2013 open water plans? Post your yearly bucket list!

[JayHelfrich]

I know it's early and many are not ready to give up on ice fishing but what are you plans, hopes, and desires for the 2013 open water season?

For me it is as follows:

Fish lakers and perch on Flathead (want a bigger laker than last year and try to get in on the piggy perch bite with my kids)
Fish bass on Echo Lake (watching a big Rapala disappear on the surface was cool nuts)
Fish Noxon Reservoir (for big bass and northerns and maybe a walleye or two)
Fish Lake Frances (first time)
Fish Nelson Reservoir (first time in open water)
Fish Fort Peck again (it was AWESOME last year)
Fish with my wife and kids in NoDak (bring the kids close to momma when she is at work)
Fish Canyon Ferry, Hauser, and Holter more in an attempt to figure out the walleye close to home

I was going to get a new boat but decided to get a new truck and put money into my old boat.

What are you hoping, wishing, or wanting to do this year?

Jay

[Lundin-loading]

I too plan to fish Noxon/Cabinet Gorge/and The Clearwater for smallies and walleye as much as i possibly can! Other than that i plan to stay mostly local, and spend the majority of my water time on Hauser and Canyon Ferry. Also Im going to spend alot more time trolling bottom bouncers this year.

[Anyfish]

Jay your list looks pretty good!  I would add Tiber and a float trip on the Missouri below Judith Landing and it would be a dandy bucket list for this year!

[gregv17]

Catch the IGFA Trout Royal Slam – 7 Species of trout (Brook, Brown, Bull, Cutthroat, Golden, Laker, Rainbow)

Fish Coeur d’Alene for landlocked King Salmon

Take a couple or three week fish trip – Hook up the boat and go either east or west/south and be fishing or be going somewhere else to fish. Did this a few years ago with a good friend and fished our way from his place in Wabasha, Minn. to the Flathead and back. Best trip I ever took.
Go Sturgeon fishing on the Snake or Columbia

Steelhead on  the Clearwater

Fish Fort Peck

Fish Noxon more than the normal 1 or 2 times

Some big ideas I guess but some can be combined if I can get the bigger trip together.

Greg

[bigjoesfishing]

My plan is to catch a 30lb carp..........time will tell.

[TJet Apprentice45]

I want to get a trip put together to explore/fish the Musselshell north or Mosby.  There's been some great reports of some big cats, bass and walleye in there the last couple years, so hopefully it's not all private access to the water.

Question to anyone who may have been there before... would it be floatable?  If you put in during spring flows could you float it into peck then take out at crooked creek?

[double_a85]

Step 1 for me is locating a "new to me" used boat... my last one was a 1967 14' that now has a major crack on the transom... I have verbally agreed to a 2008 smokercraft 171... now I gotta wait till the guy gets done working his shift in North Dakota--- will be a long wait till the 16th!!

Step 2 would be to hit Fort Peck.

With as crazy as the summer usually becomes, anything else will be a bonus!

[The Rezerend]

First post for me. Got the word from Ice Shanty. I'll will be trying out my new to me boat, 1976 Thundercraft 16 foot trihull with 70 horse evinrude. First place once we make sure its water worthy will be back home at Flathead lake to try for some spring lakers. Then it'll be on to the MO for paddlefishing. After that its anyones guess. Probably Georgetown and Delmoe, never been around them without Ice.

[OUTHNTN]

I want to get a trip put together to explore/fish the Musselshell north or Mosby.  There's been some great reports of some big cats, bass and walleye in there the last couple years, so hopefully it's not all private access to the water.

Question to anyone who may have been there before... would it be floatable?  If you put in during spring flows could you float it into peck then take out at crooked creek?

TJet,
  As far as I know, it's all private access to the river.  There may be a few bridges, but it's been since before the floods since I've fished it north of Mosby.  As far as floating, spring flows would help but after the flooding a couple years ago it's anyone's guess.  You are correct on the fishing!  It's great for large cats, sauger, and some pretty decent pike.  I've always wanted to fish it in the spring when the pike are spawning as they may run up the mussellshell like they do the rivers in Minnesota.  Should be some monsters in there at that time.

As far as the bucket list, 1st is to get to Yellowtail here shortly and get some spring sauger 2nd Peck this spring to try for some chinook then in late June Last Mountain lake in Sask.,and then some mountain trips before our fall trip to Peck for some salmon and whatever else!  Good fishin' this season to all - OH
 

[m0untaineer]

Flathead got the boat ready this last weekend.
Echo
Church
Blanchard
Middle Thompson
Murphy

Flyfish on the southfork and thompson river
and would like to get on the east side

Would like to get ipilot head and remote for my minn kota

And Jay I too liked when my spinnerbait got gulped by a monster

[TJet Apprentice45]

Thanks outhntn, really hoping to get this one put together.  I'll be sure to get lots of pictures of the trip.   Probably will be a long shot but I'll spend some time knocking on a few doors along the river and see if they'll let me go in and find a fish or two.

[RAM1961]

TJet,

There are a couple places that you can get down to the river on public land.  The best that I've been to is about 10 miles up on the east side.  You can take your truck, although I wouldn't make that trip in my truck.  Four wheeler or SXS is best way to get down there.  Some very nice cats in there, and I've always heard that many state records ended up on a rancher's dinner table.

[RAM1961]

I forgot my bucket list.....

Fly fish Clark Fork from Garrison down to Missoula on pontoon boat.

Fly fish Missouri River from Craig to wherever on pontoon boat.

Fly fish Salmon River between Thanksgiving and Christmas for steelhead.

Back out to Oregon coast to fish Siletz River and go crabbing.  This is an annual event.

Marlin fishing in Costa Rica.  Thinkin' I got my wife liking this idea.....

Fish Flathead Lake because...well....it's right here.......

[doublehaul]

Thanks outhntn, really hoping to get this one put together.  I'll be sure to get lots of pictures of the trip.   Probably will be a long shot but I'll spend some time knocking on a few doors along the river and see if they'll let me go in and find a fish or two.

TJet-

U probably allready know where to go in order to research catfishing in the state of MT. U should try there.

[doublehaul]

1.  Catch, document, measure,  photograph, release, and get a fiberglass mount of a channel cat that exceeds 25 lbs.

2. Dedicate nearly all of my multispecies time further experimenting with strictly swimbaits instead of jigs.

3. Fish my local waters for at least 5 consecutive days in mid-june.