to say exactly how to fish for them but we did catch a few in the past that were nice.

[fishinwithbrittanies]

thanks bugler....I was kinda thinking of heading out there this evening for a bit with the wife but she's huge pregnant right now and its going to take a fair bit of coxing on my part to get her out there, especially when she needs a restroom every two minutes.

So far as the beach being fished out, I highly doubt it.  I only went out the one time this year and caught like 15 in a half hour or so when I got my new sonar.  I remember days last year not catching or marking fish but thats fishing.  If you don't see fish move, especially if thats what your electronics are telling you.  Truth being told keeping those fish to me is sorta gross....it used to be a landfill.  Personally I think the perch in the lake are stunted.  There are so many fish in the 6-8" range and no larger fish.  I think, and I am no biologist, there are either A: to many fish thus minimizing the amount of whatever food resource there is to each fish or B: there is not a food source large enough to sustain a large population of decent size perch.  I personally could care less if people keep them out of there, though I don't think I ever would.  If there are still dozens of people pulling out buckets of perch then there must be fish in there. 
Anyway, time to get off my soap box.

[fishinwithbrittanies]

sorry to double post but I did go out to the beach for a bit this evening with my wife.  Definitely not fished out.  I marked crazy amounts of perch on the finder.  Literally clouds of them.  That said we only caught a handful.  Very tough to catch.  Extreme light bites and very picky about what they wanted.  They wouldn't take maggots, had to use mealworms and didn't like certain colors. 
Did fish for the bass for just a little while next to the single willow strip on the east side.  We weren't in the back cove.  I will be back there later trying some different stuff. Anyway it was a fun night.

[fisherman 4 life]

went fishing at the mall pond caught one trout then i tried the ponds on oak didnt catch anything on the first pond then moved to the second pond and caught 4 rainbows and a 1 sucker they all averaged about 8 inches so not big but there still fun to catch 

[RobG]

went fishing at the mall pond caught one trout then i tried the ponds on oak didnt catch anything on the first pond then moved to the second pond and caught 4 rainbows and a 1 sucker they all averaged about 8 inches so not big but there still fun to catch 

It is kind of funny - I don't even think I've caught a fish in the first pond. But they must be there: I saw some very nice fish taking some flies off the surface there in the summer.

[fisherman 4 life]

It is kind of funny - I don't even think I've caught a fish in the first pond. But they must be there: I saw some very nice fish taking some flies off the surface there in the summer.

yesterday when i fished the first pond there was no old holes at all so nobody fished there recently everybody fishes the second pond and nobody fishes the far side of the second pond so im sure you can do good over there

[fishinwithbrittanies]

I only fished that pond once for grins and hammered the trout.  Seriously couldn't keep them off.  I remember talking to my friend on the phone to let him know he should take his little girls out there and I caught 4-5 just talking to him.

[spedray]

I have caught lots of fish in both of the ponds of Oak in the summer. All I have ever caught is those little 8" trout. Anybody tried the pond in Valley West. I fished it two years ago and it was full of Cutthroats. Tried ice fishing it last year and during this summer and have not caught one since two years ago.

[fishinwithbrittanies]

anybody know if you can fish the river rock pond.  I know some people fish it in the summer and there are supposed to be nice size smallies in there.  I would love to ice some smallies but never see anybody ice fish it.  I don't know if they want to keep people off because of all the kids around or what but I was wondering if anybody knew anything

[fisherman 4 life]

went back to the oak ponds and hammered the trout caught over 40

[Icejigs]

I looked into fishing those ponds last summer and was told they are only for the  people in the subdivision. Was I told wrong? thanks.

[fisherman 4 life]

I think anybody can fish those ponds I don't live in the subdivsion

[fisherman 4 life]

if you do go to those ponds though you should put spring bobers on your pole because the bites are usually very lite and you can miss a lot of fish

[icebugler]

ive fished river rock before and have never seen a sign that you cant fish it or been told otherwise by people walking around it. it was a couple years ago but we honestly went there to try and catch the goldfish they have in there......my buddy caught a fatty, prolly 6-8 in. i know theres bass in there as well, dont know if they are smallies or largemouths

[Mr. iceman]

Fished the "beach" for the first time, horrible time, drilled first hole on the east end and was about 5fow, water was puky green diarrhea color could see 6ft down, moved toward the middle, same thing but deeper water, fished from 11:00am to 12:30.  If anyone know where the honey holes are, please let me know, I read some guy caught a 5lbs bass out of there

[Bowhunter4Life]

Fished the "beach" for the first time, horrible time, drilled first hole on the east end and was about 5fow, water was puky green diarrhea color could see 6ft down, moved toward the middle, same thing but deeper water, fished from 11:00am to 12:30.  If anyone know where the honey holes are, please let me know, I read some guy caught a 5lbs bass out of there

Farthest east parking lot, walk down past the willows on the shoreline about 40 yards out drill holes perpindictular to the shore should be bout 15 fow there is a rock pile there. Blue swedish pimples lots of maggots or small jigging rapalas usually due the trick.

[Mr. iceman]

Farthest east parking lot, walk down past the willows on the shoreline about 40 yards out drill holes perpindictular to the shore should be bout 15 fow there is a rock pile there. Blue swedish pimples lots of maggots or small jigging rapalas usually due the trick.

much appreciated info    thank you

[icebugler]

same buddy that landed the 5+ pounder last year was out last night at the beach. took my cam with him and saw multiple big boys again. he couldnt get any of em to take whatever he was using but they were lippin it a bit he said. im assuming he was using a pimp with a dropper, the kid uses the same stuff alllll the time. pretty predictable. just thought id let you know those fat ones are still cruising around.

[fisherman 4 life]

gonna work the ponds in bozeman this weekend went to hyalite today and caught 3 brookies in 4 hours but still fun just being outside and sittin by the fire

[icebugler]

checked out the davis pond a couple days ago for the first time. checked 6 holes with the cam and didnt see a sign of life down there......anyone know whats in there?

[fisherman 4 life]

im not even sure if theres fish in there at all and where is a good spot on the mall pond for sunfish

[fisherman 4 life]

also where is good spot on the bozeman beach