Author Topic: east bay of flathead (Read 3891 times)

Aaron072 · « **on:** Dec 31, 2009, 08:33 AM »

has anyone been out on east bay this year looking for tips from anyone i've been hearing about the perch but haven't tried it yet
going to try it this year though

icebugler · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 01, 2010, 06:18 PM »

fished it on the 28th. first time ice fishing it. fished from about 11-4. fished in 6 FOW for macs for awhile, landed 3 or 4? and lost 4. moved in for perch in 2-3 FOW and caught 1 keeper and only saw 2 other keeper size fish. the rest were tiny. macs were raising hell with the perch. caught 1 in 3 ft in the weeds as he was chasin little ones. some guys were fishing in 2 ft and they had a handful or so of good ones. dont know if its gotten much better but the guys i talked to fish there alot and said the perch fishing will only get better. most people are heading NW of the access, i went NE a looooong ways.

MT Hank · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 04, 2010, 10:36 PM »

Where do you get on East bay for ice fishing? I have only been there by boat from Finley Point.

missoulafish · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 05, 2010, 09:07 AM »

Ducharme Lane. Very south end of the lake.

Aaron072 · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 06, 2010, 03:34 PM »

can anyone tell me how thick the ice is and what your using for perch

Bluegoose · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 08, 2010, 11:04 PM »

not sure bout the ice....not sure it matters what you use since your fishing in 18" of water for perch...basically stairing right down the hole.

icebugler · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 09, 2010, 01:01 AM »

when i was fishing there around christmas the ice was over 8 in. way way out away from the launch. guys were on quads out there. i was using a yellow genz bug with a soft tail. no bait. but i didnt fish for perch long. was focusing mostly on macs.

hamachi51 · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 10, 2010, 06:27 PM »

Fished it on Friday. Good 12" and some snow so footing was good. Use maggots on small jigs. Go to Zimmer tackle in Pablo and he or his wife can hook you up. Mack's are also on the chew and use cut bait also available from Zimmer. Take the East shore to DuCharme and left to parking lot. You have to walk about 1/4 of a mile to get to the water. Good lock!

um04 · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 10, 2010, 08:24 PM »

so how was the fishing??!

hamachi51 · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 10, 2010, 10:04 PM »

Kinda slow. Fished from sunup till noonish for three mac's and six nice perch. This was for two guys. I think shallow is the key. Should keep getting better and hopefully the whitefish will move in soon.

um04 · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 10, 2010, 11:04 PM »

how far out were you and how deep?

hamachi51 · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 11, 2010, 10:03 PM »

Quarter mile, 18"-2' of water.

Aaron072 · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 12, 2010, 06:42 AM »

wondering if anyone is taking quads and snowmobiles out there? also curious about the whitefish i didn't realize they came in there also how big were the perch and macs

TooLucky406 · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 12, 2010, 08:30 AM »

Went out there with some buddies of mine on Friday and Saturday the 8th and 9th, fishing mainly for mack. Had a lot of bites but just couldn't land them. It seem our setup is attracting them, but our hooks are too big (got to set harder with larger hook). But the biggest one we caught was 28" 8lbs. Like always, the bigger ones got away, wouldn't matter cuz we would have to release it anyway. And we were using quad. That the only way to fish because we were one mile out from Ducharme parking area and you do have to move around to find the bite. Ice that far is about 12 inch. Best bite is right at sun rise to about 11am. Best of luck!

um04 · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 12, 2010, 09:50 PM »

were you fishing with whole fish setup or jigs tipped with cut bait?

TooLucky406 · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 13, 2010, 09:02 AM »

We were using jig head with tube and cut bait!

Aaron072 · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 13, 2010, 05:04 PM »

what depth do the whitefish seem to be running in?

Bluegoose · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 13, 2010, 07:05 PM »

Waters only 5 or 6 feet deep at the deepest spot, your not gonna miss them if you fish way out. BUT they are following the smallest perch. The smallest perch are litteraly just in inches of water.

Nerka · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 15, 2010, 09:36 PM »

What's the best cut bait and colors for the larger Macks. Also wondering what works best for whitefish colors/bait . Never fished there but going to give it a try tomorrow, Ill be the guy with the hand auger scratching his head...any advice would help. thanks.

Aaron072 · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 15, 2010, 10:40 PM »

I don't know about east bay but in the last two days i've gotten a 29 incher and 3 26inchers out of dayton bay from shore with johnsonville maple syrup flavored breakfast sausage
from my boat i like to jig a 3 inch tube with a 3/4 ounce insert baited with the sausage and do really well
zimmer makes a glow in the dark tube and yum makes a pearl white with red on the end they are the only two i use
I would have never tried the sausage until i took a guy in my boat and he used it and caught 5 to my 1 ( I was using green cut bait)

Aaron072 · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 15, 2010, 10:45 PM »

If you decide to use the sausage cut it into 1 inch peices and keep it frozen it comes off quick once it thaws

Nerka · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 15, 2010, 10:50 PM »

Maple flavored sausage, who would have known. I'll have to give it a try. I've used little popcorn shrimp for trout in the past, but it always seems more promising to have the magical superbait. Thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how it works.

jimmerjammer · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 16, 2010, 01:03 AM »

i had to ride the bus up from missoula to whitefish to get my truck... long story, and when it stopped in ronan, a guy got on the bus with two huge macs... he said one was 6, and the other was 8.5, and he said that he was using the maple flavored sausage as well. That was the first time i had heard of that, but makes sense to me, that sausage is delicious in the morning, so why wouldn't a big ol fatty mac want some too? i just had to comment, cuz this is now the second time i have heard about this, and might have to try it. If it doesn't work, i can just bring my proprane stove along, and it it anyways myself!! good luck out there!

Aaron072 · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 16, 2010, 08:24 PM »

any luck with the sausage?
Did you try for any perch or whitefish?

Nerka · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 16, 2010, 09:38 PM »

No luck with the sausage, but now I've got breakfast covered. Tried herring, shrimp, salmon eggs, mealworm/grubs, on green, orange, glo, red jigs and then just a bare hook with bait, switched bait & colors but couldn't find the secret combo. Small perch were hitting maggots, no whitefish that I found. The guys next to me caught a 3.5# ~22" mac with green dyed cutbait 1" chunk just deadsticking in 5-7' fow. The rain finally drove me off. I'll try again another day with a shelter. Thanks again for the tips.

Aaron072 · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 16, 2010, 09:51 PM »

that sucks released a 31 1/2 incher today from shore in dayton 9 lbs 11 oz bottom fishing with sausage

Nerka · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 17, 2010, 09:45 PM »

Any luck today up on the east bay or dayton with the maple sausage?

fishonice · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 17, 2010, 09:56 PM »

what exactly are macs???

Aaron072 · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 17, 2010, 11:44 PM »

macs are lake trout
didn't try dayton bay today
got a great job working thirty feet of shore so i just cast my rods out and let them sit and work
how great is that

Nerka · « **Reply #29 on:** Jan 23, 2010, 12:21 AM »

Sounds like nice work if, you can get it. Any luck off the barge this week? How about the ice up on the east bay? I'm thinking of trying a home-made mapled herring for the macs this weekend, might even dye it green.

News:

Author Topic: east bay of flathead (Read 3891 times)