fort peck fishing (to eat, yard, radio)

[outdoorswoman]

What has the fishing been like for salmon and walleye in the Fort Peck area. Last time I fished the area was in 1997 using downriggers near the dam and caught lake trout... no salmon that time. Fishing later this week so any tips would be appreciated. thanks

[FloridaMD]

I fished in the reservoir back in 1997 also. Caught a very good sized Walleye that trip (but the thing had the most gigantic tumor in its stomach, about the size of a softball). didn't want to eat the thing with that large growth on it. Hopefully it was just an anomaly and there isn't all this radioactive waste in the water supply! My fishing buddies were catching a lot of other walleye though, right along the shoreline. Caught most of them while we were trolling.

[Rickers]

I saw a blue sucker that had a golf ball sized tumor on its back near Craig on the Missouri River. The poor thing was so sick it wouldn't even scram when I walked right up to it near the riverbank. It just moved slowly away a few yards. I've never fished Fort Peck but I am planing to before I take my big dirt nap !

[ElkHunter]

I've not fished there. Need to drive up. What should I bring for tackle?

[Rickers]

If you're going after those summer macs that dwell real deep I think that using a fish-finder that sees the down-rigger weight should work well. Hook up a flasher or a dodger with a plastic squid or a big streamer several feet behind the flasher. That should work or try drift jigging blind if you don't have the trolling gear or a fish-finder and fish near other folks out there fishing, but not too close so as to appear to be hijacking their spot. They may know the place and where the fish are hanging.
I haven't fished there so I'm just guessing about the rigging. I'm also guessing that it will be windy on the days I finally get over there to fish.

[Mt-7]

I will ask around, it is very popular in my area!

[ElkHunter]

I have friends that make it a trip and go all the time. I've never been there. My tackle consists of what I can put in the box on the back of my 4 wheeler. No boat, etc. But would venture a trip up there if the conditions warrant.

My son-in-law and daughter just bought a new boat. Maybe, with a little coersion, I can get them to go for a weekend. hahaha Always worth a try.

[OldReliable]

Outdoorswoman, you should check out the forums at the Montana Outdoor Radio show website.

Montana Outdoor Radio Show, Hunting, Fishing, News, Trivia and More (http://www.montanaoutdoor.com/cgi-bin/morsboard/dcboard.cgi?az=list&forum=DCForumID20&conf=DCConfI D1 - broken link)