Warm-water species have plenty of fans

With fishing seasons now open and in full swing, many anglers are ready for another season on the water.  

We are dealing with our annual runoff situation and this year looks to be a doozy! I recently spent a couple days on the Flathead River and sloughs, knowing that it will soon become very difficult to navigate — and fish — well into June.

I wasn’t equipped with a fly rod, had no trout flies or any tackle for trout at all.  I was pursuing bass, crappie, perch and pike. And I wasn’t the only one.  There were eight to 10 other boats, canoes and bank anglers. Had I been on Echo Lake, Lake Blaine, Blanchard Lake, Loon, Horseshoe or perhaps any of the Thompson Chain of Lakes, the situation might have been much the same.

In fact, when looking at the Fish, Wildlife and Parks stocking report for 2012, at least eight lakes in Region One received plants of largemouth or smallmouth bass. There are at least a dozen more that offer good fishing for bass. Don’t forget the dozens that contain northern pike, yellow perch and sunfish.

The largemouth bass is America’s most popular freshwater game fish and it and other warm-water species are gaining a strong following in Northwest  Montana. We have a pretty vibrant Bass Tournament League and one look at the tackle selection at Snappy’s, Sportsman or Cabela’s will prove that anglers are indeed finding the challenge of pursuing these fish worthy of investment.

So what is going on with Flathead anglers that is causing this shift from trout to warmer water species?  

Anglers coming from the Southern, Eastern and Midwest states are very familiar with these species. Over 100 years ago when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service routinely planted non-native species in Western waters, they did so to satisfy folks moving west by stocking species they were familiar with. Today, the same is true. While stocking rates of these species are a shadow of what they once were, the desire of people to fish for what they are familiar with has not changed.

Many anglers do come here for the trout, and our area waters are full of them, both natural and stocked. I feel Western Montana is perhaps managed at a level of preference for trout higher than any other state favors any other species, native or otherwise, except for perhaps the “salmon states.”

Sure, native cutthroat are a very desired species among trouters, but I believe the high ratio of cutthroat to alternative species just doesn’t give folks a lot of choice, and we all love choices. When compared to the diversity found among all our other wildlife, our cultures and our overall state’s treasures, I feel we are glaringly ignoring a large segment of the angling population that obviously wants more.

If you are one of those anglers, there is help. There are several organizations in our area who feel your pain. One of these is the Flathead Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited. This organization supports and organizes tournaments, Kids Hooked on Fishing events and more. The group can be reached by calling Mark Weed at 406-257-2978.

Another great organization is our local bass fishing club. During the summer, it organizes monthly tournaments and offers a wealth of info on the local bass fishing scene. Contact them at 406-261-3924.  

In my next column, I will feature some tips and tactics from some of our local experts to help you succeed when angling for our warmer water species.  Until then, be safe and I will see you on the water.

Howe runs Howe’s Fishing/A Able Charters. Contact him at Mike@aablefishing.com.