Montana Fish Report

Kokanee fishing continues to be wide open. Most trollers can get limits in an hour or two.  Kokes are 15 to 16.5 inches and very fat and healthy.  Trollers should target the spillway and the dam area and the waters near Rose Island.  The mouth of Angels Creek/Angels Cove toward Black Bart Cove over the submerged islands there is another great spot to fish.  Troll 30-45 feet deep, especially over shallower (60-foot deep) water around islands and humps.   Try a pink, orange or Kevorkian Apex, regular-sized hootchies, Wiggle Hootchies, or Uncle Larry's Spinners behind a dodger or Slingblade.  Some anglers are reporting good action on green-colored lures, too.  Always tip your hooks with shoepeg corn and apply scent liberally.  Bass are in spawn and post-spawn mode (cool water temps made the bass hold off spawning- this is very late for bass to be on beds).  Throw top-water lures in the morning and evening hours.  Spinnerbaits, jigs and Senkos will work better in the heat of the day.  Target the backs of creek arms and protected pockets off the main lake in the early morning, with swimbaits such as Lunker Punkers, Toad Thrashers, Super Spooks, and Pencil Poppers.  Later in the day, target main lake points with Senkos, jigs or other larger-profile soft plastics. Catfish are moving into the coves and into shallower water as the water warms up.  A sliding sinker rig, and a ball of crawlers or a piece of anchovy or sardine is your best bait.  (209) 736-4333, (209) 586-2383