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Hook Points

Hook Points

Idaho's Fishing Newsletter

Ryan Chris
May 19, 2025

Fishing Reports

CJ Strike: Fishing well right now - especially for crappie with lots of shallow fish making fishing fun for both boat and bank anglers. Great time of the year for casting and retrieving small swimbait style plastics as well as fishing under floats. Take a look at the Mimic Minnows from Northland - these have been wildly successful and I’m really glad we brought them in! Another great option is just a 2-3” Keitech Easy Shiner on a small ball head and I am still a huge fan of Z Man baits like the Guppy Grubz. For your float rigs, tie on a few jigs using a drop shot style rig. Put a 3/16oz drop shot weight or crappie jig at the bottom of your line and then up the line, place 2 small drop shot hooks and nose hook a couple of your favorite grub or worm style baits. Tip with nibbles! Bass fishing has been pretty good for most. For smallies, tube jigs, Tungsten Finesse Jigs, Ned rigs and drop shots are working. Look in 10’ or less. I love the Mud Pie tubes from Dry Creek and the new Smallie Bug Tugnsten Finesse Jig has been INSANE! Give a Crush City NEd BLT a look and an old school Purple Roboworm for your drop shot bait. For largemouth, finding pockets of weeds and spending time with a frog or flipping bait is a good idea. Take a look at the Jackall Kaera frogs and if you haven’t seen the Reaction Innovations Swamp Donkey - neither have the fish! We will have A LIMITED AMOUNT available on Tuesday. Love flipping just an old school zoom speed craw in black or cinnamon purple.

Boise River: Water has been slowly calming down and more and more anglers are targeting the Boise in town again. Simple nightcrawlers bouncing along the bottom with split shot rigs will work. If you haven’t thrown a drop shot rig for trout before - I highly recommend it, especially if you tend to snag up a lot with other set ups. A small Berkley Power Nymph, Trout Worm or Minnow set up with an eighth ounce drop shot weight will cover most situations on the river.

Boise River at Glenwood Bridge NR Boise ID

Monitoring location 13206000 is associated with a Stream in Ada County, Idaho. Current conditions of Discharge and Gage height are available. Water data back to 1938 are available online.

waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/13206000/#dataTypeId=continuous-00065-0&period=P7D&showMedian=false

Brownlee: Water is currently at 2064 - 13’ from full. Fishing great for both bass and crappie. The crappie have been a bit tougher to find but 100% worth the effort as the crappie here have been the biggest of our major crappie fisheries. I keep saying it - throw bigger baits to target these larger crappie. 3 and even 4” swimbaits are absolutely no problem for a large crappie to chomp! I personally love the 2.8” and 3.3” Keitech Fat Swing Impact baits - Electric Shad is one of my favorite colors and a top seller in the shop for good reason. I also love the Northland Tackle Thumper Underspins with their Pan Candy baits. Smallies have been on fire and chomping a variety of baits. Jerkbaits, crankbaits, Keitechs, jigs, Neds, tubes and drop shots - all getting bit! Let’s go with a Megabass Vision 110 in Sexy French Pearl, Strike King 3XD in Ayu, Black Keitech, Smallie Bug Tungsten Finesse, Z Man Big TRD in Goby, Green Pumpkin Purple Gold BigBite Baits tube and a Hologram Shad Roboworm! Flatheads are biting! Shallower than you might think! Good time to try and get one if you haven’t ever!

Snake River: Steady producer for both bank and boat anglers. If you are struggling with all the grass in the water, try drop shotting a Baby Fluke on an Owner Cover Shot hook that has been Texas rigged - you’ll fish right thru that grass! Along the same lines, try one of the Idaho Rod and Reel Tungsten Underspins with a screw lock and EWG hook - combine with a 3.3 or 3.8 Keitech for a very weedless presentation. Time to bust out popper and ploppers as well! Very few reports on the catfishing but I have to believe its decent right now and I would expect them to be shallow.

Wilson Springs: No report this week.

Lake Lowell: Fishing well right now on most days but you can still get a few stinkers in there…that’s Lowell for ya! Run around looking for groups of fish with buzzbaits and Zoom Horny Toads. I’d have a spinnerbait and flipping bait with me as well. Anglers are having success with the Crush City Bronco Bugs, Senkos on IRR Wacky Jigs and I would have a swimbait on an underspin as well.

