Where would you go?

[DucksAndDogs]

Tomorrow is my birthday and my buddy and I are both taking the day off.  Our wives and kids will be at work/school so we have one of those rare days where we can fish seriously for the entire day without having to take care of the kids, bait hooks, entertain children, etc.

We both live in Townsend.  Our goal is to have a good day on the ice and bring home a few fish to be able to eat for dinner tomorrow night.

If you were in our shoes and you were willing to drive up to 100 miles to fish tomorrow, where would you go and why?  We’re not after monster fish, just a fun day on the ice with some decent action.

Not looking for honey holes, just asking about bodies of water, species, daily limits, etc.



Thanks!

[MTmarabou]

Well if you like trout you can't beat Georgetown off comers point i have never been skunked there. Then if you like perch and walleye they have been doing good at the power lines on hauser. Have a good trip.

[DucksAndDogs]

Well if you like trout you can't beat Georgetown off comers point i have never been skunked there. Then if you like perch and walleye they have been doing good at the power lines on hauser. Have a good trip.

Thanks for the advice.  How is the perch fishing at Holter compared to Hauser?

[DucksAndDogs]

From where you are to get the most time on the ice would be Canyon Ferry.  I suppose you're looking for something new though.  Personally I would probably head east and try to pull some burbot out of Newlan or Sutherlin.  You really live in a great area for close opportunities. Good luck wherever you go.  Looking forward to a report.

This is actually my first year fishing out here so I don’t have a ton of experience on Canyon Ferry.  That said, I know these days are going to be few and far between so I want to take advantage of a new location tomorrow since we’ll most likely spend the majority of the season fishing at Canyon Ferry.

[Houdy66]

I agree with walleye_guy. I would head up towards White Sulphur and try for some ling (aka. burbot/eelpout), especially if you're looking for great table fare. I've never fished Sutherlin, but Newlan is a fun little reservoir that can be very productive, even if you have never been there before. Just bring some big glow jigs or glow spoons and plenty of sucker meat for the ling. Also, there are kokanee salmon in there, so make sure and have some rigs for them in case a school comes through.

[DucksAndDogs]

I agree with walleye_guy. I would head up towards White Sulphur and try for some ling (aka. burbot/eelpout), especially if you're looking for great table fare. I've never fished Sutherlin, but Newlan is a fun little reservoir that can be very productive, even if you have never been there before. Just bring some big glow jigs or glow spoons and plenty of sucker meat for the ling. Also, there are kokanee salmon in there, so make sure and have some rigs for them in case a school comes through.

Don’t have any of that stuff and don’t think I’ll be able to get any before tomorrow morning.  Mainly set up for perch and trout with a few lures that might work for walleye.  Guess I should have started with that!

[SLIMMETT]

Is anyone catching kokanee at Newlan?  When were they planted there?  Kokanee should do well in Newlan.

[Houdy66]

Is anyone catching kokanee at Newlan?  When were they planted there?  Kokanee should do well in Newlan.

I caught a couple of random ones last year while I was ling fishing. It was the first time I had ever been to Newlan and remembered reading the archives on this site about them stocking kokanee in there. We were in about 38 feet of water and noticed a school of fish about 15 feet off the bottom that looked a lot like a school of kokanee, so I pulled up my ling rod and dropped in a kokanee rod I had rigged in my bucket. Caught 2 in about a minute and a half, then they were gone. Plan on heading back this year to target them and see how I do.

[chartreusealltheway]

I would go to canyon ferry, any bay, 10 ft of water, drop a small hook with bait.  you'll get some trout

[SLIMMETT]

Thanks Houdy! Any size to the Kokanee?

[DucksAndDogs]

I would go to canyon ferry, any bay, 10 ft of water, drop a small hook with bait.  you'll get some trout

I think that’s what we’re gonna end up doing.  Might try for trout for the first hour or two of the day and then start chasing perch.

[Houdy66]

Thanks Houdy! Any size to the Kokanee?

They were decent sized, probably 12-14". Similar to ones I've caught out of HVRR in Helena.

[Tinker]

If you like to catch trout hit Georgetown, if you like to eat trout go anywhere else, G-town trout are nasty.   

[njoy]

Well? D and D  where did you go and how was it? Better than working, wasn't it?

[MTmarabou]

Yes. D and d let us know how it was.

