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Hook Points - Idaho's Fishing Newlsetter

Hook Points - Idaho's Fishing Newlsetter

News, Tips, Tackle and More

Ryan Chris
August 27, 2024

Fishing Reports

CJ Strike: Another good week at CJ although it sounds like a few guys had some issues on Saturday with the big temp swing - little bit of that lagged into Sunday for some - but with temperatures starting to mellow out just a bit, some good fishing coming. Trout fishing has started to pick up and will as the weather and water cool. You’ll start to find them closer to the banks and trolling Flicker Shads, Shad Raps and Salmos will be the deal. Crappie are still being caught in 15’-25’ on small plastics. I still highly recommend the Jigging Rap for those that are trying to fish vertically. Josh, a good buddy of mine introduced these to me for crappie a few years ago and it’s tough not to throw them. Bass are all over the place…plenty of shallow and deep fish. Try topwater and flukes for the shallow fish and drop shots, the Idaho Rod and Reel jigs and a Carolina rigged tube for the deep stuff.

Boise River: Fishing really well and will so for quite a while. This is a great time to find big trout in rivers. Bit of a broken record but for good reason - throw a Dynamic Lures HD Trout or a Lucky Craft Pointer 65. If you haven’t tried it, give drop shotting for trout a try!! The Berkley Power Nymph is an awesome bait for that technique!

Brownlee: Harmful Algae Bloom Warning In Effect. At 2052. See the attached image for ramps that are still accessible. I fished this myself this weekend and caught quite a few bass, a couple crappie and more catfish than I wanted 🤣…they love purple jerkbaits! Crappie were in two depths - 35 to 40’ or 20-25’. I caught them as per usual on Keitechs that were intended for bass! 3.3” Keitechs as well…I CONSISTENTLY catch big crappie on these! They were offshore for the most part though I did see schools close to the bank as long as it was steep. Bass were spread out as well. The Idaho Rod and Reel Tungsten Finesse Jig, Ned Rig, Drop Shot and a deep diving crankbait are all good options.

Snake River: Fishing is still solid on the river. Lots of grass mats so be prepared for that. For bass, try a jig, Keitech a whopper plopper or Evergreen popper. Catfishing has been picking up if you can steer clear of the grass and junk in the water! Look for areas with stronger current and you can usually find an area that is clear of grass nearby.

Wilson Springs: No report.

Lake Lowell: Good fishing right now - this is a great time to catch a topwater fish if you haven’t! Give a Spro frog a try - I love the Natural Red, Black, White and Green pumpkin frogs. It s also a good time to run a Chatterbait on the weed edges and a Keitech on an underspin. Flipping is still a go and if it were me, I’d start on the edges and flip just inside with something black and purple or green pumpkin/chartreuse. 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: Much better reports this week for bass anglers and more good report for panfish. Hover strolling has been working at Cascade and I’d give a fluke or spunk shad a try if you are going to use that technique. One of the shop ambassadors did well on baits fished along the bottom - Neds, jigs, tubes, etc. Water levels are low and hearing some of the boat ramps are a little sketchy because of it. Trolling is a great option for trout right now - Flicker Shads and Shad Raps. Perch have been around rock piles and small plastics tipped with night crawlers worked very well for a customer of the shop.

Horsethief Reservoir: No report.

Owyhee Reservoir: Good reports for crappie in 15-25’ of water around longer main lake points. Give a 2” Chartreuse Easy Shiner on a 1/16oz jig head a try…bass fishing has been good. Anglers that have had success that I know of have been throwing, jigs, drop shots (try a Hologram Shad Roboworm or black Berkely Flat Worm), Keitechs and deep cranks.

Owyhee River: No report.

Duck valley: No report

Lucky Peak Reservoir: 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: No Report this week.

Anderson Ranch Reservoir: One report from a bass angler who caught SEVERAL smaller bass on poppers and X-Zone Hot Shot Minnows on a Ned head.

Local Ponds: Lots of local stocking starting…check out the link below to see when your pond will be stocked. Lots of weeds and moss so be prepared for that.

Shop News - Jigs!, Salmon Steelhead, Hair Jigs and Hand Tied Panfish Baits, YakAttack, Tungsten Stuff!

Idaho Rod and Reel Tungsten Finesse Jigs Arriving Tuesday and should be back in stock by Wednesday! 3 NEW MODELS WILL BE AVAILABLE!!!
Salmon and Steelhead inventory will be arriving soon. If there is something you would like for us to keep in stock for you - please contact us!
By VERY popular request, Idaho Rod and Reel will soon be stocking our own Hair Jigs! These are hand tied using premium materials and hooks.
2 New Idaho Rod and Reel HATS ARE IN STOCK NOW!
Currently working on a winter Rod Building Class Idea! Love to hear your thoughts on this!! Would you attend?
New Idaho Rod and Reel Tungsten Product arriving on Tuesday! Amazing quality and nobody beats our Tungsten price. We will be adding 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!
Idaho Rod and Reel and Missile Baits will be joining forces to product a limited edition, exclusive Micro D Bomb color! It will perfectly match a BRAND NEW Tungsten Finesse Jig design. BOTH COMING SOON!
Hand Tied Panfish Jigs Coming Soon!
In Stock Now: Keitech Crazy Flappers (AWESOME IRR Tungsten Finesse Jig Trailer), Tungsten Terminal Tackle, Jig Skirting Material - Some Really Cool New Patterns!, Shimano and Okuma Steelhead and Salmon Rods, Blue Fox Spinners, Plano Edge Boxes, Flicker Shads, Zoom Speed Craws and Idaho Rod and Reel Tungsten Barrel Weights and More!
Yak Attack accessories arriving this week!
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

Some love for a LOCAL IDAHO Channel!

Technically Speaking...

Braid to Leader Knot - The Alberto Knot

Local and National Fishing News…and other “Stuff”

Local Event

MK Nature Center Announces Fall Evening Lecture Lineup

The MK Nature Center will be hosting four evening lectures this fall for adults! All lectures are at MK Nature Center (600 S. Walnut Street), start at 6:30, are free, and are designed for adults. Mark your calendars and join us in learning more about wildlife and wildlife management in Idaho!

idfg.idaho.gov/article/mk-nature-center-announces-fall-evening-lecture-lineup

How to Catch Fish on Mini Jigs! Ultralight Heavyweights Jigs…

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

Drop Shot Tip!

Salmon Reports

A record sockeye return crosses Lower Granite Dam—but they're not all Idaho fish

Through Aug. 19, the sockeye return hit a record 2,835 fish counted at Lower Granite Dam about 30 miles downstream from Lewiston. That’s the highest sockeye return since fish counting started at the dam in 1975, topping the previous record of 2,786 fish in 2014. Unfortunately, many are sockeye that strayed from the Columbia River.

idfg.idaho.gov/article/record-sockeye-return-crosses-lower-granite-dam-theyre-not-all-idaho-fish