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Fishing Reports

CJ Strike: Another good week at CJ! Crappie, perch and bluegill have been showing up like crazy! Love seeing it! Reports as to where have been all over the place which means the fish are pretty spread out. Just something to consider, when we start hearing that fishing is good for most, its often because the fish are shallow. I think in general, folks struggle to fish deep and are often fishing shallower than they realize. So when it “gets good” for just about everyone - I have noticed after writing this newsletter for the past 3.5 years that its because the fish are shallow. Kind of anecdotal but this shallow movement does in this case also coincide with the shorter length of day and fall being right around the corner. Trolling Flicker Shads and Shad Raps will work. Lots of guys catching on just simple jig heads and nightcrawlers. Crappie jigs on drop shot rigs will definitely work and any small plastic like a Keitech Easy Shiner or Northland Tackle Minnow will get bit. Throw a lighter head on there to give the bait more time in front of the fish! If you haven’t seen or fished the Shad Rap Elites, you should! They are performing very well! Bass have also been shallow and can be caught on topwater baits and squarebills but two of the most effective baits I know of right now would be a tube jig and a Tungsten Finesse Jig. Nothing wrong with having a drop shot with you and I have a hard time fishing in the fall without a jerkbait!

Boise River: Love the Boise River as the days start to get colder! One customer took my Weekend Fishing Planner recommendation to throw the Countdown Minnow and had a great day! I love throwing cranks and jerks this time of the year for trout. They’re aggressive and looking to eat. The Shad Rap is a great choice for deeper pools and anything orange/red in the Dynamic Lures HD Trout series of jerkbaits for the shallow stuff. Crappie jig under a float in some of the shallower runs is a sneaky way to fish! Give it a try…

Brownlee: Sitting at 2047.8. The Spring Rec Ramp is still accessible - use the old side ramp. Lots of questions from folks using this ramp for the first time. See the pic below to identify the old ramp. Two ways to approach it…1) you can drive down the top of the ramp headlights first, turn right (I’d take it a little wide left) onto the old ramp and then make a hard right U-turn and back yourself down the ramp. 2) Start backing your boat from the top of the ramp and make the corner onto the old ramp with your boat first. Lots of guys will then park on the dirt and rocks to the side of the ramp. Be considerate here and let common sense prevail. Make sure others have room to park and use the ramp. If its full - tons of parking above the ramp! Fishing is excellent for bass, crappie and catfish. All species are catchable in 20’ or less of water. For the bass, a, IRR Tungsten Finesse Jig with a Zoom UV Speed Craw trailer, a Crush City NED BLT, a tube jig and a drop shot will do all kinds of damage. For the crappie, I gotta go with a Keitech 3.3 or 2.8 Fat Swing Impact on a 1/8oz ball head. For catfish - throw a jerkbait 🤣…they wouldn’t leave mine alone! They were shallow! Less than 15’…

Snake River: Sounds like folks are dodging some grass but that fishing is pretty good for smallies and for catfish - both are shallow! For the bass, try a weightless fluke or Senko to get around issues with grass. In open pockets - throw an IRR Tungsten Finesse Jig! Another really good option would be to throw a tube on an EWG hook with a ¼ bullet weight.

Wilson Springs: No report.

Lake Lowell:  Still some good action at Lowell - 3 more weeks until it is closed for boating and I have caught a lot of fish here in the past in September. There is generally less activity on the lake in terms of ski boats and other non-fishing watercraft and usually fewer anglers as places like Brownlee and CJ start to attract quite a few people. Topwater on warmer days in the fall can be awesome - try a Spro or Berkley frog. Flipping is consistent and a chatterbait or spinnerbait can be amazing!

Cascade Reservoir: Fishing is picking up for sure. Trolling a Flicker Shad or Shad Rap Elite is almost a guaranteed catch according to one customer. Lots of trout being caught in less than 15’ - close to the banks on the outside of the grass line by the golf course. Perch have been in less than 20’ and from many reports - around 10’ has been excellent. Can troll for them, try drop shot rigs, Ned rigs and this is the time of year at Cascade that blade baits can start to produce again. Bass fishing has been decent! I have heard of multiple fish caught on crankbaits, Neko rigs, lipless cranks, topwater walking baits and Ned rigs!

Horsethief Reservoir: No report.

Owyhee Reservoir: Lots of crappie - bass fishing has slowed just a bit. For the crappie - fish are shallow and darn near everywhere! Any small plastic should do the trick. For the bass, go take a look at some steeper rock walls and throw jigs or weightless senkos down them. I’d have a topwater bait rigged up and would really target that bite early. I’d have a drop shot, Ned rig and a 3.8 Keitech on a Cipher Fishing ball head ready to go as well.

Owyhee River: The “O” in September can be special! Dark colored cranks and jerks…DO IT!!! 🤣 

Duck valley: CAN BUY PERMITS ONLINE!!! FINALLY!!!

