Fishing Reports

CJ Strike: Good fishing right now at CJ for most species. I fished this personally on Saturday and Sunday in a bass tournament and saw lots of great fish caught - even caught a few myself 😆! Drop shots, crankbaits and senkos caught a lot of fish. Good fish were caught up the river, in the bruneau in the main bowl. Moral of the story is - the fish are roaming. Find bait, find fish. A little current will help as well. Crappie fishing remains steady. We were marking lots of fish in the 15-25’ mark off main lake points and on any current break. Trout fishing is picking up. Trolling flicker shads and salmos will get the job done. Saw a few trout caught from the bank on powerbait out in front of Black Sands.

Boise River: Fishing really well. Closer to downtown has been a bit better so it seems in terms of numbers of fish bein caught. Ultralight Heavyweights jigs, small jerkbaits and small jigs under a float.

Brownlee: Harmful Algae Bloom advisory in effect for Brownlee and Hells Canyon Reservoirs. Water levels are 2049 - down <1 foot from last week. You can see the current ramp levels on the image below. Fishing remains good at Brownlee. Crappie fishing has been decent for both boat and shore anglers. To catch them, throw on a white and black or white and red crappie jig or minnow bait and look in tat 12-20’ depth range off points and on the current break side of coves. For the bass, try a carolina rig with a fluke or trench hawg, a TRD Ned Craw and/or a Fat Swing Keitech in a green pumpkin color. Catfishing remains steady - cutbaits, nightcrawlers and chicken liver are the reports I have received.

Snake River: Fair fishing being reported by ambassadors Mark Makiya and Taylor Motley. Mark reported catching them on a fire craw colored crankbait. The water is pretty clear but still lots of weeds piling up. Taylor reported good sturgeon catches on the river below Swan Falls. I’d have a Ned Rig - Z Man Baby Goat - rigged up if I was going to hit the river…

Wilson Springs: The warmer weather didn’t help clear up the weeds but it sounds like it didn’t make it worse either. Fish and Game are stocking them so there are definitely trout to be caught. Ultralight Heavyweights jigs and powerbait will catch you fish out there with regularity.

Lake Lowell: Good reports of fish being caught from the bank. Chatterbaits, ned rigs, swim jigs and a Texas rigged beaver bait have been catching.

Lake Cascade: Perch are being caught close to the rock piles. Throwing a 2.8 or 3.3 Keitech will catch both perch AND smallies out there right now.

Owyhee River: Bring some midges! You’ll run into small BWO’s as well.

Owyhee Reservoir: Bass fishing has been fair for smaller largemouth and smallmouth. Chatterbaits, crankbaits along the rocky banks and carolina rigged creature baits have been producing. Crappie fishing has been good and they have been good size! Schools are being behind current breaks and off main lake points. The bait you use is less important than location…find em and they will eat!

Duck valley: From the Tribal website:

Overcast in the beginning of the week has left most of the valley cold, wet, and muddy. As skies begin to clear up Wednesday, sportsman can look forward to a continual rise in temperatures that leaves the weekend full of sunshine and fall fishing conditions perfect at any of the reservoirs. Anglers are finding Sheep Creek a bit slow due to the presence of algae on the west end near the dam, expected to clear up with the seasonal temperature drop. Mountain View activity has been steady at low to moderate, and Billy Shaw lake has been productive with the trophy-sized cutthroat favoring flies tied in sparkly nymph, elk hair caddis, or The Sheep Creek Special. Fishing response is expected to increase with the annual fall stocking of rainbow trout into Sheep Creek and Mountain View scheduled for October 5, 2023.

Lucky Peak Reservoir: 10% Full. No report this week.

Arrowrock Reservoir: 33% Full. Ambassador Brian Callahan caught a couple of decent Kokanee and a good sized trout trolling 15-25’ down with pink colored dodgers and baits. Hopefully you haven’t put the boat away just yet!