Cascade Reservoir: Perch fishing has been excellent. Jumbos are being caught in 10-16’ or water and from my experience, a little bit outside of the big schools. You can find them just about anywhere but points, bushes, rock piles and docks are all great places to start looking. The small perch form the biggest schools to protect themselves but the big jumbo perch usually hang out in smaller wolf packs. Keep that in mind as you search for them! 2-3” Keitechs, Northland Tackle Thumper Underspins and Mimic Minnows are all great cast and retrieve baits. For those trolling, Perch colored crankbaits like the Flicker Shads and Shad Raps are king here! Lots of trout mixed in as well. Bass fishing has been decent to tough depending on the day. Largemouth are around docks and laydowns and can be caught with Senkos and creature baits like the Big Bite Baits FAFO. Smallies are grouped up so if you’re not catching, move on and keep looking for the groups of them. Try baits you can cover lots of water with like Keitechs, lipless cranks, jerkbaits and underspins. Once around them, maximize your catch with Z Man Jerk Shadz, Ned rigs and drop shots!

Horsethief Reservoir: Customer found multiple 12-14” trout around the dam from a small pontoon boat trolling a green and black wedding ring.

Owyhee Reservoir: Crappie bite is on and there are decent sized fish being caught - mostly 8-11” with some bigger ones mixed in. But you’re going to be moving through lots of littles. Customer had a phenomenal day on the Northland Tackle Candy Leeches in Pink. Bass fishing has been excellent for both largemouth and smallmouth. Largies have been shallow and can be caught on spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, topwaters and flipping bushes. Smallies have been 12’ and shallower. Grab a drop shot, topwater walking bait like a River2Sea Rover or Lucky Craft Sammy, 3.3” Keitech in Goby or White and a Tungsten Finesse jig.

Owyhee River: Good fishing reports from the fly anglers as hatches have been predictable and consistent. Water levels have been steady and it looks like we are really back to normal on the “O”. Shad Raps and Lucky Craft Pointer 65’s are always great baits here as are small minnow baits on drop shots. Shrimp under a float or rolled along the bottom with split shot rigs are great choices as well.

Duck valley: RECENTLY STOCKED! From the Reservation Website:

May 1, 2025 - Mountain View and Sheep Creek reservoirs are showing a high fishing response to just about anything. Trout response suggests high action, high visibility lures and spoons. Water clarity suggests anglers stick to clear water colors (earth tones), and cloudy colors, (earth tones with flash) as darker lures are more visible to trout in subsurface depth winter water zones. Try dark hues like olive, dark brown, and black as trout tend to spend more time closer to the bottom during colder weather and love subsurface nymphs, and leeches. Anglers have reported great deal of success with nymphs, chironomids, standard elk hair caddis flies, nymphs with slumper leads, and the Sheep Creek Special. Bait casters have been successful with sparkling dark green Texas rigged leech gummies, and a wide variety of reflective lures over swimbaits. Shore casters can count on landing fish with darker power baits, nightcrawlers, marshmallows, and scent attractants, perch patterns, and flashes of red.

Lucky Peak Reservoir: Better reports this week for Kokanee at Lucky Peak. Fish were in 10’ or less and there were several colors that we heard were working. One customer mentioned that he was trolling much faster than he normally does and that made a difference. Main complaint right now is that the cook quality is not amazing. One of our really passionate kokanee anglers recommends canning them and says that he has noticed little difference in the flavor when canned. Quite a few trout being caught as well - from the sounds of it, they are a bit on the small side.

Arrowrock Reservoir: A few kokes being caught but mostly rainbows, smallmouth and pike minnows - all of which seem pretty eager to bite so that’s positive! Water has been rising so we will see what that brings!

Anderson Ranch Reservoir: Great fishing for just about everything right now. Bass have been biting green pumpkin flukes, ned rigs and small jerkbaits. Kokanee have been small but plentiful! Fish for them on top with white/pink and pink/yellow dodgers. Multiple colors and styles of baits have been working. Best reports have been around Curlew for the Kokanee and multiple comments that the food quality has been excellent.

QUICK THANK YOU TO ALAN WITH KOKABOW TACKLE FOR THE KOKANEE REPORTS TODAY!! THIS GUY JUST CONTINUES TO WORK SO HARD TO HELP THE COMMUNITY CATCH THESE FISH!

If you would like to book a trip with Alan, he is guiding through Fish and Fur Outfitters. Cost is $250 per seat - 2 person minimum and I can tell from first hand experience - if you want to learn how to get in the game - its worth every penny! He guides on Anderson and Payette Lake!

Local Ponds: Don’t forget about the bluegills! You’ll start to see them very shallow and they make for a lot of fun to catch! Look at the Northland Tackle Larvae Bugs!

