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Fishing Reports
CJ Strike: Hearing good things about Strike right now - especially if you are Sturgeon and Trout fishing. Sturgeon have been biting on cut bait in the main reservoir and up in the river. Trolling Flicker Shads, small crankbaits and worm rigs for trout has been productive. From the banks, try nightcrawlers and powerbait on carolina rigs. Crappie fishing has been decent. Customer reported an excellent day fishing with Z Man Micro Goats with a Finesse Shroom head and said that he found good schools in 10’ of water as well as a couple schools of bigger fish in 20-25’. Bass fishing has been decent. You have quite a few fish moving out of the river as the main reservoir water temps are dropping. Good fish have been caught on 10-12’ diving cranks, try a Lucky Craft Stacy 90 and I’d have a 3.3 Keitech on a ¼oz head rigged up as well.
Boise River: The river continues to fish well. Ultralight Heavyweights jigs continue to catch just about everything. Throwing a simple Panther Martin can do really well in this colder water as well as a some of the Z Man crappie style baits on a small jig head. A very good friend of the shop caught several Brown Trout using a Nikko Hellgrammite cut in half and drifted under a float. It’s a VERY BUGGY presentation!
Brownlee: Harmful Algae Bloom advisory in effect for Brownlee and Hells Canyon Reservoirs. Water levels are 2063 - unusually high for this time of year. If you are fishing from the bank for catfish or bass - this is a great water level. Try up around the coves by Woodhead using cut baits for the cats and simple curly tail grubs on ¼oz heads for the smallmouth. These higher water levels are keeping the crappie closer to the shore than might be normal for this time of the year…try an Ultralight Heavyweights jig or a Z Man Shad Fry in 10-15’ and see what happens!! Bass can be caught on just about anything and just bout anywhere with these water levels. I’d put my boat in 25’ and start cranking the shallow side. If nothing, throw a Carolina rig out the other side and start dragging! Keep an eye on the water temps…crayfish tend to start disappearing for the winter around 44-45degrees. They should still be active right now and throwing a ¾oz skirted jig with a Zoom Speed Craw might get you on something BIG…
Snake River: Bass fishing on the river is excellent - you might need to move around to find bigger fish - but you should be catching. I’d keep it simple…Jerkbait, Idaho Rod and Reel Tungsten Finesse Jig and a Keitech 3.3 on a 3/16 Tungsten head. Maybe a sleeper bait you have stopped throwing but should think about getting back out…a Chatterbait 🤫 (especially on a slightly warmer day…)!Catfishing for some has slowed down but hearing great things about the Sturgeon fishing right now.
Wilson Springs: Lots of fish being caught here as the water has cleared up and stocking has increased. Ultralight Heavyweights jigs and powerbait would be my 2 picks.
Lake Lowell: Cover as much water as you can…cast, cast, cast, move. Cast, cast, cast, move…try a weightless fluke or a Neko rigged senko.
Lake Cascade: Good fishing being reported from Cascade. Cool thing is that if you go, it will probably be a mixed bag of trout, perch and bass. From the bank, cover water with Keitech’s, drop shots and Carolina rigs. From the boat, trolling crankbaits - especially Flicker Shads - is likely to get you bit.
Owyhee River: Mixed reports from the Owyhee this week. Ambassador Jaret caught a few on really small WD40 flies. This is midge time on the O…think size 20 and 22 😬…
Owyhee Reservoir: Good customer of the shop is still catching crappie up on the Owyhee in 15-25’. Try throwing a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swimon 2.5” on a small 1/8oz head. The bass like these as well! Bass fishing has been fair with most of the catches that I am hearing about being Smallmouth’s.
Duck valley: From the Tribal website:
Water clarity suggests anglers stick to clear water colors (earth tones), and cloudy colors, (earth tones with flash), in cadence with the weather forecast. Anglers have reported great deal of success with nymphs and standard elk hair caddis flies. Bait casters have been successful with sparkling dark green Texas rigged gummies, and a wide variety of reflective lures over swimbaits. Shore casters can count on landing fish with a variety of bright, neon Power Baits, juicy, fat nightcrawlers, and marshmallows, where scent attractants definitely increase odds.
