Holding res

[NONYA]

Hittin the res in the AM any news from there?

[ah gee bobba]

Nonya, Still no salmon bite.  No one can figure out why.  Ling are still biting, but not as aggressive as a week ago. I do not fish intentionally for the ling, if you do you may have better luck.  Good luck and give us a report when you get back.

[SummerSucks]

I ate some of the ling form the holding res tonight, and it was very bad.  I usually like ling but tonight it was salty and fishy.  I hope that it was something in the prep of the fish.  has anyone else had this problem with holding res ling

[NONYA]

Where were the ling hittin?Near the dam?

[SummerSucks]

near dam and 1-6 feet under ice

[NONYA]

Im going to try the other side for salmon,if I dont get any action Ill ty jigging for ling,ive never seen one come out of there big enough to make it worth killing.

[MTpike]

We got there at 7:30 a.m. on sunday and fished until about 11:30 by the dam. we were targeting ling with tip-ups and sucker meat etc. and tried jigging at different depths and didn't get a bite.

[SummerSucks]

Im going to try the other side for salmon,if I dont get any action Ill ty jigging for ling,ive never seen one come out of there big enough to make it worth killing.

nonya try looking through the ice (if you have a shanty or a camera) for the ling you will see some that will amaze you getting them to bit is the hard part I suggest a good fully automatic weapon

[fishinwithbrittanies]

ah gee bobba, still around and looking to come up there and give those kokes a try.  If you have a weekend and want to give it a go let me know.  I think, depending on weather I'll be heading up to GT this weekend to try some kokes.  I got worked in the perch derby this weekend and am sort of in the hopes of keying in on some new fish.  I know you said weekends were the best and I'd like to meet up still.  I have a friend in Helena so i'd like to fish the lakes up there some more but it all depends on weather.  Ever fish Holter or Hauser.  I am curious about them as well.  Saw some pretty nice trout pics out of Hauser on here.  Id rather go for perch or anything else but those were nice trout.

[perchhogslayer]

Those Hauser (Causeway arm) Trout are NICE sized, and hungry buggers.  I've done REALLY well on them out on Hauser.  Fishing for them at the Causway is ok if you can't walk far, or don't have an auger and want to use one of the billion holes already open,  but if you want to really catch some,  head down by the Power lines and set your poles up under the lines from one side of the lake to the other,  If you only have 1 or 2 people, start in the middle of the lake and work out,  more people = more coverage,  try 7-12 feet deep. Use Pink, White, or Orange lures of some kind, pimples, glow hooks, Flirty Girty,  anything... And try both Maggots or Night Crawlers. 

[fishinwithbrittanies]

Yeah I'd like to give them a go sometime.  I have tried holter before and was pretty impressed.  I fly fish below Hauser dam in the spring and get some pigs.  So I figured the same fish have to be in Holter and sure enough I was right.  Id rather try Hauser since its a bit closer.  I live in Belgrade and really don't like to drive past CF, Hauser, Holding res and so many others to go to Holter.  I don't know Hauser all that well.  Where are the power lines at.  I am only familiar with the black sandy area.  Ive never fished it but drive by it all the time to fish below the dam.  Thanks for the advise.  Does jigging help or is it the typical set lines and wait like I am familiar with for trout.
thanks again

[NONYA]

Caught 3 kokes this am,no thing longer than 13",no ling but I didnt fish for them.4 feet off the bottom,south side of the lake,28 fow,glowhooks/maggots.

[perchhogslayer]

Yeah I'd like to give them a go sometime.  I have tried holter before and was pretty impressed.  I fly fish below Hauser dam in the spring and get some pigs.  So I figured the same fish have to be in Holter and sure enough I was right.  Id rather try Hauser since its a bit closer.  I live in Belgrade and really don't like to drive past CF, Hauser, Holding res and so many others to go to Holter.  I don't know Hauser all that well.  Where are the power lines at.  I am only familiar with the black sandy area.  Ive never fished it but drive by it all the time to fish below the dam.  Thanks for the advise.  Does jigging help or is it the typical set lines and wait like I am familiar with for trout.
thanks again

I've never really tried jigging them, usually just a set line works good, but be sure your poles are very well secured cause when those trout bite they like to run and take the pole with em.  They are loads of fun to fight and land.

