Montana Fish Report

Trolling anglers caught a few limits of trout this week. The fish are in shallow water near the shoreline. There are fish feeding on the surface in all the major creek arms. A great way to target these fish is top-lining, or using a side-planner. Try trolling (2.4 to 3.0mph.) with a Thomas Buoyant, Rapala, or a Kastmaster. Be sure to let out plenty of line, so your lure is in undisturbed water 100-150ft. behind the boat.  Bank fishing was good this last week. Most anglers are catching planted fish with a few nice holdovers in the mix. Power Bait is working well, catching both planted fish and holdovers. Also, try using a Gulp Egg or a Marshmallow to float a nightcrawler. A crawler is a very natural presentation. Another fun way to catch them is by casting a lure. Try using agold Kastmaster on cloudy/rainy days, and a silver Kastmaster on sunny days. A good way to find fish is by covering a lot of water by casting and walking. Once you get a couple bites in an area try slowing down and using bait to catch a few more. Bass fishing is fair. For most anglers the bite slowed down a bit this last week. The bait has been hard to locate making the bass seem to spread out more. Focus on primary and secondary points leading to and from the back of the major creek arms. Try using baits that cover water, and resemble shad. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and lip-less cranks, should do the trick. There is also a good drop-shot bite. Roboworm Alive Shad, Gulp Minnows, and Zoom Tiny Flukes are all fish catchers on Melones.  Also, crawdads are a more consistent and predictable food source. Try using a jig around wood and rock on main lake points and secondary points. Glory Hole Sports  (209) 736-4333