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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: Decent reports this week from trollers looking for trout and crappie. Couple guys wondering where the perch are! Bass fishing seems to be a good day, bad day pattern. If you are targeting trout, spend time over by the dam, around the Air Force Launch and in the main bowl. Work that 20’ deep water looking for fish to be relatively shallow. Just a reminder, almost impossible to see those shallow fish on traditional sonar, but those fish are there. Water temps are really good for trout - they will be moving in small pods. If you catch one - you’ll probably catch 2. Flicker Shads, Shad Raps, Wedding Rings and Kokabow Dodgers and Bugs will all work! Don’t be surprised if you catch a few crappie trolling those same lures. Guys are reporting lots of schools of fish in as deep as 40’ of water. My recommendation is to troll around while looking for schools but then set up on top of them and fish vertically with 1/4oz blade baits, Jigging Raps, jig heads and minnow baits and don’t sleep on the fuzzy baits that are meant for bass - I am not even kidding. For bass, I’m spending time in 30’ throwing at fish that I think will be in 15-25’. I’m going to have a deeper diving jerkbait like a Chartreuse Shad Lucky Craft Staysee 90. I’d also have a Vault Blade Bait or 1/2-3/4oz Kastmaster, a drop shot and a 3.3 Fat Swing Impact Keitech - probably Tennessee Shad color.
Boise River: Few more fish dropped into the river. Beads and just jig heads with Looney Coonies shrimp have been doing REALLY well!!
Fish were dropped at the following locations:
Glenwood Bridge
Americana Bridge
Below the Broadway Avenue Bridge, behind Boise State University
West Parkcenter Bridge
Barber Park
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Brownlee: Current water level is 2069, 8’ from full. New ramp at the Spring Rec site is in the water and easily accessible - no dock. Bass fishing has become much more difficult than it was a few weeks ago - but the pay off is bigger fish. Lots of activity in 20-30’. Blades, drop shots, deeper diving jerkbaits and Keitechs!! For the Keitech, go with a Cipher Fishing 1/4oz 2/0 Ball Head on either a Green Pumpkin or Electric Shad 3.3 Fat Swing Impact. If you are new to the blade bait game, its pretty simple!! Let it sink to the bottom, lift it just until you feel it vibrate and then set it back down! You need a rod like the Imperium Blue or Green rod, 10-15# Braid and a 10-12# Fluorocarbon leader on a spinning reel with smooth drag. There are crappie to be caught - the really big schools are small fish and the small schools are the good ones. Look for them in 30-40’ - vertical techniques are the deal!
Snake River: Lots of grass but there are fish to be caught. Keitechs, IRR Tungsten Finesse Jigs and blade baits! You’ll be cleaning grass off the hooks regularly but that’s the river for you. Look for deeper, slower water - you need eddies! Can fish tougher if there isn’t much current as the fish tend to roam. Current positions the fish - look for the eddies when the flow is higher.
Wilson Springs: No Report.
Lake Lowell: No Report.
Cascade Reservoir: Sounds like we have a little bit of ice up around Poison Creek but nothing fishable yet. Jeff with Freedom Outdoors in Cascade is estimating that there will be hard water in about 2 weeks. Other than that - I do not have a report this week.
Horsethief Reservoir: Reports of an inch or 2 of ice, but not fishable yet.
Owyhee Reservoir: No Report
Owyhee River: I encourage folks to wait a minute to fish here as there are lots of spawning Brown trout and we don’t want to disturb their redds. I spoke to Chris with Boise River Guides and he confirmed that their are tons of Browns spawning. I don’t get on a soap box very often but I have seen first hand and did quite a bit of research on habitat damage to spawning browns. Let’s leave them alone for a few weeks so we have a shot at good ones for years to come!!
Duck valley: CAN BUY PERMITS ONLINE!!!
Trolling flies on Mountain View is good when the weather is right!! A little breeze, GO!! Lots of breeze, stay home.
Lucky Peak Reservoir: Got a few reports and sounds like a couple Kokanee were caught this week! Fish are on top - water temps are right around 50 degrees. Get those dodgers 60-80’ behind ya and experiment with speeds from 1.3mph to 1.6mph. Best areas right now will be around the dam if I had to guess. When the fish are on top and we’re just long lining, I really like white dodgers and green or pink hoochies. Don’t forget the corn!
Arrowrock Reservoir: I did get a few reports from a couple of bank anglers that were camping in the cold - crazy cats!! They caught a decent amount of 12-14” trout throwing spinners and soaking worm and Powerbait rigs from the bank. Said at the warmest parts of the day, there are quite a few fish active and rising. If you’re a fly angler - they’re feeding on midges. A simple midge pattern under a strike indicator or a small Pheasant Tail or scud pattern trolled on an intermediate line would probably get ya bit!! Good report from Brian Callahan who was trolling and had an excellent day catching several rainbows and a few kokes! Kokabow dodgers and baits are what I’d be throwing and you shouldn’t have to look very deep to find bites!
Anderson Ranch Reservoir: No Report
Local Ponds: No Reports from any ponds this week.
