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Hook Points

Hook Points

Idaho's Fishing Newsletter

Ryan Chris
September 17, 2024

Fishing Reports

CJ Strike: A good week of fishing at CJ and I expect another good one ahead. Cooler night time temps are starting to drop water temperatures and the fish can definitely feel it. Shorter days, longer nights = winter coming, time to eat! Both crappie and perch can be caught shallower and on simple plastics or jig heads tipped with a nightcrawler. Trolling crankbaits or Keitech Easy Shiners are always good ideas for perch and crappie! For the bass, there are quite a few smaller fish being caught with some decent ones mixed in. If it were me, I’d run a Tungsten Finesse Jig, a Roboworm on a drop shot and I wouldn’t abandon topwater (whopper plopper or walking bait) just yet.

Boise River: Big browns coming out of the river right now! Throw something moving…jerkbait, spinner, crankbait…drifting a Berkley Power Nymph under a float is a good idea as well! Simple jig head and a soft plastic minnow - another great option. Look shallower than you normally might be inclined to 😉

Brownlee: Harmful Algae Bloom Warning In Effect. At 2047. See the attached image for ramps that are still accessible. Really good for bass right now. Customer had a 100 fish day with a Lunker City Hellgie on a Ned Head! The IRR Tungsten Finesse Jig is ON FIRE! Drop shots and a Fluke on a Carolina rig = FISH! Crappie are starting to move shallower and setting up on longer main lake points. Look for them in 15’-25’ and throw your favorite soft plastic at them - you know how I feel about Keitechs and crappie…

Snake River: Lots of grass in the water but tons of bass too! Tungsten Finesse Jigs, Ned’s, Drops Shots, Flukes and a topwater…Catfishing has been great! Look shallow!

Wilson Springs: No report this week.

Lake Lowell: I fished here this weekend with a few young ladies from a local church and I brought out the secret weapon…the Yum Dinger in the Sinful Shad color 🤫! A chatterbait and a frog can still catch them as well. Lake closes to boats at the end of the month so get out there and enjoy some fall fishing for pretty eager Largies. Water is low. As such, see the dam closure notice from the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge below:

(8/2/24) Due to low water levels, the boat ramps at the west end of the Upper Dam and at Access 1 are closed as of today, August 2. Visitors can still launch boats at the Lower Dam Recreation Area off Riverside Drive, the east end of the Upper Dam, off Iowa Avenue, and Access 7 on the southwest side of the lake.

Cascade Reservoir: Water is low and it’s smoky but perch fishing is great right now. Trolling Flicker Shads, Shad Raps and Salmos is a great idea. Casting Keitech 2 or 3” Easy Shiners on 1/8oz ball heads will get bit as well. The aforementioned cranks will do a number on trout from what one customer told me. Bass fishing is improving. I’d be looking for flats adjacent to points and I’d be throwing cranks, Senkos, jigs and I’d have a jerkbait as well.

Horsethief Reservoir: Open again for day use!

Owyhee Reservoir: Good reports for crappie in areas below the elbow. Schools have been in 10-25’ and on the down river sides of points and near the mouths of coves. Your favorite plastic will get it done - for me that means 2 baits…Keitechs and Big Bite Baits Swimons. Bass fishing has improved! A jig and a Strike King 6XD are great choices for right now. Tough to know have a drop shot rigged up as well - Powerbait Flat Worm in black and a Roboworm in Hologram Shad = great choices!

Owyhee River: Fishing well and will for some time - great fall fishery. Ultralight Heavyweights jigs with a little orange in them under a float, Dynamic Lures HD Trout and an egg pattern are all great choices.

Duck valley: No report

Lucky Peak Reservoir: If you’re willing to hike down the banks, there are plenty of fish to be caught by throwing a small crankbait, trout spinner or Berkley Power Minnow on a small jig head will catch you a couple. BEING DRAWN DOWN FOR RAMP REPAIRS. Take a look at this link for updates!

Lucky Peak Dam and Lake - WallaWallaUSACE | Boise ID

Lucky Peak Dam and Lake - WallaWallaUSACE, Boise, Idaho. 3,635 likes · 640 talking about this · 1,128 were here. Striving to deliver operational excellence in flood risk management, responsible...

www.facebook.com/LuckyPeakLake

RAMP LEVELS AT LUCKY PEAK!!

Arrowrock Reservoir: Lots of small bass and trout biting right now. Any rock pile will hold bass and a simple drop shot or Ned rig will catch fish. Trolling wedding rings and Kokabow Spinners are sure ways to catch some trout that are starting to move in shallower and get more active.

