NinePipes and Pablo Opener?

[missoulafish]

Pablo h2o comes from Flathead lake. Whatever is in Flathead can be in Pablo.

[streamside]

i guess i was talking about the inlet where the water comes into it

Well that is very interesting, may have to set a tip-up out with a dead squawfish on it this year while I'm out perch fishing, with all the dinks you have to wade through, can't really keep up with two rods anyway. 

[Fishing2471979]

Might just have to take off work to hit it on Weds!

[HolePounder]

The split season is for duck AND goose.

[wingnutty]

hate to say it but my friend and i were fishing for bass at the spillway of pablo this summer and he caught a 14 lb pike

I don't think that is a bad thing at all.  I would think at worst it would be neutral and at best it would help thin out the perch and increase size, esp in ninepipes or kicking horse.  Of course, as hippi ( )) mentioned, the water in pablo is directed out of the lower flathead river, upstream of the dam, whereas kicking horse and ninepipes are fed via alternative (mountain runoff) sources and therefore, it is unlikely that pike from pablo or flathead lake would also end up in ninepipes/kicking horse.  I think pike might do wonders for the perch fishery in ninepipes and kickinghorse, but who know, never can really tell until everything plays out.

[flatheadsmj]

I wouldn't risk fishing til the 16th

[perchSlayer95]

i wont be out till that weekend

[perchSlayer95]

So is the reservoir open on the fifteenth or is the fifteenth the last day of waterfowl and the reservoir opens the sixteenth

[BigSage]

It opens the 15th

[streamside]

Well, just got off the phone with a buddy who also has the day off, so we'll be out there tomorrow, anyone else? Oh, and I printed out the relevant portion of the Regs about wasting game fish, so if I see anyone throwing baby perch all over the ice, I'll stop by and hand out a copy, maybe a cell phone pic also. Last year we saved hundreds of fish by going over to abandoned holes and  putting them back in the water, you'd be surprised how many put their noses down and head for the bottom, sad how many don't.

[hi_tail]

Is the only 'special' thing you need to fish either lake a tribal permit?

[Flathead Monster]

Not too bad out there on opening day at Pablo. Went for a couple hours and caught about 50 perch. A few in the 8-10 inch range. Mostly 4-6 inchers though. I took off when the wind picked up and the bite died down.

[streamside]

I was surprised to see so many people out for the opener, we arrived about 10:30 and I counted 53 fishermen and women in a quick headcount. Fishing was come and go, with some big lulls between bites at times. Fish size in general seems a little down from last year, and as always, you have to wade through the dinks to get to the keepers. Still kept enough for a couple meals. Proud of all the sportsmen out there for releasing all the little ones, with one glaring exception, a proud member of the ST Ignatius Fire Dept, and obviously a sportsman, as indicated by his membership in the Rocky Mtn Elk Assoc, , who was bragging on his cell phone that he had caught 230 and was trying for 250 before he took his 40 or so cleaners home and left the rest on the ice. Took a picture of him and his plate#, calling Tribal F&G tomorrow. 

[Flathead Monster]

I would rather let them go, but those fish could use a little thinning. I threw all of mine back today. I did see a couple hole where it looked like someone kicked a bunch of perch down the hole, now that is a waste. Saw about 30 fish stuck to the underside of the ice, the foxes, coyotes, and birds can't get to them down there.

[missoulafish]

Wow, what a tool! Nice work strew side keeping him honest wether he knows it or not. And no, they don't need thinning, every year thousands and thousands of fish die with the water draw down. Big fish don't get big, without being little first.

[Flathead Monster]

There were probably 25ish trucks out there at 1:45 when I showed up, lots of guys heading off of the ice before 3pm. The later it got the bigger the fish were, but they were fewer and further between. Using maggots on a pete's tackle whiptail with a glow hook above that. Worked well.

[Cold toes]

Big fish don't get big, without being little first.

X2

Was out most of the day from 8:30-4:30. I was the dude in the red eskimo. Steady action til noon.  Waves of bites til dusk.  Kept enough 8-9" for two meals. Sent the rest down the hole. The bigger ones came on perch eyes.

[streamside]

Hey Cold Toes, that was me and my buddy that talked to you at the top of the "ramp" aka "ankle breaker", next time I see you out there I'll make sure to say Hi, or if you see a yellow work tent up, stop by!

[chromefish]

First time to pablo for the opener and was suprised at the village on the ice lol. Only fished for about 40 minutes with my wife and 5 wk old daughter. Start them young wife got a few dinks that got returned unharmed back into the hole and i got skunked! Still a great time with the family.

[tightline45]

How was the ice conditions for Niinepipes or Kicking Horse?

[Flathead Monster]

Don't know about ninepipes, but kicking horse had about 8'' last time I was there

[tightline45]

Thanks flathead

[coldcreekchris]

I was surprised to see so many people out for the opener, we arrived about 10:30 and I counted 53 fishermen and women in a quick headcount. Fishing was come and go, with some big lulls between bites at times. Fish size in general seems a little down from last year, and as always, you have to wade through the dinks to get to the keepers. Still kept enough for a couple meals. Proud of all the sportsmen out there for releasing all the little ones, with one glaring exception, a proud member of the ST Ignatius Fire Dept, and obviously a sportsman, as indicated by his membership in the Rocky Mtn Elk Assoc, , who was bragging on his cell phone that he had caught 230 and was trying for 250 before he took his 40 or so cleaners home and left the rest on the ice. Took a picture of him and his plate#, calling Tribal F&G tomorrow.

I am interested of what will come of this.....I have been seeing this type of activity for 20 yrs.....I have absolutely no idea what cskt fish and game will say...keep us posted....

[McCollum]

Nothing will come of this most likely. Im curious streamside. Were his plates rocky mountain elk foundation and personalized? Or was it a sticker on the bumper/window. Id like to chew the guys ear given the chance

[streamside]

Nothing will come of this most likely. Im curious streamside. Were his plates rocky mountain elk foundation and personalized? Or was it a sticker on the bumper/window. Id like to chew the guys ear given the chance

Nothing did come of it, spoke to a Tribal officer in person, seemed pretty ambivalent about the whole thing, seemed to think that there are plenty of perch in the valley, and although he agreed that it's a wasteful practice, they have never cited anyone for it. His plates were RMEF and personalized, so that's your call.(go get em, it's shameful)

[missoulafish]

Need to talk to Mike Kool, the federal warden.

[Flathead Monster]

I they are more concerned with native fish than they are about a fish like perch which is non-native and heavily populated.

[lundin-loading]

Native or not they're a game fish with laws in place to protect them from this type of wanton waste.

[streamside]

Native or not they're a game fish with laws in place to protect them from this type of wanton waste.

Sadly, I reread the Tribal Regs carefully, and they are not considered a game fish here. This came up in my conversation with the officer, it's sad, I grew up fishing Canyon Ferry, I remember when perch were plentiful there too, what, you can keep 10 now?

[perchSlayer95]

Pablo is hot hot hot and i hope it stays that way for a while