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Hook Points

Hook Points

Idaho's Fishing Newsletter

Ryan Chris
July 21, 2026

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A NOTE FROM RYAN!

From time to time, you will notice ads in the newsletter. As the subscribership to Hook Points has grown considerably, the costs to produce it and host it have now become significant. We have no plans to stop producing the letter as so many of you have told us that you find it useful! I’m happy about that!! In order to help offset the costs, we are working with a company that will help us find advertisers that pay well for ad placement. We get paid per click! You do not need to sign up for anything! Please help us offset the costs of Hook Points by clicking on the links. Please do not feel obligated to do so but the help would be welcomed!!

Fishing Reports

CJ Strike: Overall a good week but there were definitely some slower days for some of ya! Couple of you sent me your screens as you were rolling over some crappie schools. Lots of fish over offshore humps and in 20-30’ of water. If you are trolling, 80’ behind the boat with a 3oz snap weight and a flicker shad is what I’d be doing. Once on top of the school - I am going with a drop shot and a small plastic from Northland Tackle. Bass are deeper longer right now as the days and water temps are warmer. Deep tactics will probably catch you the most but your shallow game might actually produce the biggest. For topwater, target shallow flats and steep bluffs early and late in the day. I’m going with a Rico in the Uno Mas or Hammershad colors - maybe a walking bait. Doing the deep work, you absolutely will not catch me on the water without and IRR Tungsten Finesse Jig or a Dry Creek 9-2 Tao tube. I’d also have a drop shot with a 6” Roboworm, Ned rig - probably a Ned BLT from Crush City and a Keitech on a 1/4oz Cipher head fished low and slow. I have heard from several die hard sturgeon anglers that asked me to remind guys that a lot of the sturgeon in CJ are dealing with the stress of high temps. They suggest catching fish that are more in the river systems where cooler water can be found. Never a bad thing to be a good steward of our fisheries.

Boise River: SAME REPORT AS LAST WEEK! Fishing well! Shrimp under a float or tumbled on a split shot rig, small cranks and jerkbaits and drop shots with 1/8oz weights and small minnows or creature looking baits will get bit. On that drop shot, try wacky rigging a small Berkley worm…

Brownlee: Down another 4’ to 2069. Still fishing well. Crappie are biting once you find a school and the size is good - 11-13”. I recommended 3” Keitech Easy Shiners last week and I’m still on that train. Throw them on a 1/8oz Cipher Head and according to a first time Cipher user last week, you catch even the ones that just look at that hook! Like CJ, your most consistent catch will likely come from 20-30’ - probably leaning more towards the 30’ side of that. Take a look at the CJ report for bait suggestions - not changing a darn thing for Brownlee! Take a look at the Air Quality Index - lots of smoke in the area.

Snake River: Fishing well - LOTS of grass and fluctuating water levels. Keep it simple…jig, senko, topwater. Easy peasy!

Wilson Springs: Mossy!!

Lake Lowell: If you are struggling at Lowell right now…BRIAN IS NOT!! Come and have a chat with him!! He has been crushing them out there on frogs and Clean Up Craws!! Take a look at the bluegill he caught in the Catch Spotlight!!

Cascade Reservoir: Getting tougher according to most - but guys are still catching. Both perch and bass are deeper. Flicker Shads are doing a lot of work right now - experiment with the different sizes. Look in 30’ for the biggest perch is the suggestion from an angler that has been up there for a few days. He said the big schools are small fish but big ones are around. He has been catching them on drop shots - really liking the small Zoom Flukes! Bass reports have been all over the place. I would say overall, tough but guys are still getting bit - just putting in some time and dealing with some dead zones. Carolina rigs, jigs, drops shots and 3.3 or 2.8 Keitechs are all great options. Flipping a senko around the docks in the different forks can catch you a green one - as could a frog. Get up north to find those largemouth.

Horsethief Reservoir: Good friend of the shop called in to let us know that he visited Horsethief and let me know that the weeds are ridiculous! Probably a spot I might skip for the time being.

