It's Winter...But You Can Still Fish!

Treasure Valley Fishing and News

Author

Ryan Chris
January 16, 2023

Fishing Reports

CJ Strike: Ice by Cottonwood and anglers have been catching trout through it on worms and powerbait. Using just small pieces of bait on smaller hooks has been working well. Crappie and Perch fishing has been solid. Small jigs tipped with bait has been working . Schools seem to be around 24-30'. Trolling has produced trout. Narrows are free of ice.

Boise River: Steelhead are being caught around the bridges. Try roe! Overall trout fishing has been steady. Nice browns being caught on jerkbaits and small crappie jigs.

Brownlee: Water levels are at a good level and boat ramps are accessible. Bass are being caught! Smaller drop shot baits and some deeper running jerkbaits have been working. I haven't tried yet this winter but I have caught them on blade baits in past winters.

Swan Falls - Above the Dam: Bass fishing has been decent. Look for areas that have been in the sun the longest.

Swan Falls - Below the Dam: Bass fishing has been ok - try dragging a tube or tumbling a drop shot near the bottom. Sturgeon and catfish are being caught in deeper holes. Cut bait and pickled baits have caught 2 Sturgeon that I know of this last week.

Wilson Springs: Lots of trout being caught...powerbait, worms and crappie jigs.

Owyhee River: Low but plenty of open water, look out for brown trout redds if wading. Fishing has been decent. Try float and fly or float and jigs as well as smaller jerkbaits (gold colored is always a good bet!) and if you flyfish, midges and small #18-20 BWO's might be available. Most likely you'll find rising fish in the almost dead flat sections right now so be patient...and pray...sometimes pray a lot...that they'll cruise into your offering.

Cascade Reservoir Perch/ICE: If you're on the ice fishing pages and just look at the pictures, you'd think everyone is slaying them! But in actuality, some are, some aren't. A customer of the shop did well on small tungsten jigs tipped with wax worm as well as a perch Hali jig. For current ice conditions, get a hold of Valley Bait and Tackle or Tackle Toms. If you're walking, try the south end. A flasher can change your life! I will have Garmin Striker 4 bundles in stock this week, $349.99. This can easily double as your fish finder for your kayak, canoe, pontoon boat, etc.

Horsethief Reservoir/ICE: Trout fishing has been spotty but they are absolutely catchable. Start the holes shallow and work your way out. Again, a flasher can be life changing on the ice! Knowing they are down there versus hoping are two very different things :)

Duck valley/ICE: Don't forget about this great place! BIG TROUT are being caught thru the ice! Powerbait.

Snaker River - Marsing: Heard that several catfish were caught this weekend around this stretch of the snake. Complaint number 1 is about all the weeds and "crap" that is still in that stretch. The Idaho Rod and Reel ambassador that provided this report said to find the open sandy sections as well as some of the deeper sections that form after the river turns. Successful bait was cut sucker.

Shop News

  • Idahorodandreel.com is Live! You can now purchase online and have items shipped to your door! Orders of $75 or less are shipped for a flat fee of $7.50. Free shipping over $75.

  • NEW Idaho Rod and Reel Learning center located next door to the shop is open!

  • Hells Canyon Guide Cody Ard will be teaching Steelhead fishing class on Wednesday, the 18th for $50. If you have been unsuccessful, want to get better or just getting into this style of fishing - THIS IS THE CLASS for you. Sign up on our website!

  • Registration open for our Beginning Fly Tying Class. Sign up on our website.

  • Registration open for our Bass Fishing 101: Rigging Class. Sign up on our website. Texas, Carolina, Neko, Drop Shot, Chicken, Ned...

  • Loyalty Rewards Program coming very soon!

Technically Speaking...

An article that I recently enjoyed:

A Winter Bass Fishing Pattern You Need to Try Soon

Winter bass fishing is a tricky thing this time of year. Both the water and air temperatures seem to keep getting colder and, as a result, the bass are pretty darn sluggish right now. When you combine that lethargy with the usual increase in precipitation that tends to occur in the winter, you’re often left [...]Read More... from A Winter Bass Fishing Pattern You Need to Try Soon

https://www.wired2fish.com/winter-fishing/a-winter-bass-fishing-pattern-you-need-to-try-soon/

Local and National Fishing News

F&G Commission meeting Jan. 25-26 in Boise

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission will hold the public hearing and business meeting at the headquarters building at 600 S. Walnut Street in Boise. A public hearing will begin on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. MST at the same location. Those wishing to speak to the Commission during the public hearing will have a three-minute time limit, with additional comments accepted in writing. People can address the commission on any topic pertaining to Fish and Game matters. The business meeting will resume at 8 a.m. MST Jan. 26 at the same location. Public comments are not accepted during the business meeting, but it is open to the public and available via Zoom. Some agenda action items include: Commission is scheduled to set the 2023 and 2024 seasons for moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat. Fish and Game wildlife staff will present a status update on deer and elk and present the 2023 and 2024 big game season setting preview. Commission is scheduled to make a final decision on the adoption of management plans for fisher, Canada lynx and wolverine. See the full agenda and details for action items. Video Conference Information Live stream via Zoom Call-in number: 253-215-8782 Webinar ID: 912 8782 3590 Individuals with disabilities may request meeting accommodations by contacting the Idaho Department of Fish and Game director's office at 208-334-5159 or through the Idaho Relay Service at 1-800-377-2529 (TDD).

https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/fg-commission-meeting-jan-25-26-boise

Smallmouth bass state record falls once more

It was a typical cold, December day in central Idaho with rain down low and snow in the mountains. While many anglers might have been thinking about ice-fishing, winter steelhead or even putting a fresh coat of wax on their skis and hitting the slopes, Joey Walton had other plans: big smallmouth bass. Knowing he had to make the long run across the reservoir, he set out early in search of a trophy. Having been looking for a record fish for months, and already catching several smallmouths this season just shy of the current record, he knew he was in for a challenge. On that cold thirteenth day of December, his hard work finally paid off when Walton finally connected with the fish he had been looking for. After using a measuring board to verify an accurate length and getting some quick photos, Joey released the 23.75-inch giant smallmouth back into the frigid waters of Dworshak Reservoir, and took home a new catch-and-release state record instead. This year (2022) may be remembered as one of the best for Dworshak Reservoir, having produced a string of impressive smallmouth bass. This previous article describes how bass growth can explode in years of abundant food. If conditions remain consistent, there could be another record coming. But don't get your hopes up, as the 9.72-pound weight record (also 23.75-inches long) of Dan Steigers's fish from 2006, and this latest catch-and-release record will require a truly exceptional fish to be broken. Still, there's optimism in the air as we look forward to seeing what 2023 might bring to the record books. Joey Walton hoists a 23.75-inch smallmouth bass from Dworshak Reservoir in central Idaho, clinching a new catch-and-release state record.

https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/smallmouth-bass-state-record-falls-once-more

Statement of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) and the Western Division AFS (WDAFS) About the Need to Breach the Four Dams on the Lower Snake River | American Fisheries Society

https://fisheries.org/policy-media/recent-policy-statements/statement-of-the-american-fisheries-society-afs-and-the-western-division-afs-wdafs-about-the-need-to-breach-the-four-dams-on-the-lower-snake-river/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%201-12-2023

Catch Spotlight

Congrats Haydn! Buck feaver...steelhead style!

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

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after"

Henry David Thoreau