Anderson Ranch Reservoir: Only one report from Anderson - lots of bass were caught with a Ned rig and a 3.3 Keitech in the Electric Bass color.

Local Ponds: Many have been stocked with catchable trout. If that is the case with your favorite pond - Powerbait excels as these fish have been pellet fed in the hatchery. A Gulp Maggot under a float and wacky rigged is a very effective way to catch pond trout!

Shop News - Steelhead Class, Raffles, Custom Baits for Crappie, Trout and Bass Anglers, Tackle Talk Tuesdays Coming,

We’ve Been Busy! Can’t wait to tell you about what we have been working on to help you catch more fish! Announcement coming soon…
Hells Canyon Guide Cody Ard will be teaching a class on How to Catch a Steelhead on October 3rd, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the Idaho Rod and Reel Learning Center. THIS CLASS IS FREE! Cody has YEARS of experience guiding for and catching these awesome fish and is one of the absolute best steelhead anglers I know. Baits, locations, movements
Tons of Hand Tied Baits available on Wednesday! This includes crappie/trout jigs (100% IYKYK - these get BIT!), hair jigs, football jigs and maybe a couple of sneaky bladed jigs! First come first served.
There are still a few raffle tickets left for our Second Chance raffle drawing! You have a chance to win a Daiwa Kage LT Spinning Reel ($269.99) AND a Daiwa Tatula SV Baitcasting Reel for $5! Raffle tickets are $5ea, 2 per person and only 100 are available. Less than 30 available at the time of publishing this.
Drawing for raffle prizes coming as soon as the Second Chance raffle sells out!
There are a FEW Mystery Tackle Boxes left…Trout, Crappie and Bass flavors.
New Idaho Rod and Reel Tungsten Product in Stock NOW! Amazing quality and nobody beats our Tungsten price. We have added to our already extensive line up: teardrop drop shot weights, ¾ and 1oz barrel weights for Carolina Rigs (SO SLEEK!! See pics below), Wacky Jigs, 3/4oz Football Jig Heads ON TOP OF THE Finesse Jigs!
Keep an eye out for something new…TACKLE TALK TUESDAYS coming soon!
In Stock Now: Daiwa Kage LT Spinning Reels, Daiwa Saltist Sturgeon Reels, Strike King Rage Ned Baits, NEW FLUKE COLORS and WINGED FLUKES, Keitechs of all sizes, Mad Katz Rods, Z Man Chatterbaits and more!
Yak Attack accessories IN STOCK
CUSTOM COLOR SOFTBAITS ONLY AVAILABLE AT IDAHO ROD AND REEL FROM MAJOR MANUFACTURERS COMING SOON!
CRAPPIE and TROUT fishers…custom rods built just for you coming SOOONN!!!.
Custom Rods…something very cool is coming 😉
Bait and equipment reviews coming…along with some How To’s….
Is there something you’d like to see in the shop? Email me at [email protected]…one random suggestion just might end up winning you a prize.

Worth Watching

Panfish action on CJ!

Technically Speaking...

Boating in Rough Water - Good to Know!

Local and National Fishing News…and other “Stuff”

Horsethief Open

Horsethief Reservoir reopens for day use

Fish and Game is reopening Horsethief Campground to day use immediately, after regional staff were informed that fire crews no longer have a need to use the campground. The campground will remain closed to overnight camping for the remainder of the season.

idfg.idaho.gov/article/horsethief-reservoir-reopens-day-use

Good to know!!

Brush up on Idaho's trespassing laws before you go hunting or fishing

Hunters, anglers, and other sportsmen and women should be aware of Idaho trespass laws before they head into the field. Trespass laws changed in 2018, and even though that feels like forever ago, it's still worthy of a reminder.

idfg.idaho.gov/article/brush-idahos-trespassing-laws-you-go-hunting-or-fishing-0

Interesting…Weeds + Open Hooks…hmmm

Current Trout Stocking

Fish Stocking Forecasts

td {width: 33%; max-width: 33%; } This report highlights the monthly fish stocking schedule. Unless noted, fish listed below are all 10 to 12 inch rainbow trout. Stocking of all waters is tentative and dependent on river/lake/pond conditions; dates may change due to weather or staffing constraints. The table below shows schedules for all known forecasted stocking and up to the last month's recent stocking schedules. It may take two weeks for stocking data to appear as Historical stocking information. Your patience is appreciated.

idfg.idaho.gov/d7/fish/stocking/forecasts?rid=3

Awesome information about an amazing fish!