[DucksAndDogs]

Well? D and D  where did you go and how was it? Better than working, wasn't it?

Beat the heck out of working!

I got out there and had an issue with my new LX-7.  Long story short, the charger that came with it is a piece of crap.  I bought a spare battery and put it in the unit to charge it.  Light was green.  Let’s roll.  Except the battery wasn’t charged at all so my maiden voyage with my brand new flasher has been delayed.

Heading to Asia for two weeks on Friday and then a few trade shows once I get back so I won’t get to use it until the perch derby, now.

Without the flasher, we decided to stay close to the bank and fish for trout.  Had a few bites, lost two at the hole, and went home empty handed.

Still beat the heck out of work and the beer was ice cold!

[coldcreekchris]

so much faith is put into technologies....rely on them?...there is something to be said bout sitting on a bucket..hand augering holes..with no electronics...I currently fish with an ion....and a 4dxi lowrance sonar...but I miss the old days...the purity is gone...sorry you cant dial in your unit till you get back from asia...it must be rough....not to be a jerk..but it seems without fancy new electronics and apps...so many people would be lost...yes...the technologies make it so easy..but I wonder how many could be successful without them....

[DucksAndDogs]

so much faith is put into technologies....rely on them?...there is something to be said bout sitting on a bucket..hand augering holes..with no electronics...I currently fish with an ion....and a 4dxi lowrance sonar...but I miss the old days...the purity is gone...sorry you cant dial in your unit till you get back from asia...it must be rough....not to be a jerk..but it seems without fancy new electronics and apps...so many people would be lost...yes...the technologies make it so easy..but I wonder how many could be successful without them....

This is the first flasher I’ve ever owned.  I’m pretty confident I can get along just fine without them!  However, we were on foot and didn’t feel like walking to HIW without one, especially since I’ve never fished there before.  A death march wasn’t what I had in mind for my birthday!

[coldcreekchris]

sorry duck..thought of erasing my post....the discussion of technologies vs old school shoulda been saved for another post....didn't mean to sound like some douche elitist....beers and ice on your b day is all that matters...and once you get that flasher dialed in....I am sure you will dig it....my point is..we are making things so easy..we have forgotten how to fish...but once again I apologize...was not inferring anything toward you at all....

[DucksAndDogs]

sorry duck..thought of erasing my post....the discussion of technologies vs old school shoulda been saved for another post....didn't mean to sound like some douche elitist....beers and ice on your b day is all that matters...and once you get that flasher dialed in....I am sure you will dig it....my point is..we are making things so easy..we have forgotten how to fish...but once again I apologize...was not inferring anything toward you at all....

No worries.  I really enjoy the challenge of fishing without electronics.  But, this is the first year I’m taking my kids so I figured I’d pony up and stack the odds in our favor a little to try to make it more enjoyable for them.  Don’t get me wrong, though - I’m dying to use it!

[gf hardwater guy]

D&D,

There isn't a stupid switch on the flasher that has to be turned on in order for the charger to work like there is on my Vexilar fl-22 unit? You can plug my unit in all you want, but unless you turn that switch on, the battery is not going to charge. It doesn't power the unit up as the depth switch is what makes the whole thing function on my 22.

[DucksAndDogs]

D&D,

There isn't a stupid switch on the flasher that has to be turned on in order for the charger to work like there is on my Vexilar fl-22 unit? You can plug my unit in all you want, but unless you turn that switch on, the battery is not going to charge. It doesn't power the unit up as the depth switch is what makes the whole thing function on my 22.

Nope.  Threw a meter on the spare battery and it was dead.  Wouldn’t charge, either.  Marcum refunded me the cost of the spare and I’m gonna put it towards a lithium shuttle.  The battery that came with the unit works just fine.  That spare was on a deep discount from Marcum so I’m wondering if they had some old stock.

[PerchPounderMT]

Get out on CF and start figuring out the spots,if your after perch theres no need to go anywhere else.

[gf hardwater guy]

Good to know that Marcum stands behind their product. I had a self induced vexilar problem shortly after I bought it and other than the cost to overnight the head to them and back, they fixed it for free even though it was something I had done to it myself. Glad you got it figured out and wasn't something stupid like the whole switch thing that Vexilar has built in to at least some of their units. Have fun in Asia, hopefully there will still be some ice when you return.