From the Reservation Website:

July 28, 2025 – Billy Shaw Reservoir remains in good condition with healthy water levels and clear visibility near the shoreline. Aquatic vegetation like moss is present along the bottom, supporting fish and insect life. Wildlife activity is high, with large numbers of ducks, pelicans, and dragonflies observed throughout the day. 

Fishing conditions appear calm but active, with anglers seen kayaking and casting along the shore. Visitors are continuing to enjoy the lake with light recreation, including music and fishing. While it's a long drive, Billy Shaw continues to be a peaceful and worthwhile place to visit, offering a healthy environment for both people and wildlife.

Lucky Peak Reservoir: Some reports this week - but they have all been kinda crappy…

Arrowrock Reservoir: No REPORT this week.

Anderson Ranch Reservoir: Boats are still launching at the dam and at the end of the boat ramp at Curlew - no docks in the water. Mostly a bass fishery right now and TONS of bass can be caught. Just tough to find big ones. Ned rig, jig, 3.3 Keitech and a weightless fluke!

Payette Lake: No report.

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: Several will be stocked soon!! Powerbait and scented corn can be the ticket for these “just left the hatchery” fish. It’s also a good time to target big bass. Spend some time in the ponds around Boise with glides, senkos and jigs…there are bigs to be had that haven’t been AS hammered as they are in the summer.

Link and Imperium Pre-Sale Avail Tuesday, Reel Life Rewards for Students, Big Announcement this Week, Tin Rig Fishing Live This Week!, CUSTOM PRODUCT!

• ^{Several Models of Link and Imperium Rods will be available for Pre-Order starting Tuesday, 9/9. We have been significantly impacted by tariffs but are committed to providing these rods at an incredible price. These are 44 Ton, custom blanks - made by one of the best carbon fiber manufacturers in the world EXCLUSIVELY for Idaho Rod and Reel and finished with authentic Fuji components. These blanks are literally not available anywhere else. THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PRESALE PRICE OF $129.99. Retail will be $144.99. This is one of the ways we strive to fulfill the mission of Idaho Rod and Reel to share our love of fishing. So many people can benefit from having the right equipment but it can be expensive. The Link and Imperium rods, combined with all of our other In-House custom products - are designed to help you catch more fish and fall more in love with this amazing sport!}

• ^{The Reel Life Rewards program has taken a little bit longer to set up than planned but should be ready to launch on Wednesday, 9/10. This program is free for all students in grade 4-12 and provides an opportunity for them to earn great tackle and prizes as a reward for their great efforts in school. This PROGRAM DOES NOT ONLY INCLUDE REWARDS FOR 4.0 STUDENTS BUT ALSO PROVIDES REWARDS FOR THOSE STRUGGLING!! Students will receive weekly motivational quotes, life advice and study tips!! It has always been my dream that my tackle shop would do more than just sell tackle! I wanted it to be a community service arm as well. Thanks to the support of this amazing community that keeps us in business, we are able to things like this!!}

• ^{We will be getting a shipment soon of a custom bait from a major manufacturer that will only be available at Idaho Rod and Reel! Excited about this one!!}

• ^{Big Announcement this week!! Excited about this new way to continue to serve the fishing community!}

• ^{If you are on Tik Tok - SO ARE WE! Take a look at Tin Rig Fishing (@tin.rig.fishing) - can’t wait for you to see what we have planned for this!}

• ^{HUGE PANFISH BAITS RESTOCK on the way from NORTHLAND TACKLE!!}

• ^{Over 100 NEW TERMINAL TACKLE ITEMS IN STOCK! Includes hooks, bands, jig heads and more!}

• ^{Check out the new Idaho Rod and Reel Tungsten Football jigs! These are available in 1/2, 3/4 and 1oz. Great colors specific to our fisheries!}

• ^{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

As a guy that has been known to throw the fly around a bit…I enjoyed this 🤣 

Technically Speaking...

How to fix a backlash!

Local and National Fishing News…and other “Stuff”

Did you know this??!!

If you Fish Near Cottonwood!

Steelhead UPDATE!

Local Fish Stocking Reports

Steelhead Dam Counts

Choosing Jig Trailers

Love this! Are you staying too long in one spot??

Fall Crappie!

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

This is so cool!

Backtrolling for Steelies!!

Casting Plugs for Steelhead??

Moochie…

Bold Statement…

New in the Shop

Custom Mag Lips 3.5 Colors Available!!

Catch Spotlight

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

Jon with another Catch Spotlight entry! Keeping the streak alive with a nice bass!

Gavin getting a little help from his friend Carter with his first largemouth!

Eric with a PB crappie!!

We get a lot of panfish reports from Scott and this is why I trust them!! Met him at the boat ramp and they had a great day!!

Lisa with another giant!! Dark one!!

Teilyr and friends are ON EM!!

Lance with one of the many he caught - probably on a corndog 🤣 

For Kokanee Guide Services - check out my good friends!! You will love your trips with them!!