Fishing

Thanks all of you keep the tips coming. Thanks

Pepperoni wrote:

bigred1cav wrote:
Looking for insider tips to fishing Bit Timber, Mt area. Trout by wadding or shore, no guides.

Do you mean Big Timber, Montana?

Unless local regulations prohibit live bait, I would use a leach behind an appropriate sized woolley bugger or a yellow jig (clip hair or feathers short when using bait.) I also fish minnows under a quill float; or crickets on the same rig if big bluegills are present. Big gills are open water fish..... fish 6 feet deep 20 yards past the weed line.

small fish hug the drop off, big fish are further out. do not waste bait on 5 inch fish

There aren't any Bluegills in the Blue Ribbon Montana trout streams. Only fish of note are trout and whitefish. There also aren't weed lines and the like. The Western trout streams are white water boulder streams.
In eastern Montana you can get into several catfish species and the lakes may hold Walleye and Northern Pike along with many species of Trout and other Salmonoids. NO minnows in most lakes and rivers. The introduction of a non native fish could be catastrophic.

The campground on the Boulder is Springcreek campground. Nice enough place. The Boulder can be a great creek if the fish are in the mood and it isn't too high or low (trout can get heat stressed). As someone else pointed out, there are numerous access points along the Boulder. A couple of interesting side notes about Springcreek campground. They used to raise trout (don't know if they still do) and had ponds for fishing that were pay by the pound. Be very careful, because if they still have them you can run up a very big bill, very quickly. Waters just below the campground used to be some of the best big trout waters for miles. The reason was a local game packer used that spot to dump the carcass waste. It was dinner on for the trout and they grew huge. The environmental concerns put that to rest a long time ago, however. Now you have to catch them sportingly, so to speak.

In Big Timber you can fish both the Boulder and West Boulder. There are several fishermans access points on the Boulder. To fish the west you need to go about 25 miles to the only access point. Both roads go into box canyon,the area is just beautiful. There is hiking and plenty of fishing. There is a very nice CG just south of Big Timber right on the Boulder. There is a fly shop on the main drag that can be very helpful.
While there go to Pioneer Meats, they have some awesome bacon and fresh cut meat.

On the West Tom Brokaw and Michael Keaton own the first ranch. You can access their property and others at the bridges and you can fish as long as you don't go above the high water mark.

bigred1cav wrote:
Looking for insider tips to fishing Bit Timber, Mt area. Trout by wadding or shore, no guides.

Do you mean Big Timber, Montana?

Unless local regulations prohibit live bait, I would use a leach behind an appropriate sized woolley bugger or a yellow jig (clip hair or feathers short when using bait.) I also fish minnows under a quill float; or crickets on the same rig if big bluegills are present. Big gills are open water fish..... fish 6 feet deep 20 yards past the weed line.

small fish hug the drop off, big fish are further out. do not waste bait on 5 inch fish