Kokanee fishing saves spring for Smalley

There are no guarantees when it comes to fishing in Montana in spring.

Last week’s plans to fish for bass in Echo Lake were thwarted by that nasty wind storm in the Flathead Valley on Wednesday night.

And we canceled a trip for walleye to Lake Francis the next day when some weather forecast models showed the potential for 70 mph wind gusts.

I’ve waited nearly a year to hit the salmonfly hatch on Rock Creek, but temperatures have swollen and muddied most rivers.

And even the generally-dependable Missouri River near Craig is running pretty much unwadeable due to water releases from Holter Dam.

Probably the closest to a springtime fishing guarantee is the annual jigging for kokanee salmon on Memorial Day weekend on several Flathead Valley lakes.

In late May, kokanee salmon go on a feeding spree, and since they form large schools, they offer an excellent opportunity for an angler to catch a limit.

The most popular rig is to tie a Glo-Hook about 6-8 inches below a Swedish Pimple. Be sure to attach the lure to your line with a swivel snap to prevent line twist.

Best baits are maggots or kernels of canned corn. Corn is cheaper, but must be replaced more often.

Kokanee schools can be found throughout the water column, from near the bottom or within 10 feet of the surface, so an electronic fish finder can shorten your search time.

Last week, despite our best efforts, we missed and lost more fish than we put into the boat.

Sometimes wild jigging attracts salmon; sometimes wild jigging scares salmon.

Our most consistent and successful technique was to allow the jig to drop to the bottom, crank the reel three times, raise the rod tip quickly about two feet, lower the rod tip quickly about two feet, then raise the rod tip slowly and jerk hard!

Try Little Bitterroot Lake, Ashley Lake, Tally Lake, and Glen Lake.

Check the regs for daily and possession limits. Good luck!

Jerry Smalley’s Fishful Thinking column appears weekly in the Hungry Horse News.