Henry's 12/6

[fishfighter91]

Made my first real trip to Henry's yesterday. Got a late start for my liking waiting for a couple of 'green' fishermen to get ready to head out so we weren't fishing until around 9:00 tried out by the hatchery. I chatted with Damon for a bit and he was even nicer in person than I had taken from posts on here. He pointed us in a good direction but once we had arrived on the ice the spot he had indicated was taken so we set up and started fishing.

Ice was 6-8" thick with 1-4" of slush on top. Air temp got up to about 36 at the highest.

The first while was really slow. Tried crappie jigs, curly tails, ice flies, ratfinkees and about everything else I had in my ice gear tipped with worms, butter worms, waxies, and power bait. Not much worked. Fished in about 9 FOW and then moved to 14 FOW. Got a pair of bites, one fat 2.5 lb brookie and a big cuttbow that got off after a 6 minute fight by rubbing the hook off on the bottom of the ice.

Once one of the groups that had been doing well about 100 yards or so off left we moved to their spot (around 1) and got one Cutt on the ice before the fish disappeared from the finder and the area. Having never been there before I had expected a learning curve, but did a lot worse than I had hoped. Luckily the scenery is amazing and the fish were gorgeous, so I'm just glad I finally got out there without an injury or getting blown off the lake. Can't wait to head back out this next weekend and give her another go, but unfortunately work calls in the mean time.

If anybody has any more refined techniques that they wouldn't mind sharing or want to meet up Saturday to help show me a thing or two, I would love any tips. Just shoot me a PM.

Good luck fishing to everyone! Be safe out there.
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[brookieguy1]

Well at least you got a nice sized specimen of the best fish in Henrys....brook trout! My advice is to get out early and fish away from the crowds. 1.5" ice cutters or radical glow jigs in pink or white tipped with shrimp works best for us. Sometimes jigging works better, sometimes deadsticking. Just experiment with at least two rods. Springbobbers are a big help as well.
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[windriver]

Now that you know the lake a little set up in the dark. It really does matter. As brookieguy1 said spring bobbers help a lot. Even the big fish bite is very subtle. I prefer paddle bugs tipped with mealworms but cutter bugs are great as well. It's a big lake. Even moving a few feet can matter.
Windriver
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[Bmarsh]

3 things that always and I mean every time I've hit Henry's that I've done and never had a bad day are these things.
1. Set up a dead stocked rod with a spring bobber or jaw jacket with a glow in the dark jig tipped with a meal worm.
2. Jig pretty active with a black or green marabou jig. Day in and day out this out fishes anything I've used up there. Tip it with half a meal worm.
3. Jig white paddle bugs tipped with half a meal worm.

Those 3 things coupled with being on the ice by 7 has never lead to me having a bad morning. There is a definite set of bites on Henry's usually too, sunrise to 9:30 ish and then usually 2-3ish it usually picks back up. There are days it's solid and consistent all day but the norm is hot and then it dies.

You will find one of the 3 methods will produce better and you can change rods out after one starts producing better to up your catch rates.

Also hole location makes a difference so don't be afraid to move. I've seen it quite a few times where one hole will catch 25 fish and 6 feet away witha similar setup will produce 1. Me and my dad joke about how that lake seems to do that a lot.

Good luck on your next trip.
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[kentd71]

So far this year active jigging has out fished dead sticking at leas 5 to 1. With lures and paddle bugs . At Henry's I think that there are some places that the fish move through more than others biased on the weed growth. But I fish an area that has no weeds but last week it was better at 8 feet week before it was better at 4 feet as long as there was little movement on the ice.
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[jeremypeace]

Where would y'all recommend going onnhenerys for a first timer to the lake? Onlynthing I know about henerys is how to get to it from the highway to MT
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[curt69]

I would recommend the Hatchery . What days are you planning on fishing ?
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[jeremypeace]

It would be a weekend, no set day yet.. I hate fishing on weekends at popular destinations but I'm doomed to do so unless I take a sick day and I can't do that..
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[curt69]

There are not many weekends left before the season closes on January 1 . Let me know and if I am up here I will fish with you . I live up here most of the time . Except Hollidays .
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[curt69]

Use the same things you use at Chesterfield . The fish are bitting very lite .
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[flygoddess]

Weather is about to change Jeremy, so I sure hope you can make it. If not, plan on joining us in June, K?
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[Bmarsh]

[quote jeremypeace]Where would y'all recommend going onnhenerys for a first timer to the lake? Onlynthing I know about henerys is how to get to it from the highway to MT[/quote]
I sure would it's where I caught you first fish through the ice. Learned a little from here, bought gear and went up slated some fish and have been hooked since.
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