Some lakes still have good ice

Can you believe that hunting season opens in just three weeks?

Yet some of us are not ready to put away our ice augers and five-gallon buckets. We need to get in at least one more ice-fishing trip. If you are one of those die-hard ice fishermen, Ashley and Bitterroot Lakes should be your choice for this weekend.

Both Ashley and Bitterroot lakes had good ice last weekend, over 15 inches. Those lakes are nearly 1,000 feet higher than the Flathead Valley, so their ice stays good longer into the spring. But with the above-freezing temperatures all week, use caution if venturing onto the ice.

Lots of kokanee were caught last weekend on Bitterroot Lake, with most fish at 30 feet or less of depth. Some schools came through as shallow as five feet under the ice. Bottom fishing in deep water for the big kokanee was really slow last weekend.

For those who want to uncover your boat early this season, don't forget that Spring Mack Days are under way on Flathead Lake.

That fishing contest runs from March 17 to April 15. More than $12,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to successful anglers. This is a very unusual fishing contest because the intent is keep and kill lots of smaller lake trout. One of the purposes of this contest is to reduce the population of lake trout, a non-native fish. Don't forget that all westslope cutthroat and bull trout must be released.

Your 2006 Montana fishing regulations booklet has good pictures of trout, so make sure you have a copy of those regulations in your boat or tackle box.

Fish pictures in the fishing regulations are always distinctively different, so it's easy to identify various species. Real-life fish tend to be not so distinctive, so if you're not sure, you'd better release the fish.

Before you launch your boat, be sure to have your new 2006 validation decal. In 2003, Montana passed a law allowing permanent registration of fishing boats. You paid a little extra to register your boat in 2004, and that was a lifetime registration.

Unfortunately, that type of permanent boat registration violated federal law that limits boat registration to a maximum of three years. So now to comply with the federal law, the state will issue free validation decals every three years. You can get these validation decals by applying over the Internet at www.fwp.mt.gov or at your local Fish, Wildlife and Parks office. You will need to have your boat registration with you.

I started this column talking about hunting seasons. For those that want to begin to plan their vacation and hunting schedules, here are the starting dates for the general hunting seasons:

-Spring turkey opens April 8 and spring black bear opens April 15.

-Archery season for antelope, deer and elk opens Sept. 2. The general deer and elk rifle season opens Oct. 22 and runs five weeks.

-Mountain grouse opens Sept. 1. Ducks and geese open Oct. 1. Pheasant season opens Oct. 7. If you are lucky enough to get a moose, sheep or goat tag, or plan a backcountry elk hunt, these open on Sept. 15.

Remember these are the general hunting season openers. You need to very carefully read the hunting regulations for the specific seasons in each hunting district.

Walleye banquet: There still are a few tickets left for Kalispell's annual walleye fry.

Walleyes are generally regarded as the best eating of all freshwater fish. The local chapter of Walleyes Unlimited sponsors this event. It's an all-you-can-eat dinner of deep-fat-fried walleye fillets. Call Frank Danner at 756-6067 for tickets. See you there.