Link and Imperium Stocking Levels/Updates, Intro to Bass Fishing Class,

Many of you have been asking about when we will have several models of the Link and Imperium rods back in stock. We are hurrying!! Couple issues…1, its and expensive undertaking for a small shop. 2, we make the blanks and then the rods - we’re not just building on commercially available blanks and 3, we utilize manufacturing from 3 different countries to get these done. It just takes a minute and makes navigating tariffs interesting to say the least. But we believe in this project and love that we can provide an insanely affordable, tournament caliber rod that is accessible to most budgets.
CURRENTLY IN STOCK, BUT VERY LOW: 6’6” Imperium UL Spinning, 7’ Imperium Light (green blank) Spinning, 7’5” Heavy Casting, 7’6” Medium Light Moving Bait Casting
FREE UPCOMING CLASS!!! Introduction to Bass Fishing will be taught by me on Thursday, May 29 from 6:30pm to 8pm. Let’s talk about the where to go, how to rig up and how to retrieve a few of the most effective baits! Sign up will be live on our website on Tuesday!
WE ARE BUSY! And we need more help…Idaho Rod and Reel is HIRING for a PART TIME position! We are looking for someone that is interested in a flexible schedule, LOVES fishing and has a huge passion for helping people create memories and catch more fish! This position is likely to be seasonal as there are natural ebbs and flows throughout the year. If you are interested, please email resume to [email protected].
New and In-Stock this week: Northland Tackle Thumper Underspins, Plano Boxes, Daiwa Kage SV Baitcasting Reels, Seaguar Line, Z Man Jackhammer Chatterbaits, EGO Fishing Braid Scissors
NEW HATS ON THE WAY!! 3 New Designs!
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

So good!

Technically Speaking...

This is how I tie the FG Knot! IT IS NOT DIFFICULT!!! Best Braid to Leader KNOT!

Local and National Fishing News…and other “Stuff”

Take a kiddo with you!

10 tips for taking kids fishing

From the fresh air to the excitement of feeling a tug on your line, fishing provides the perfect excuse to spend together-time outdoors. Plus, introducing young children to the sport, which may seem daunting for some, is actually easy with a little planning.

idfg.idaho.gov/article/10-tips-taking-kids-fishing

Where are the BIG ONES AT?!?!

Idaho's top spots for big fish; here is where the lunkers lurk

Idaho has many destinations that have produced record fish, including state and world's records, and though we can’t guarantee you’ll catch one, we can point you to some places that are capable of producing trophy-sized fish.

idfg.idaho.gov/article/idahos-top-spots-big-fish-here-where-lunkers-lurk

Loved this article on lake fishing!

These 10 Idaho ‘Great Lakes’ provide anglers plenty of spacious fishing opportunities long into summer

Idaho’s Great Lakes can be found all around the state, so whether you want a daytrip, weekend outing or late-summer vacation, there’s likely one fairly close. These lakes and reservoirs are just the tip of the iceberg. These 10 lakes and reservoirs are among the biggest and best.

idfg.idaho.gov/article/these-10-idaho-great-lakes-provide-anglers-plenty-spacious-fishing-opportunities-long

Local Fish Stocking Reports

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

SPRING CHINOOK DETAILS!

Spring Chinook Salmon Fishing Update 5/13/2025: Rapid River Run, Hells Canyon, and Clearwater River Fisheries

idfg.idaho.gov/article/spring-chinook-salmon-fishing-update-5132025-rapid-river-run-hells-canyon-and-clearwater

Steelhead Dam Counts

Steelhead Dam Counts

idfg.idaho.gov/fish/steelhead/dam-counts

Steelhead Reports

Checking the pulse of Idaho's salmon and steelhead runs

When it comes to Idaho’s migrating salmon and steelhead, we can get a quick idea of the health of the populations by counting the number of fish passing dams on their migration. Like a pulse, it doesn’t tell us everything, but it is a good first cut at how healthy our fish populations are.

idfg.idaho.gov/article/checking-pulse-idahos-salmon-and-steelhead-runs

Throwing Frogs!

Livescope Drama…

Crappie Fishing from the BANK

CHECK OUT IDAHO ROD AND REEL’S NEW WEBSITE - idahotacklebox.com!!

Are you catching little ones??!!

Top Sellers in the shop right now…minnow shaking!

Great Crappie Recipe!

Great Kokanee Video!

Budget combos…maybe a bad idea?

Not time yet - but soon!

One of my BUCKET LIST FISH!

New in the Shop

Northland Thumper Jig

EGO Fishing Braid Cutters - AMAZING PRODUCT!!

Catch Spotlight

Submit your own entry to be featured in Hook Points to: [email protected], Subject: Catch Spotlight

John with another GIANT crappie!!

Hustons are doubled up!

Dan with a 7# PB!

If there are bass around, Lisa can catch em!

Sam and his son Rylan put together their best bag of the season at their Owyhee tourney with Rylan catching his PB!!

Eddie with a big ol’ Clear Lake Cat!

Kekoa and son with a really nice largemouth! Team catch!

Welcome to the Catch Spotlight Gage!!

Larry had some success on his new rod and reel! Got the skunk off QUICK!!

Idaho Rod and Reel Ladies instructor Ashley put a team together for the Bass Babes tournament in Hells Canyon! They did great with Pam catching not only her PB but also big fish for the tourney!! Out of 300+ competitors!! Great Job Pam, Ashley, Jesical and Brittany!