flathead lake

[Tiptoe]

Greetings, I'm new to Flathead Lake fishing but I've got the open water itch.  I'd like to get out there next midweek to try jigging for some macs.  Would you recommend the areas around Blue Bay or West Shore this time of year?  Thanks.

[fishyfishy]

call dick Zimmerman hes got all the tips and tricks and the BADDest jigging lures in the west!!!

He sould be able to help.

PM me if you want to go. Im still figuring it out as well

[Tiptoe]

Cool.  Thanks.  I just looked at his website.  Unfortunately, he doesn't have pictures up of all of his jigs.  I was particularly interested in the plastics.  I'll have to stop in and check 'em out.

[Fishin247]

Don't think he makes the plastics, he makes lead jig type stuff. Honestly, do some research on the net and try your own stuff. Zimmer's a nice guy and all, but in my experience, I've caught fish in depths he says they're not at. Not everyone's equipt to jig at 200 ft deep. In answer to the question about Blue Bay or West Shore, I've trolled in both areas and jigged south of Blue Bay in the Gravel Bay area, the fish in the West Shore were smaller, and we got caught up in weeds more. This is in the fall so it may differ in the spring. A fellow I talked to last Fall Mack Days told me spring was a blast because they come in so shallow you can cast to them on shore. My advise, choose an area, jig and troll back and forth a few miles at a time, and make your own "rules to fish by". What I've found is use green. If we fish the same lure at the same depth, and I use green and you use a different color, I will our fish you. Blue is good too, green is $.

[Fishin247]

If you jig, use braided line, and if you feel a tap at the end of the drop of the jig, set the hook. The Make Days website has a guide that's pretty good. Careful careful careful if someone tells you to go to the Narrows. It get shallow. Watch your depth finder and when you see the bottom go to 6ft and jagged all the sudden, be glad you took a change of drawers. Oh yeah, take a change of drawers.

[Tiptoe]

Thanks for the tips.  I like what your saying.  The Mack days website is packed with information.  Between the tips section and the fishing guide it gives a guy a pretty good base to start from.  Thanks for the heads-up about the narrows.   I'll post a report after I get some time on the water.

[Jim F]

Randy & I are hitting Flathead tomorrow (Fri) for our first attempt at Mac Days.
In late winter (as early as Valentines Day) I have always fished deep, 150-180 feet jigging, south of Wayfarers.
A white or green heavy lead jig with a 3-5 inch twister tail in white, tipped with sucker meat, bounced on the bottom.
If there is chop on the water, what works the best for me is when the boat is rolling over the waves, set your jig so that when your
side of the boat is tipped towards the water, the jig just taps the bottom. Let the waves jig it for you & occasionally give a high lift of 3-5 feet.
I don't know why, but this seems to work well for me. I have caught 50 fish limits out there a couple of times, one day in particular it was absolute gonzo-
-limited out in about 2 hours I was pooped after that one that's a lot of reeling in a short time!

Trollers do well with squids (hoochies) in large sizes as well. I've caught most of my fish jigging.
Later, (May-June) we troll the edges of the sand bar on the delta and do well, anywhere from 30-60 feet down.
I shallow troll mostly with diving Rapalas, but we will be trying flatfish and plug cut bait this year as well.
There are also folks catching fish on the bar, trolling and jigging early in the season. (like now till late June when they go deep)

If your going to jig, you MUST know how to read your sonar, as most bottom hugging lakers do not always show up as fish.
 You have to learn what they look like while they are laying in the mud. If you come across a small "mound" looking thing
with a little line coming off the top of it, ANCHOR UP and go crazy!
The little line is baitfish, and the mound is pig lakers sucking them up  
It can be a major PIA to anchor up that deep and get set over the fish, but it is worth the effort when you get it right.

Tight lines and hope to run into ya'll out there,
 Randy's boat is a 90 something 20' Bayliner Trophy with a walk around, pull up and say howdy!

EDIT:

I in no way intend to sound like a know-it-all in this post. Simply expressing what I've done, & What has worked for me.
There are many- much better mac fishers out there than I am!

[Zoo Angler]

Good luck. Have always wanted to try Flathead during the  spring/summer for lakers but don't have the equipment needed yet.

[JayHelfrich]

I'll be fishing Flathead Saturday and Sunday with my wife.  We will be out in my little Crestliner.  We have two spots that have been recommended to us by a guide (one on each side of the lake) so we can avoid the wind if she blows to hard.  I have to pick up more anchor line to be anchoring up in over 150 feet.  This should be a fun and new experience for us.  Going to have to pick up some more tackle up there as the shops down here don't have quite the right gear for that type of fishing.

Jay

[Jim F]

Hey Jay,
we will be putting in at West Shore park until Somers ramp (almost there!) thaws out and they get the dock in the lake.
White 4 door Chev PU 4x4 w/ topper, and boat noted above.

You say small Crestliner, not trying to scare you off,  just be careful of the wind on Flathead, it can get ripping in a hurry,
pay attention and stay out of trouble. Its much easier if you have like 40hp or more so you can get off in a hurry if you need too.
Generally, the wind comes up gradually that's why I say pay attention, so it doesn't get ripping before you realize it 
Feel it out though, you don't want to leave for no reason either, 'casue chop on the water = good fishing!

[Jim F]

You guys worried about tackle,
almost anything big pike will hit, lakers will hit. White, green, blue, perch colored.
Cast or troll spoons, Rapalas, cut bait, flatfish, or my favorite is jigs & twister tails.
I use 30 pound braid with a leader and a medium action spinning rod for jigging.
Long flexi tip seems to work good, I use Berkley Lighting rods, 6.5-7 feet. Ugly Sticks work as well.
Doesnt have to be highly technical and require a tackle store on board.

[Tiptoe]

Awesome info Jim. 
I am using a small boat and that was the big reason that I was asking about the fishing near the boat ramps.  I like to stay close enough so in case the wind picks up, I can make a run for it.  I am encouraged by 247s comment about the fish coming in shallow. 

[Fishin247]

If you put in at Bluebay and go south for a few miles, your never too far from shore and a boat ramp, and it seems to be a little more sheltered when your in close to shore down on that end. You can be a hundred yards out from shore and be in deep water. It gets deep fast.

[Jim F]

Painted Rocks, you're about  100 feet from shore and its 160 feet deep !  

[Jim F]

Man we tried everything today, trolling jigging, fast, slow, I only managed one laker off Painted Rocks about 2 this afternoon.
I did not see anyone boat a fish today.
We found fish all over the east side of the sand bar -shallow and deep, could not talk them into anything!