Looks colder outside than it feels. Mid to high 40’s look to run steady all week, where the average daily temperature will average around 44 degrees, with nighttime temperatures at 23. Tuesday and Wednesday in the low 40’s. Tuesday morning major precipitation as isolated snow and rain showers likely. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the upper 40’s. Scattered rain and snow showers Friday evening. Calmer weather into the weekend averaging a high of 51 and a low of 30. A fairly clear sky and a Sunday high of 50 degrees. Variable winds throughout the week not expected to exceed 10 miles per hour.
Average sunrise time for the week is 7:18 am, sunset time is 5:26 MST.
Lucky Peak Reservoir: 16% Full. Good fishing being reported. With the lower water levels, fish are consolidated. Troll, troll, troll. Kokabow Dodgers and bugs WILL GET YOU BIT!
Arrowrock Reservoir: 42% Full. No Report.
Anderson Ranch: 84% Full. No Report.
Local Ponds: Very few reports of bass being caught but really good reports for trout. Check the Idaho Fish and Game Trout Stocking Reports for the most up to date schedule. Powerbait and Ultralight Heavyweights Jigs…again 😃
Shop News - Deal Reminders -There are quite a few! Let’s get you on some fish…and leave a few bucks in your pockets. COOL ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING!!
If you fish SENKO’s - you’re going to want to check this out. Buy a rod and reel valued at $75 or higher by November 30, and you will get your Senkos in 2024, for 25% off…LET ME REPEAT!! Get a new rod and reel and you get your 4 and/or 5” Senkos 25% off - for an entire year! I am going to apply this deal to anyone that pre-orders a shop rod as well. That’s about $2 a bag and if you fish as many as I do - you’re going to save some money!
We will start taking orders for the Christmas Mystery Tackle Boxes NEXT WEEK! We will have “HINT” cards in the shop that you can leave lying around the house so your loved one can accidentally find it and get you what you actually want 🤣
Idaho Rod and Reel has been busy…you’ll see how in the upcoming weeks and months. All I care about is getting you on some fish, building memories with friends and family…about to prove that 😉…you’ll see!
Cold Weather Bass and Steelhead Classes are in the works!!
IDAHO ROD AND REEL “LINK” Rods and Signature Jerkbait Rod. So we didn’t get the link live…apologies!! Just taking a little longer to get the new system up and running. As a reminder, anyone that pre-orders a Link or Sugnature Jerkbait rod will receive ALL of the their Senkos in 2024 at 25% off - that saves about $2/bag. ALSO!!! If you purchase a reel at time of pick up, you will receive 10% off and I will put line on the reel for free. We are supposed to have these BEFORE CHRISTMAS. What a cool and unique gift idea.
We are getting ready to launch the new website and point of sale system in the shop. Please bear with us as we work through the bugs!!
DISCOUNT BINS!! New BAITS ADDED AND NOT MANY RODS LEFT!!
Steelhead Slammers IN STOCK!
Rapala CrushCity Soft Plastic Baits in Stock!! They smell like Black Licorice…seriously…come stick yo face in a bag!! I’m a dork.
I’d love to hear from you about products that you would like to see in the shop. Email me at [email protected]…one random suggestion just might end up winning you a prize
Worth Watching
NOT FISHING RELATED BUT STILL FREAKING COOL!!
Technically Speaking...
If you don’t know or use this…you need to. NOT JUST FOR BASS!!
Local and National Fishing News…and other “Stuff”
If you haven’t fished these - add them to your “Must Fish” list
Steelhead Harvest Report
Fly Fishing for Stocked Trout
Current Trout Stocking
Steelheaders!!
New in the Shop
Steelhead Slammers! - Made in Oregon. Custom designs + Gamakatsu hooks
Rapala CrushCity Customs
Catch Spotlight
Submit your own entry to be featured in Hook Points to: [email protected], Subject: Catch Spotlight
Oliver and Colby with a good one…again!! These boys just catch…(on ULTRALIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS JIGS…in case you haven’t heard me say this before - they work! LOL!)
Damon with a couple on his own hand tied finesse jigs - this is a common theme with this cat…
One of my favorite people with one of my favorite fish! Levi - ON EM!
THESE PICS MAKE MY DAY!! Nice job Philip TAKING A KIDDO WITH HIM! Dadding like a PRO!
Bucket List Fish!! Hardest fish I’ve ever tried to catch…more on this later!!
"That was an awful cast.”