Allan W: Ft Peck, MT - 8/5-11
Target Species: Walleye
Lake or River Fished Fort Peck Montana
Date(s) Fished August 5 thru 11, 2017
Weather Conditions: Sunny to high over cast or heavy cloud, Mostly sunny
Wind Dead Calm to 15 mph
Ambient Temp Mornings mid 50’s to day time highs of low 90’s
Water Temp 64 to 68 never say 70 but did not go all the way to back bays
Water Clarity 2 feet, water was really churned up due to wind
Moon Phase: Full moon on Tuesday
Catch Record:
Species length & weight lure
SATURDAY
Walleye 18” TTM20 Silver
Walleye 12” TTM20 Chrome
SMB 19 x 3-11 Silver Blade
Northern 30” TTM20 Chrome
SUNDAY
Walleye 18” Deep 30 purple
Northern 24” Deep 30 purple
MONDAY
Walleye 21” Spinner Chrome
Northern 28” TTM 20 Silver
Walleye 22 x 4-5 Gold Spinner 2.5 oz
TUESDAY
Walleye 14” Gold hammered Spinner 2.5 oz.
Northern 28” Silver Spinner 2.5 oz.
Walleye 23 x 4-8 Silver Spinner 3.0 oz.
Walleye 22 x 4-4 Cody Copper Spinner 2.5 oz.
walleye 3 each 12” throwback silver and copper spinners
WEDNESDAY
Skip Jack Golden Eye
Walleye 26 x 5-4Jesse Spinners
THURSDAY
SMB 17.5 x 2-4 Silver Spinner 3.0 oz.
Perch 4” feed to Artic Turn
Walleye 12” Silver Spinner 3.0 oz.
Walleye 21 x 3-2 Gold Spinner 3 oz.
FRIDAY
Northern 36” Silver Spinner 3.0 oz.
SMB 12” Silver Spinner 3.0 oz.
Walleye 20” Silver Spinner 3.0 oz.
Northern 36” White Smile 3.0 oz.
Walleye 2 x12” & 14” Silver Spinner 3.0 oz.
Perch 4” White Smile 3 oz.
This trip was to be to Lake Wenatchee for the annual Sockeye run. But the returns were so low no season was declared. So on Tuesday August 1, I cancelled my camp site reservation for Lake Wenatchee State Park and lookedfor/researched other fishing locations. Central and Eastern Washington were to be in the 100’s and filled with smoke from the Britch Columbia fires so they were out. Considered Flaming Gorge in SW Wyoming too hot. Then I thought about Fork Peck, it’s on my bucket list, not the best time of year to fish it (May, June July and fall are much better). But is will be in the 70’s and 80’s no smoke… So I made plans for Fort Peck Hells Creek at the advice of Dale Gilbert. Made State Park reservation because I have never been there before.
Thursday 8-3 left work at 3 to pick up Nancy (Linda’s sister) at the airport dropped her at home and hit the road about 5:30 pm PDT. Drove to Missoula and crashed at a truck stop. Very smoky in western MT.
Friday 8-4 up and on the road about 8 am MDT and cut across the state on hwy 12 to 191 to 200 to Jordan MT. there was a huge (350,000 acre) fire between Lewistown and Jorden 10 miles wide. At Jordan turned north on to Hell Creek Road 25 miles of dirt road hell the worst I ever driven wash board the whole way 10 mph for 2.5 hours. The inside of the Gladiator was distroyed, cupboard opened and stuff was everywhere, the garage door on the garage opened and it was full of dirt. Yuck. Spent Friday night cleaning the inside of the Gladiator and launched the Lund into her slip with power that was nice.
Saturday 8-5 got up about 8am and cleaned the Gladiator garage 2 hours just to make it liveable. Took a walk around camp. Checked on the Lund and crashed for a couple hours. In the pm took the Lund out for a spin and 2 hours of fishing just to make sure everything worked and it did GLORY BE.
Sunday 8-6 was the first real day of fishing. Found out the Navionics chip I own only mapped the east half of the lake 25 miles from hell creek. I wanted to get catching off to a successful start so reviewed the map and picked a few spots to start trolling cranks. Caught 2 walleye on the first point, then a stinky northern. I saw on the chart a hump just upstream and decided to throw a silver blade and on the 4th cast a nice 19” SMB hit fight on. N & SMB released. Mike Cook had given me some tips from his trip to Fort Peck and referred to his fishing diary. So I started my own and it came in handy (see above) I was not relying on my memory for fish caught, good thing. That evening I met the Anderson’s from Billings and would hung with them the rest of the week Fine Folks. Shane and the boys had been catching in 30+ FOW and using bottom walkers and spinners.
Monday 8-7 headed for deeper water and silver spinners. I started with 2.5 oz. and had to move to 3 oz. to stay in contact with then bottom. Picked up nicer fish still not big numbers. The walleye are similar to Snake River or Rufus walleye in color and that they are fat and health. Just like me Fat and Healthy with good color. I added way points to my fishing diary. Very helpful.
Tuesday 8-8 FULL MOON Sure is nice to have a boat slip with power. About a ½ mile walk from the camp site to the dock. Fished with Cody today best catch day of the week. Followed Shane, Wyatt and Jesse today to learn some new spots. Cody caught big fish of the week out of my boat walleye 23” 4-8 a little while later I got a 22” 4- 4. Fish fry dinner that night with the Andersons. YUMMY
Wednesday 8-9 the day started with me having the droppers and went downhill from there. Fished 8 hours and I caught 1 Skip Jack or Golden Eye or Shiner. I just could not get anything to bite. Lost 2 dozen crawlers to short bites. Yuck. I ran to the west as the wind out of the north was really strong and made most of the main lake unfishable. As I pulled in to one spot 100’s of turns and gulls took off. One gull could not get out of the water it was really weird how it was acting. So I investigated and it has both feet and beak in a flicker shad crank bait. So I netted it and set it free. Good deed for the day. Heard the Hell road had been graded that’s good news.
Thursday 8-10 so todays plan was to go back to all the places I had caught fish and fish those areas again. Then Friday fish the spots I caught fish today. Well that worked pretty well. Kept one walleye fed a 4” perch to an artic turn, kept a 26 northern for pickeling. Tonight I broke camp not really that much to do.
Friday 8-11 good day on the water to finish my week. Fished the spots I caught fish on Thursday and one other SOUTHERNLAND POINT. Kept 2 walleye. As I was reeling in to leave (all my crawlers were gone) there was a 4” inch perch on the piece of crawler on my spinner. LOL. I loaded the Lund, dumped tanks took a shower and hit the road. The Hell Road was great and did 45 mph all the way to Jordan. Then onto Moore where I crashed for the night. There was a thunderstorm and it rained most o farther night. Central/eastern Mt sure needs the rain. Uneventful drive home.
Over all good trip to Fort Peck will fish her again.