09-23 REELLIFE digital - Flipbook - Page 13
Our next morning was a cookiecutter day, as we again started
fishing with the sun breaking
the horizon. Again, the port rod
exploded and Rob grabbed the
rod, battling an even nicer fish.
As he brought the fish to the net
and I scooped it up, I was amazed
at the weight in the net – this
fish was very close to hitting 20
pounds, another fat, healthy
chinook.
A word on gear – when we moved
to Montana I kept my salmon
gear, knowing that someday it
would come in handy for fishing
Fort Peck. We certainly went
through a lot of lure combinations,
most of which I have no doubt
would work great if the bite was
on. Most anglers fish with flashers,
salmon flies, herring, spoons, and
a few other salmon-oriented
choices.
The two big differences I observed
from Puget Sound chinook
were more fishing at suspended
depths and trolling slightly slower.
Most anglers trolled at 1.8 -2.2
mph. We started out faster, 2.5-2.9.
So, while we did catch a couple
fish at this faster troll, by the end
of the trip we had slowed down,
matching the fleet. I suspect those
that enjoy mooching would find
these fish to be very co-operative
with this technique (note to self,
bring mooching gear next year!).
Our second day ended much
like the first, with Matt catching
a small laker and also a beautiful
walleye. We also lost a nice
chinook that came unbuttoned.
Interestingly, the weekend saw
less anglers on the water, opposite
of what you’d see in the Puget
Sound fisheries.
A couple other observations –
the boat ramp etiquette was
outstanding. The Marina has a
two-lane ramp with a dock. Most
anglers launching and retrieving
would power their boats on/
off trailers, making for fast and
smooth lines. Second, we only
saw a couple tubers on the water.
Pretty much every boat we saw
were anglers. There’s a distinct
advantage to being far away from
population centers!
Although our trip ended with
“just” two salmon, I considered it to
be a huge success. I learned about
the area, the launch, where to stay,
and techniques to use. I’m already
contemplating next year’s trip and
the chance at some multi-fish
days!
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