Gentlemen, start your engines. Winter’s on its way, and with it dozens of double-fisted days on frozen lakes, catching and eating fish. TIM THOMPSON/Missoulian

Fishing for kids

By DARYL GADBOW of the Missoulian

Winter offers perfect opportunity to get children interested in sport

As anyone who’s ever tried to introduce young children to fishing knows, their attention span is directly proportional to the number of fish they catch. Which is why winter is one of the best times of the year to get kids involved with fishing.

Winter fishing means ice fishing, which is ideal for youngsters for two very good reasons: its simplicity, and its effectiveness for catching fish. Simplicity is one of ice fishing’s greatest attractions. A simple spud bar can be used to make a hole in the ice, although a hand-powered ice auger is handier.

After that, equipment requirements are minimal: a short rod with a simple reel, some plain hooks or small jigging lures, and some bait. A bucket can carry all the gear, provide a seat to fish from, and a creel to transport the fish. Kids will like choosing from the different colored jigs and the bobbers in all shapes and sizes.
Technique requires the shortest of learning curves, involving dropping the jig through the hole in the ice, letting out line until it hits bottom or you feel a bite, and reeling in a fish.

Anglers can find opportunities to catch every kind of game fish available in western Montana through the ice. But for kids’ fishing, yellow perch definitely are the fish of choice. The reason is their numbers. If you can catch one perch, chances are you can catch a whole batch of ’em, often as fast as you can pull them in.

Now perch aren’t monsters. The average perch, depending on the body of water you’re fishing, will measure well under a foot long. But they typically are aggressive feeders that readily bite a jig with a little bait. A good-sized perch – in the 10- to 12-inch range – can put a satisfying bend in a lightweight ice-fishing rod.

And perch are – pardon my bias – the best eating fish found in Montana, bar none. A fillet of a dozen or so chunky perch – dipped in a cornmeal batter and baked or fried – makes a meal fit for a king, with enough to serve the queen and a little prince and princess as well.

Here are some top perch fishing lakes in western Montana: Flathead Lake bays (if it freezes); Lonepine, Pablo, Crow, Ninepipe and Kicking Horse reservoirs on the Flathead Indian Reservation; Seeley Lake and nearby Placid and Upsata lakes; Dog or Rainbow Lake between Hot Springs and Plains; Lake Mary Ronan; and Smith, Echo and the Thompson Chain of Lakes in the Flathead Valley.

Ice-fishing can be a lot of fun even if you’re not a kid. And it’s very popular in western Montana, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials.

“Ice-fishing is important,” said Jim Vashro, regional fisheries manager for FWP in Kalispell. “We estimate that 25 to 30 percent of the fishing on a lot of lakes around here is in the winter. Part of the reason for that is that it’s a chance for people who don’t have a boat to get out on a lake.”

Winter also is the best time of year to catch really big pike, according to Joe Bender, an avid Seeley Lake angler.

“The pike go on a big feed right after the ice comes on in December, through January and February,” Bender said. “That’s when they catch all the big ones.”

Ice fishing is the perfect way to introduce children to the joys of fishing Montana’s waters. TIM THOMPSON/Missoulian

And speaking of big ones, four years ago, on Feb. 21, Randy Lynn of West Riverside hauled in behemoth, 30-pound, 8-ounce pike through the ice at Salmon Lake. Like most successful pike anglers, Lynn used smelt as bait to lure in his lunker.

Tip-ups definitely are the most effective technique, Bender said. A tip-up signals a bite with a spring-loaded flag, and allows the fish to take out line on a free spool until the angler sets the hook.

Anglers are allowed to use two tip-ups, or two rods when ice fishing in western Montana. The smelt should remain horizontal in the water, Bender added, and anglers can use hook rigs that keep the bait in the correct position.

Pike are found in most of the Clearwater River chain of lakes. However, the two best ones for fishing are Salmon and Seeley, with Seeley holding the edge for bigger pike, Bender said.

Although traditional hook-and-line fishing is the most common tactic used for pike in the Seeley area, he added, spearing is becoming more popular.

“Spearing’s really fun,” said Bender. “When you’re inside the icehouse, the water is like an aquarium, crystal-clear. You have to be real quiet when a pike is coming in. We use baby pike or perch decoys (which are sold in area sporting goods stores) and several kinds of spears. It can be really productive, too.”

In the Seeley area, Alva and Inez lakes also contain pike, but Bender said access to those lakes is somewhat limited because parking areas are not plowed. But Alva, in particular, offers good ice-fishing for trout, mountain whitefish and perch, if you can find a place to park, he said.

Rainy Lake, at the upper end of the Clearwater chain, also has some excellent fishing for cutthroat trout through the ice, Bender said. But again, it requires a fairly long walk from the access road.

Placid Lake’s fishing is improving, Bender said. It has received plants of rainbows and offers decent fishing for perch and cutthroat trout.

Upsata Lake is catch-and-release only for its bass, he said, but does offer good fishing for nice-sized perch.

Also in the Seeley Lake vicinity, Harper’s Lake can provide some exciting fishing for very large rainbow trout brood stock that are planted there on a regular basis. It also has lots of smaller trout to keep the action interesting while waiting for a lunker.

For trout, whitefish and perch fishing in the Seeley area, Bender said, most anglers use a jig like a Swedish Pimple as an attractor, with a green or red Glo Hook below it, baited with a maggot. He said big rainbows at Harpers and Seeley lakes seem to prefer a marabou jig tipped with Power Bait.

Georgetown Lake is the most popular fishing lake in western Montana – summer and winter. The reason is that fishing – for hefty rainbow trout and plentiful kokanee salmon – usually is outstanding. Techniques for both are essentially the same. Most people use a Swedish Pimple or other flashy jig as an attractor, with a chartreuse or pink Glo Hook, or tiny teardrop-shaped “rocker jig” below it, tipped with a maggot or piece of white corn. Look for salmon in water 15 to 20 feet deep. Trout can be found at all depths.

Avid Georgetown anglers often like to be on the ice before daylight for the best fishing through the morning hours. Lake Mary Ronan traditionally is a top winter fishery. But it has been plagued by an overpopulation of perch in recent years that can be a nuisance for anglers trying for kokanee salmon. Night fishing can sometimes help anglers avoid perch and target more salmon.

FWP has made finding ice-fishing opportunities easier in the northwestern part of the state by compiling a chart showing where to go to catch different species of fish, the typical size of fish in each lake, the best time of year for ice fishing at each location, and the most effective tackle and techniques for each species.

For instance, if you want to fish for kokanee salmon, FWP’s chart shows your options include Ashley, Lake Mary Ronan, Crystal, and Little Bitterroot lakes.

“One of the most popular places for kokanee lately is Little Bitterroot,” said Vashro. “It comes on strong in mid-January or February. Just before the ice goes out, Ashley is sometimes real good. But you have to be careful about ice conditions. Recently, the Thompson lakes have been decent for salmon in the Middle and Lower lakes. And if you hit it right, Middle Thompson turns out some 14- to 16-inch kokes, probably the nicest in the region.”

Foys Lake near Kalispell is another top salmon lake in the winter, Vashro said. It also produces some nice rainbow trout. Lake trout fishing opportunities can be found at McGregor, Whitefish and Flathead lakes, according to FWP’s chart. Rainbow trout are the target of ice anglers at Beaver, Lion, and Foys lakes. And northern pike fishing through the ice can be found at Church Slough, Stillwater Lakes and Upper Thompson Lake.