I took a week of leave and spent 4 days and 3 night at hell Creek. The lake itself is very intimidating and overwelming. I have fished some crazy places in crazy condition but this was certainly a unique experiance. With my sights set on a trophy walleye my spirts began to fall as I didn't land a single eye after fishing day and night. I was jigging live minnows in 15 to 30 feet of water over a 7 mile path. I ran into a few decent pike while ripping hard baits twards evening. The first two days were a bust. Only 5 fish landed. I woke the third morning to a dowpour. I bucked up and made my way to a spot a local pro let me in on. On my way out I was passed by several large boats each one with the passages looking at me like I was a lunatic to be braving the ever changing conditions in a plastic boat. I eventually arrived. After a few hours of watching fish on my sonar ignore my bait, I remembered a few guys telling me they ran into some hefty smallmouth. I figured to hell with it, and grabbed my spinner bait and started working the shoreline. I found a submerged rock pile and in my first cast bam! A solid strike, I renched back an felt a hefty pull! FINALLY. I pulled in a nice 2lb smallmouth. The rest is history, I lost a fish of a lifetime trying to wrangle it into the yak, but I caught a couple fish any fisherman would be proud of!
1simplemann:
Dan, You are my kinda guy. Kayak fishing Fort Peck? Nobody does that! That's EXACTLY why my fishing partner and I have been talking about making the same trip! Nice fish BTW
C_Run:
Very cool report, NavyDan. Thanks.
NavyDan:
Thanks guys! After being stationed in VA I realized just how versatile a kayak can be and I hope to promote the sport here in Montana. So many great fisheries you don't need a 40k boat to take advantage of.