FORT PECK, Mont. 鈥� There was a certain rhythm to Joe Bouroncle鈥檚 cadence.
鈥淪tart reeling! Go, go, go, go, go!鈥�
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Fishing for lake trout on the Lower Big Dry Arm of the Fort Peck Reservoir on the east fork is a blast, especially for some novice anglers who finally had their chance to land some big ones.
It was a trip planned for more than half a year and well worth the nearly eight-hour drive from Fargo. A 5 a.m. alarm ringing inside our camper on this June morning had my family anxious to meet Bouroncle, who operates Get The Net Outfitters in the Fort Peck area.
After boarding his 23-foot vessel, a ThunderJet Alexis OBOS called 鈥淪ize Matters,鈥� Bouroncle throttled up his 300-horsepower Suzuki. Our destination: colder waters.
On a cloudy, but so far pleasant day in the low 60s, we expected temperatures to warm throughout the day. After cruising comfortably in the enclosed shell, we were now about half-hour out from the marina. It was time to drop lines.
The reservoir is a huge body of water, divided into five distinct regions. While it鈥檚 about 137,000 surface acres smaller than Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota, it still is the fifth-largest reservoir in the U.S. Using a guide for the first time can certainly help.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a steep learning curve,鈥� Bouroncle said. 鈥滵o you know how big this place is? We鈥檙e in the Dry Arm. It鈥檚 40 miles long. The main is 140 miles long. Imagine you pull up here in your boat, you can鈥檛 tell me you鈥檙e not intimidated and have no clue where to start. So you hire a guide, cut that learning curve and get your technique down.鈥�
My learning curve is so steep it鈥檚 almost vertical. Fishing only somewhat regularly for just the past three years, I鈥檓 out on the water with my wife, Heidi, and our youngest son, Carson, 17, a few times a month.
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We鈥檒l give it a go.
With our first lines in about 100 feet of water, we were vertical jigging near the bottom, trying to lure the lake trout, 鈥渓akers鈥� as they say, up to our swimbaits. Watching the paddletail lure on the Garmin Livescope, Bouroncle offered his instructions.
Watch, reel, set the hook.
鈥淜eep reeling 鈥� just like that,鈥� Bouroncle said after mentioning he was a dual-citizen Peruvian who has been a fishing guide for about eight years and is a tournament angler specializing in lake trout, rainbow trout and king salmon.
鈥淵ou gotta set the hook! There you go, good job!鈥� he said as Carson landed another large laker.
As we hooked fish near the lower third of the water column, the trout would decompress their swim bladder on the way up.
鈥淛ust let him pull. See, he needs to get all the air out,鈥� Bouroncle said as we watched a red shape expand on the Livescope.
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歪歪漫画
Fishing Fort Peck
- Guide services: A variety of guide services are available for Fort Peck
- Where to camp: Four campgrounds in the immediate area: Fort Peck Marina and RV Park, Downstream Campground, Fort Peck Campground and Westend Recreation Area (tent only).
- Best advice: Plan your trip early and prepare for various weather conditions.
- More information: Search Fort Peck Lake.
So far, the sizes have varied. Three-pounder here. Eleven-pounder there.
鈥淚 have seen one over 30, but that was years back and further west,鈥� Bouroncle said, before adding he once weighed a 32-pound state record salmon as well.
By now in the rain at 8:30 a.m., Carson reeled in his third lake trout, a 13-pounder.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy, the weather changes in a second,鈥� Heidi said.
We tossed some back, tossed a few in the livewell.
But these trout are not your typical fillet and fry. 鈥淪o what happens if you try to pan fry this fish?鈥� we asked the boat captain.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know,鈥� Bouroncle said. 鈥淪moking them is the best way.鈥�
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Tonight鈥檚 dinner would have to wait. We don鈥檛 have a smoker.
With an experienced eye on the weather, Bouroncle stayed in touch with other guides. A strike of lightning off in the distance would end our day early. As a gift to our son, our morning success had us all fulfilled.
As a guide, Bouroncle has seen the gamut of experience levels on his boat.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all something different,鈥� Bouroncle said, shortly before handing us bags of our fish he just cleaned on the stern of the boat. 鈥淚 like the kids who have never done it. I appreciate facilitating the family event, an adventure when people travel to come here because it鈥檚 a big deal.鈥�
A talkative host, Bouroncle recalled anglers from Knoke Seamless Siding & Gutters in Fargo that just basically took command on a recent trip on board his vessel.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e absolute sticks with the Livescope. I don鈥檛 even go out on the back deck,鈥� Bouroncle said, slumping into his seat and cracking a laugh. 鈥淚鈥檓 just an overpaid lifeguard for eight hours.鈥�
In Montana, guides must be licensed and initially sponsored by a licensed outfitter, the state鈥檚 Department of Labor and Industry says. Bouroncle has about six guides that work for him, though as independent contractors, they can work for multiple outfitters.
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One of them is Don Wilkins, whom we joined at 6 a.m. the next day to fish shallower water down the Lower Missouri Arm. The target that day 鈥� at least for me 鈥� was walleye, a fish I have yet to net.
A heavy overnight storm, however, had stirred the pot on the giant lake. Heading southwest now from Fort Peck Marina in Wilkins鈥� Larson 2020FX, we soon found a northern pike quivering on the surface. Five minutes later, we spotted another one.
Near a spot that produced a decent walleye catch two days earlier, they were having nothing to do with our jig and minnow presentations early that morning.
In eight hours, fishing three locations, the family caught about 10 pike. Several more escaped their initial hook. A Montana native, the personable Wilkins鈥� only regret was bouncing from our first location after a few hours.
鈥淭he weather affects everything out here,鈥� Wilkins said.
As Bournocle said the day before, anglers 鈥� especially guides 鈥� must have a quarterback鈥檚 mentality and have a short memory. The memories of sharing their boat with anglers doesn鈥檛 go away.
That has to be my takeaway as I admired my wife鈥檚 and son鈥檚 success. I caught one fish, that lowly trout, all weekend.
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鈥淚 like taking people and doing stuff they鈥檝e never done,鈥� Wilkins said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 probably the biggest thing out here. There鈥檚 so many different kinds of fish in Fort Peck, we can find something they鈥檝e never caught.鈥�
If you go
- Guide services: A variety of guide services are available for Fort Peck
- Where to camp: Four campgrounds in the immediate area: Fort Peck Marina and RV Park, Downstream Campground, Fort Peck Campground and Westend Recreation Area (tent only).
- Best advice: Plan your trip early and prepare for various weather conditions.
- More information: Search Fort Peck Lake.
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