Montana Fish Report

a lot of quality trout are being caught. Trolling anglers are catching their limits in 70-90 feet of water in the main lake. The shad are staging in deep, cooler water and getting ready for their fall migration up the creek channels. The shad move around a lot, and will suspend over deep water. The key is to find the bait and there will be trout nearby. The best thing you can do right now is "match the hatch" by using shad patterned baits. Excel, Needlefish, and Slim fin spoons are producing many limits. Also, plug baits like Rapalas, Speed traps, and Rattle Traps are working too. Night fishing under a submersible lightis really good right now, and should be for the next couple months.  Most anglers that are targeting fish at night are bringing in limits of fat 2-3 pound rainbows. Try fishing the main lake by the dam or spillway. Or anchor near the mouth of Carson Creek or Coyote Creek. The light will attract plankton, bait fish feed on plankton, and larger fish will feed on the bait fish. Be patient, it can take a few hours for this feeding cycle to occur. Bass bite is Fair.  The fish are a little harder to find, but they are still biting.  The water has been dropping each week for the last four months. This means the fish are being pushed out of their shallow water haunts. Try fishing vertical banks with a 1/8oz. darthead or a 1/4oz. jig. Most fish will strike on the initial fall, so lighter weighted baits will stay in the strike zone longer.  Natural crawdad and shad patterns are good choices. It is a good time to fish at night. Try using Spooks, Jitterbugs, and Poppers to draw them to the surface. Also, try using the Alabama Rig to create your own school of fish. This will trigger fish that aren't feeding.  

Catfish bite is good.  Melones cats tend to be fish-eaters rather than bottom foragers, so use live minnows, frozen shad, mackerel, or anchovies for best success.  Move/drag your bait slowly across the bottom to cover more water and target fish that are aggressively feeding. Use heavy weights to stir up the bottom and cause more commotion. This will attract fish from far away. Larger cats will also feed on natural bait like crawlers, so to target large cats try using a big ball of crawlers- many anglers use a weightless set-up.  Generally cats will feed in shallow flats or areas with large chunk rock near deep water.

Crappie action is fair. Night fishing has been good for some anglers. They are using submersible lights in the backs of coves. The fish are in 15'-30' of water near standing timber and brush. Try using live minnows or mini jigs fished on a slip-float rig. Adjust the bobber stop to the depth you want to fish, let it sit for a few minutes and give the bobber a little shake. This action will attract fish and coax them into biting.  Glory Hole Sports  (209) 736-4333, (209) 586-2383