Canyon Ferry is still covered in thick ice but…
Shoreline ice is getting too thin. The warmer weather has thinned the ice to the point that it is difficult to navigate onto the safer ice. We talked to an angler that fishes everyday and he said the Silos is about done. Only the northern boat ramp allowed limited access. Wheelers could no longer drive onto the ice.
I took my son-in-law Dylan out for an ice trip on Tuesday. The lake had melted where I accessed the ice last Friday. We had to travel up the beach to find a safer ice bridge. Two pressure ridges were also expanding leaving open water cracks. The ice on each side of the crack was just a couple inches thick.
We crossed the cracks and made it out to where we set up. I cut our holes in eighteen inches of good ice. Fishing was fast and furious.
One thing that always amazes me about ice fishing is how and why one hole produces fish, and nearby holes get no bites. My first hole led to 5 drops and 5 bites. Dylan is still a rookie Iceman. He had much to learn, and the Beast Trout of Canyon Ferry will teach you in a hurry.
Big trout are a challenge to manage and pull from an ice hole. I have tried gaffs and other tools. The best trick is to grab the jig, on the fish’s mouth, and gently slide the fish onto the ice. This sounds easier than it is especially when you are excited.
The only way to learn how to land fish is to land fish. Dylan lost several trout at the hole. Each fish did something different, and he soon made the proper adjustments. In the end, he managed to load the ice with Big Trout! We learn from mistakes and Dylan picked up the lessons in a hurry. We both had our limits of fish and fun.
These were the biggest trout that Dylan has ever landed. The trout ranged from 18-23 inches long. We threw back smaller and bigger fish. The only way to learn how to catch fish is to catch fish.
Walking off the ice required a new path. The 50-degree day melted our bridge, so we found another. We did not see another angler on the ice as far as we could see. It looks like we fished on the last ice. A few days later revealed our sketchy access was gone.
It will take a while for the thicker ice to melt. If you had a canoe or small boat, you could access the thicker ice and extend the season. I am not sure if the fish are worth the risk. It may be time to find better last ice or hang up the ice gear for the year.
Hegben Lake and other areas hold ice later into the season. I ice fished Hegben by the dam, a few years ago, on the last weekend of April. The ice was over a yard deep. Higher mountain lakes will also hold their ice for a while longer.
Wherever you trek, be safe!
Montana Grant