Owyhee Reservoir: Fishing pretty tough but there are some big ones to be caught. I would have a Neko rigged senko, X Zone Deception worm on a Shakey head, a fluke on a C Rig and a jig with a UV Speed Craw trailer. There is a topwater bite - might be really short on a most days but its available! Try a buzzbait or a Rico popper!

Owyhee River: Good bites were reported this week on the stretches closest to the dam - makes sense, cooler water. Try a crappie jig under a float or a small Northland Tackle Larvae Bug on a drop shot. This bait looks like an insect larvae and trout love em.

Lucky Peak Reservoir: SAME REPORT AS LAST WEEK! This is where I would be fishing right now for kokes. Get your gear down and play around in 20-30’ and see what happens. The fish size is decent and the numbers haven’t been bad. Look at your dodger collection and pull something darker.

Arrowrock Reservoir: No Report.

Anderson Ranch Reservoir: Just go - fish are everywhere and fun to catch. No giants but a good time is very likely! I’m into the deeper dodgers right now - looking for fish in 30’.

Payette Lake: No Report.

SALMON AND STEELHEAD BY CODY ARD!:

SF continues to fish, as of Sunday night the 19th, quota has been increased to 600, and 482 adults have been harvested so far. Daily limits were increased to two adults per day as of the 17th. 1500 fish have made it to the trap, jacks are still being re-circulated. Longest fish stillness at 38 inches.

Early morning hours seem to be the ticket, I tagged 2 adults yesterday in the first hour of daylight. Yarn and WFO (Western Fishing Operstions) egg clusters seem to be the ticket for me. Atomic orange 19mm and nuclear pink 19mm.

I only see this lasting maybe til the weekend, but we'll see.

Dont forget about Bouy 10, its coming up quick. If you need a list of good guides I recommend, ask Ryan or Brian to put you in touch with me. Theres even room on my boat for Aug 11th.

Local Ponds: If you are struggling to catch a pond bass right now, fish early, fish late and/or throw your baits in the nastiest crap you can!! Lots of trout ponds are about to struggle. Check the stocking report before you go and get there early!

Help These Boys Out!! Win a Rod and Reel!, Ladies Fishing Tourney!

Landon and Kaden need our help! These two boys are off to the Bass Nation High School Championships at Kentucky Lake! Idaho Rod and Reel has donated a Link Spinning Rod and a Daiwa Exceler Spinning reel and we are raffling this combo off for $5/ticket!! ALL MONEY GOES TO THE BOYS! They leave this week and could really use our help!
Ladies!! Join Venturely Outdoors on Lake Cascade on August 8th for a WOMENS FISHING TOURNAMENT!! Go check out Venturely_premieroutdoors on Instagram and give her a follow! I have met Richelle and worked with her on a few things! She is an AMAZING woman and doing so much for Ladies in the outdoors!
EXCITED to announce that several of the LINK and Imperium rods that we have been out of are scheduled to ship this month! And maybe a surprise with them?? Pre-Order will be available as per usual.
Buy a reel from Idaho Rod and Reel and it will now come with a Neoprene cover for it! Free of charge!!
Shop is STOCKED! Some very cool products and brands arriving almost daily!
^{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

HEY! I KNOW THIS GUY!!

Technically Speaking...

Stuff you need to know…

Local and National Fishing News…and other “Stuff”

Another Record!

New state record Northern pike hauled out of northern Idaho

Timothy was fishing on Lake Pend Oreille on June 13 when he landed a 49.75-inch Northern pike. The Post Falls angler's pike beat out the previous catch-and-release record caught by Scott Blahnik in 2020.

Idaho Department of Fish & Game

Summer Chinook Info

IDFG Commission modifies daily bag limit for fall Chinook salmon seasons

During its July 16 meeting in Jerome, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved the recommended modifications to the 2026 fall Chinook salmon fishing season. The number of unclipped adult fall Chinook salmon that may be kept (as part of the daily bag limit) was changed to allow one unclipped adult fall Chinook salmon to be kept per day.

Idaho Department of Fish & Game