I can personally vouch for the work Brian with Callahan Woodworking does. He built several displays for Idaho Rod and Reel and the work is SECOND to NONE! - Ryan Chris, Owner Idaho Rod and Reel
One Crazy Christmas Raffle!, Link and Imperium Rods Back in Stock, Introducing the IRR FORGE Series of Rods - Just in Time for Christmas, Food Drive/Gifts
This could be a Christmas to REMEMBER!! IRR is giving away not 1, 2 or even 3 rods - BUT 6 to ONE lucky customer!! We are also giving away 5 VIP GIFT CERTIFICATES worth 15% OFF ALL ITEMS YOU PURCHASE IN 2026!! Any purchase you make from now until Christmas qualifies you for this raffle! One per customer, per day!
Link and Imperium rods have arrived! Models available in this shipment include: Link ML Fast Spinning, Imperium Ultralight Spinning, Imperium Light X-Fast Spinning ( the GREEN rod) as well as the NEW AND IMPROVED 7’6” ML XF Casting “Tech” Rod which we have made improvements to the carbon fiber to make the rod faster but still able to throw light Keitechs and swimbaits easily.
INTRODUCING 2 NEW IRR CUSTOM RODS - The very affordable FORGE series of rods are designed with a custom blank designed by and only available at Idaho Rod and Reel. This is a 34 ton blank, beautifully built and designed to handle multiple fishing techniques! Models include a 7’ M Fast Spinning and a 7’3” MH Fast Casting Rod. Rods are priced at $84.99. Pair the casting rod with a Daiwa AIRD Casting Reel and a Dawia Exceler Spinning Reel and you have 2 combos for less than $200 that I’d be more than happy to tournament fish with!!
Cold weather is finally here…get that boat winterized and be ready to go next spring! Mention this newsletter and get $30 off on your winterization at J and H Sales and Marine!
CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS!! We have a bunch…
Chrismas Tackle Bags: This is our #1 Seller this time of year. Great for those shopping for an angler in their life - but don’t fish themselves!! Tell us what they like to fish for and we will handle the rest! We have a $50, $100 and $150 option but can always just do whatever you want. Each bag includes a free $5 gift card and a raffle ticket for a rod that we will give away right after Christmas! All items are packed in a Daiwa bag! Very cool presents!
NEW IRR FORGE Spinning and/or Casting Rods!! $89.99!!!
Bajio Sunglasses will remain 30% off!
The Pre-Ordered Link and Imperium Rods should be here very soon! Great gift idea! And wait until you see the 2 NEW MODELS!!
Gift Cards are always a great option!
We still have some baits that I tied myself - spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jigs and more. Really cool stocking stuffer ideas for items you can’t get anywhere else.
We are an Allonas Angels drop off location! This is a great program that helps put together Christmas presents for Seniors in care facilities that often spend Christmas alone. Check out this link and participate!!
Allonas Angels Link: https://allonasangels.org/
Just a reminder that we will continue to run our food drive up until Christmas! Thank you so much to everyone that has donated!! The need has been much higher this year - grateful to the IRR community for helping with a cause that is near and dear to me personally. THANK YOU!!
We just received a huge shipment of rubber skirting material for making your own jigs and fuzzy baits! Needles in stock as well!
We are SOLD OUT of the IRR Exclusive Double Dipped 9 2 Tao Tubes!! We have a few bags of the Laminate version left!!
Watch our social media pages as we will have several sales and discount bins coming up!!
ONE STEP CLOSER!!!!! WE ARE WORKING ON A VERY UNIQUE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY!! CAN’T WAIT TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT!!
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
Outboard Tips!
Technically Speaking...
BEST knot for Fluorcarbon
Local and National Fishing News…and other “Stuff”
Sterile Fish Stocking Programs
Steelhead/Salmon UPDATE!
Local Fish Stocking Reports
Steelhead Dam Counts
For Winter Bass?
Hair or Plastic for Crappie???
For the Fly Guys!
CHECK OUT IDAHO ROD AND REEL’S NEW WEBSITE - idahotacklebox.com!!
Winter Bass Myths?
How to Fish a Jerkbait Right Now!
Curing Steelhead Eggs
Livescope for Crappie
Winter Bass Tutorial
New in the Shop
NEW IRR FORGE RODS!!
Christmas Mystery Tackle Bags!!
The MARINA - Boats available at J and H Sales and Marine
CHECK OUT THIS BASS BOAT!! Under $10K!!! VERY CLEAN CARPET! 200HP Merc
USED but Really Clean Kicker! $2000
Need a trolling motor??? Used but in EXCELLENT condition! If you’ve never had spot lock…you are missing out!!
River Runners!!!! Mint motor!
Check out this LOWE!
STEELHEADERS!! Check Out This River Boat!!
Love this Bass Cat!
Ranger Fish and Ski!
I want this Skeeter…It doesn’t even look like its been fished!!
What a Jet!!! Has everything on it!
Catch Spotlight
Submit your own entry to be featured in Hook Points to: [email protected], Subject: Catch Spotlight
Beautiful Rainbow caught by Jon on the Boise.
Jordan and the boys found some hardwater on the eastern part of the state and took full advantage!
Brian Callahan found a few at Arrowrock. Thanks for the report this week and check out the ad for his business!! He does phenomenal work - come look at the product walls in the shop!! He built them!!
“The first five days after the weekend are always the hardest.”
— No Idea…Just Really True Right Now 🤣