For the "Power Line" area... park at the parking lot at the west side of the Causeway (there's a little outhouse there, but nothing else really)  and walk north north east up the lake like you were headed to black sandy.  The power lines are right as the big open lake starts to neck down. Its right around 1/2 mile or so from the parking area.  You can easily see the power lines on google earth.

[ah gee bobba]

Fishinwithbrittanies, I would wait until the salmon are biting better, no sense coming all that way for little or no salmon.  I'll pm ya when (if) the bite starts. 

Nonya,  Were the salmon hitting it hard or just a nuge? Where were you fishing,  south east, or south west near the dam?  Any insight would be greatly appreciated.  Pm if you wish 

[NONYA]

Past the dam by the trees,out about 100 yards or so,they hit well,didnt mark many fish at all.

[ah gee bobba]

Past the dam by the trees,out about 100 yards or so,they hit well,didnt mark many fish at all.

Thanks for the info.

[i c]

i was there  sunday the 25 and mon the 26  caught my first ling sunday night just before midnight.kid i was with caught one about 15 minutes later and that was it stayed till monday morn about 8:00.ling were 28 and 27 1/2 inches.did mark a few fish about straight out and a little right from the parking area in about 40 ft of water not sure what they were but they were hanging out at about 15 -20 feet,kid i met there said he saw three salmon on his camera over by the island.

[fishinwithbrittanies]

Just a thought and I don't know if it holds true here at all but we used to fish Kokes a fair bit back in Colorado.  One lake in particular the salmon had "peak feeding periods"  I remember getting out there off of one of the big points early and nothing.  Fished all day catching the occasional trout.  Then around 2.30 or so it was just on fire.  We marked them on the sonar at different depths all the time, it was key, but everytime you dropped your line fish on.  Typically this would go on for an hour or so and then dead again, like a light switch.  It was so consistent that as the winter progressed we never even bothered heading out till afternoon and never stayed past the "bite" or we just went back to fishing for trout.  I had been told it was because the plankton or what ever they feed on come up to get whatever sunlight they can before descending back into the depths.  Who knows

[fishinwithbrittanies]

Those Hauser (Causeway arm) Trout are NICE sized, and hungry buggers.  I've done REALLY well on them out on Hauser.  Fishing for them at the Causway is ok if you can't walk far, or don't have an auger and want to use one of the billion holes already open,  but if you want to really catch some,  head down by the Power lines and set your poles up under the lines from one side of the lake to the other,  If you only have 1 or 2 people, start in the middle of the lake and work out,  more people = more coverage,  try 7-12 feet deep. Use Pink, White, or Orange lures of some kind, pimples, glow hooks, Flirty Girty,  anything... And try both Maggots or Night Crawlers. 

Hey thanks for the info.  Much appreciated.  I did a little google earth and I see what your talking about.  I will give that at try next time Im up in the area.  Looks like I might be heading up to the brew fest in Helena this weekend and might have to do a little fishing while Im there.  I am going to try the holding res for sure if I can make it.  I love smoked kokanee, and Hauser is just a hope skip and a jump from the holding res.  Every hear of Walleye coming out of there?! If so a place to try.  Oh yeah I know canyon ferry you can have six rods but I don't think thats the case out on Hauser or holter, am I correct

[perchhogslayer]

I think you can on all 3 lakes cause that chain is under a different jurisdiction? not exactly sure though, check the regs. 
yep, I've walleye fished there in the summer occasionally,  never done real well though, I hear of guys hauling them out off the causeway like crazy occasionally when the fish and game "forgets" to take up the fish gate under the road. 

[NONYA]

You can have 6 rods on all three,2 on the HR.The "fish gate" actually a trap use to count fish was removed 2 years ago,the fishing has since gone down the toilet because the big walleye no longer hang around,they pass through,the fish trap actually improved fishing for bit eyes for a while.