Anderson Ranch: 84% Full. Trout being caught by trollers. Customer took me up on a few Salmos after telling me I beat him into submission with them and my constant call to throw em! He said it was worth it 😂 

Local Ponds: Ponds are starting to put out a few good bass for those willing to get out on them. Ambassadors Mark and Justin recommends downsizing your bait. Try throwing finesse jigs, Z Man TRD’s and maybe even a light hair jig. Guarantee not too many of those pond fish have seen a hair jig.

Shop News - Jig Tying Class, New Products and Custom Shop Rod Update

• JIG TYING CLASS! Learn how to make your own Football, Finesse and Hair Jigs. This class will include everything you need to tie 4 different jigs using 4 different techniques: banded, hand tied with thread, hand tied with wire and hair tying. Idaho Rod and Reel will be providing vices for everyone in the class. Each attendee will leave the class with the following: 4 Jigs, 2 bags of marabou, 3 colors of thread, spool of wire, scissors, bobbin, bobbin threader and a skirt tool for making banded skirts. Cost is $45. THERE ARE 5 SPOTS AVAILABLE FOR THIS CLASS!! Class is Thursday, October 12 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Idaho Rod and Reel Learning Center.

• New Rigging system that I am currently fishing and LOVE - In Stock Now!! See that in the New “What I Fish” Section

• We are completely re-stocked on Panther Martin and Blue Fox Trout Spinners!

• IDAHO ROD AND REEL “LINK” Rods and Signature Jerkbait Rod. For those that have been asking, we are getting closer to setting up the link to purchase. More info and pictures to come in future newsletters.

• 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!! We have tons of baits and rods that are marked down 50% to help me make room for new iCast products. These are NOT JUNK BINS! These are rods from Daiwa, Shimano, Lews and baits from 6th Sense, Zoom, Z Man, Yamamoto, Rapala, Netbaits and more.

• New 2023/2024 Model Daiwa Reels in Stock!

• ARRIVING THIS WEEK! Great Lakes Finesse Snack Craws and Drop Minnows!

• 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

This is just funny…

Technically Speaking...

Braid to Leader…One of the most common questions in the shop! How to tie!

Local and National Fishing News…and other “Stuff”

More on the Quagga Mussels…

Current Trout Stocking

Good eating! Recipe is for Tilapia but use CRAPPIE!!

Finesse Fishing

New in the Shop

New Daiwa reels for 2023/24!

What I love about Daiwa is how they incorporate so many of the features found in their high end products, into their lower-price point reels. Automatic Tournament Drag, Digi-gear and Zaion-V to name a few…Easily on of the est values on the market imo.

Great lakes Finesse Snack Craw - Arriving this week!

What I am Fishing Right Now

Many of you know that I love to finesse fish and I have helped several people catch fish with a Neko Rig. Traditionally, I have set this rig up pinning a Neko hook under a Wacky O-Ring that I have slid onto a Senko or other worm. My major complaint with this set up is that I go through a bunch of Senkos 😐️. I recently decided to try the VMC Crossover system to see if anything improved. For those that are unaware, the Crossover system is comprised of a wider band (as compared to an O-Ring) that has a small “bump” on it with holes to allow for wacky or Neko style hooking. I have paired with a #2 VMC Redline Neko hook. I have fished this system both recreationally and in 2 tournaments (Dworshak and CJ Strike) and I love it! I don’t feel like I am losing any fish because of it - in fact, I’d argue the opposite and I am 100% losing fewer senkos. I waited to bring the items into stock until I had fished them myself but they are on the walls and in stock now. I absolutely love this system. What I fish it on is listed below:

• 7’4” Daiwa Tatula Elite Rod, Medium, Fast

• Daiwa Tatula MQ LT, 3000 Spinning Reel

• Daiwa J-Braid Grand, Lt Gray, 15#

• Sunline Maborashi Leader, 10#, 10 to 11 cranks of the handle to determine how much I put on the reel (so yes, its a LONG leader)

Catch Spotlight

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

Craig with my favorite kind of smallie! Love those tiger stripes!

Showing Dad how it’s done!!

Billy and Cody with almost 40 pounds in 2 fish!

This kid just keeps catching PB’s!!

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